Skeptical Inquirer Presents

Featuring: Robert Bartholomew

Robert Bartholomew will discuss his investigation into ‘Havana Syndrome’ and the bad science behind it. He describes it as a myth that is a product of shoddy science, poor journalism and bad government. He will also examine the history of mass psychogenic illness (aka, ‘mass hysteria) from the strange case of the meowing nuns during …

Featuring: Kermit Pattison

Why do major paradigm shifts so regularly disrupt our understanding of human origins? In the century and a half since Darwin, our knowledge of our own evolution has advanced far beyond the most optimistic aspirations of the founders of evolutionary biology. But this scientific history also can be viewed as a long series of debunkings. …

Featuring: Benjamin Radford

News and social media provide a steady diet of things to fear: Covid. Covid vaccinations. Immigrants. Child kidnapping rings. Satanists. QAnon. Mass shootings. Suicidal airplane pilots. Baby formulas. Killer cops. Violent video games. Mysterious sonic weapons. Critical Race Theory. Stranger danger. Social decay. And on, and on (and on). In many cases there is some …

Featuring: Nicholas Little

Pseudoscience is rife throughout society, from ghost hunters on TV to horoscopes in magazines to “alternative medicine” on the shelves of retail stores. While it is represented as anything from harmless fun to a valid alternative to dependence on “Big Pharma,” pseudoscience hurts people. It takes their money, makes false promises, and discourages them from …

Featuring: Carl Bergstrom, Jevin West

Today’s world is more thoroughly quantified than ever before. We are awash in numbers, statistics, figures, algorithms, and data graphics. Quantitative information is power: it is used to convey objectivity, to strengthen arguments, and to inform decisions—and all too often it is used to impress, overwhelm, and persuade without any conviction to truth. Fortunately, one doesn’t need …

Featuring: Stuart Vyse

Although reason and rationality are our friends in almost all contexts, in some cases people are better off putting reason aside. In a number of very important situations, we benefit by not seeing the world as it is, and by not behaving like logic-driven machines. Sometimes we know we aren’t making sense, and yet we …

Featuring: Bertha Vazquez, Melanie Trecek-King

In a world full of misinformation, being able to critically evaluate claims is empowering. Good thinking is the best way to protect ourselves from being fooled (or even harmed) by misinformation. The problem is: where do we start? The necessary skills, critical thinking and science literacy, are difficult to master… and to apply. To address …

Featuring: Barbara Hofer, Gale Sinatra

How do individuals decide whether to accept human causes of climate change, vaccinate their children, or practice social distancing during a pandemic? Understanding key psychological explanations for science denial and doubt can help provide a means for improving scientific literacy and understanding—critically important at a time when denial has become deadly. In Science Denial: Why It …

Featuring: Edzard Ernst

Prince Charles has entertained a long-standing love affair with alternative medicine. This book describes his passion as it developed during the last 40 years. The Prince’s beliefs, opinions, and ambitions are critically assessed against the background of the scientific evidence. In most instances, the contrast could not be starker. Thus, Charles’ tenacious promotion of unproven, …

Featuring: Jim Underdown, Kenny Biddle

In this special St. Patrick’s Day edition of Skeptical Inquirer Presents, veteran investigators Jim Underdown and Kenny Biddle will interview each other over drinks and tell stories of wild claims, ghost infestations, UFOs, and paranormal abilities. They will also answer your questions about their work and the current state of paranormal inquiries. Kenny Biddle is …

Featuring: Timothy Caulfield

At this time a recording of the talk will not be made available. The spread of misinformation seems to intensify with each passing week. From social media to cable news to popular podcasts (yes, Joe Rogan, I mean you), science-free bunk is everywhere. And it is doing tangible harm – to public health, public discourse, …

Featuring: Sean Casten

Between the Senate filibuster, a Supreme Court stacked against clean energy regulatory reform, and the White House’s lack of jurisdiction over state energy policy, President Biden is almost unable to touch the electric sector at all. That leaves nominations to the up until recently little know Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) as one of the …

Featuring: Susan Gerbic

Herding Cats: In conversation with Susan Gerbic – A romp through the last 24 months – Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia, the grief vampire investigations: Operation Lemon Meringue and Operation Onion Ring. Gerbic’s mission is to keep the community active and growing with SkeptiCamps, interviews, and a social trivia group that has not missed a Thursday …

Featuring: Paul Offit

Every medical decision—whether to have chemotherapy, an X-ray, or surgery—is a risk, no matter which way you choose.  In You Bet Your Life, I discuss how risk, from the first blood transfusions 400 years ago to the hunt for a Covid-19 vaccine, has been essential to the discovery of new treatments. We learn as we go, and …

Featuring: Steven Pinker

Today humanity is reaching new heights of scientific understanding–and also appears to be losing its mind. How can a species that developed vaccines for Covid-19 in less than a year produce so much fake news, medical quackery, and conspiracy theorizing? Steven Pinker is the Johnstone Professor of Psychology at Harvard University. A two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and …

Featuring: Candice Basterfield, Shauna Bowes

We probably all know someone who is highly intelligent but who has fallen prey to questionable ideas. For example, there are many intelligent people who believe that vaccines are linked to autism, despite considerable evidence that no such link exists. Similarly, there continue to be highly intelligent people who deny the evidence of global warming …

Featuring: David Copperfield, Richard Wiseman

In this personal journey through a unique and remarkable performing art, David Copperfield profiles twenty-eight of the world’s most groundbreaking magicians. From the 16th-century magistrate who wrote the first book on conjuring to the roaring twenties and the man who fooled Houdini, to the woman who levitated, vanished, and caught bullets in her teeth, David Copperfield’s …

Featuring: Naomi Oreskes

Many people believe that science is in crisis. In fact, the weight of evidence suggests that the scientific enterprise in America is alive and well and thriving. However, in recent years, public debates about the validity of scientific findings and the value of science have intensified, as some Americans have actively resisted and even denied …

Featuring: Lee McIntyre

A generation ago, the flat-earther at the end of the bar or the anti-evolutionist in front of a congregation could be ignored. But today’s science deniers—climate change skeptics and Covid anti-vaxxers—threaten all of us: solutions to both global catastrophes require the public’s collective buy-in. Drawing on the latest academic research and his own experience speaking …

Featuring: Anna Reser, Leila McNeill

Meet Anna Reser and Leila McNeill, the authors of Forces of Nature and co-editor-in-chiefs of Lady Science Magazine. From the ancient world to the present women have been critical to the progress of science, yet their importance is overlooked, their stories lost, distorted, or actively suppressed. Forces of Nature sets the record straight and charts the fascinating history of women’s discoveries …

Featuring: Nick Tiller

If you’ve ever tried a diet or a supplement, been to the gym or a spinning class, had physiotherapy or acupuncture, then you’re a consumer in the worldwide health and wellness industry worth an estimated $4 trillion. Exercise and physical activity improve health and prolong life, but lax regulations on the products and practices we’re …

Featuring: Carolyn Porco

We have entered the era of New Space … when commercial interests, long eager for access to space, have been given the green light and are finally making headway. This raises the question:  Will the routine use of space by commercial enterprise be what it is currently advertised to be?  Will mining asteroids save the …

Featuring: Guy P. Harrison

Author Guy P. Harrison will present a lively talk entitled “The Captivating Power of Reality”. Guy believes that skepticism/critical thinking skills are so vital to the wellbeing of individuals and societies that we have a moral obligation to call out irrational beliefs and faulty thinking wherever present. But how best to do it? Guy believes …

Featuring: Mike Rothschild

Mike Rothschild explains the background conspiracies and cults that fed the Q phenomenon, from its embrace by right-wing media and Donald Trump, through the rending of families as loved ones became addicted to Q’s increasingly violent rhetoric, to the storming of the Capitol, and on. And as the phenomenon shows no sign of calming despite …

Featuring: Stuart Vyse

People have believed in things unseen since the beginning of time, and in many cases, they have endured ridicule and much worse. In the middle ages, thousands of women were burned at the stake for allegedly engaging in witchcraft, which was considered a superstition in Christian Europe. Being superstitious is still something of a taboo, …

Featuring: Seth Shostak

Two-thirds of the American populace believes that the Galaxy houses other intelligent beings. And one-third believe that clever creatures are piloting their spacecraft through our atmosphere, occasionally making themselves visible to Navy Pilots. Meanwhile, a tiny group of scientists is trying to find proof of intelligence that could be situated dozens or thousands of light-years …

Featuring: David Robert Grimes

It may seem a big claim, but knowing how to think clearly and critically has literally helped save the world. In September 1983, at the height of the Cold War, the Soviet Union’s early warning system showed five US missiles heading towards the country. Stanislaw Petrov knew his duty: to inform Moscow that nuclear war …

Featuring: Krishana Sankar

Dr. Sankar is the Science Advisor for ScienceUpFirst, a national anti-misinformation campaign in Canada that aims to combat misinformation around COVID-19. She is also the Science Communication lead for COVID-19 resources Canada, leading a COVID-19 discussion initiative. Dr. Sankar is passionate about countering misinformation and has been dispelling misconceptions around healthcare issues for several years. …

Featuring: Nina Burleigh

A few months before the virus slammed the world, global public health experts declared the United States the most prepared for a possible pandemic. Instead, the world watched as the disease killed half a million and counting, and brought the nation to its knees.  A stunned nation has been too busy with grieving and damage control …

Featuring: Mick West

Communicating with a believer of conspiracy theories presents many challenges and may seem like an impossible task. How do you get through to someone who rejects conflicting evidence and thinks that you are part of the problem? Conspiracy Theory Expert Mick West presents a selection of time-tested tools and techniques for understanding and helping a …

Featuring: Jeff Hawkins

How do we understand the world? The brain receives a constant stream of input from our sensors and from this creates a model of the world. What we perceive, our thoughts and experiences, are based on the brain’s model. Unfortunately, the model of the world in our head can be fooled, causing us to believe …

Featuring: John Cook

A number of psychological challenges hinder the countering of misinformation and science denial. Polarization on issues such as climate change and COVID-19 results in some segments of the population being more resistant to refutation strategies. Inoculation theory offers a solution to polarization, with experimental studies finding that inoculating messages neutralize the polarizing influence of misinformation on issues like …

Featuring: Andy Norman

Why are ideologies poisoning public discourse? Why is extremism on the rise? How did we get here, and what can we do about it? It turns out some influential assumptions are suppressing our culture’s “immune response” to dangerous ideas. These assumptions prevent us from normalizing critical thinking, and leave us vulnerable to mind-parasites. Fortunately, there’s …

Featuring: Paul Offit

Paul A. Offit, MD, Director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the co-inventor of the rotavirus vaccine, RotaTeq, answered questions and common concerns raised about the COVID-19 Vaccines.

Featuring: Michael Mann

Climate scientist Michael E. Mann shows how fossil fuel companies have waged a thirty-year campaign to deflect blame and responsibility and delay action on climate change, and offers a battle plan for how we can save the planet. Michael E. Mann is Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science at Penn State, with joint appointments in the …

Featuring: Stephanie Kemmerer

QAnon, the ultimate baseless conspiracy theory, first emerged in 2017 as a rehashing of the equally ridiculous PizzaGate conspiracy from 2016. But its true origins – and in fact – the true origin of most conspiracy theories is much older than that. Long before the Satanic Panic of the West Memphis Three, the McMartin Preschool …

Featuring: Maria Konnikova

From the New York Times bestselling author of Mastermind and The Confidence Game, a journey into the world of high-stakes poker – and questions of what role luck plays in our lives, and what it truly means to take control of our own destinies. The Biggest Bluff is Maria’s third New York Times bestseller. It follows Maria’s immersion in the world of poker, …

Featuring: Odaelys Walwyn-Pollard

The COVID-19 Pandemic has undeniably made the year 2020 one for the books. We’ve seen how the pandemic has affected everyone, but it has undeniably been exacerbated for certain groups. We will discuss how COVID-19 shined a light on a broken system, with special emphasis on education in New York City, the largest school district …

Featuring: Timothy Caulfield

The spread of conspiracy theories and harmful misinformation is a defining characteristic of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has led to deaths, financial loss, increased stigma, health policy challenges, and added to the chaotic information environment. We must counter this “infodemic” with evidence-based communication strategies. Despite concerns about the “backfire effect” debunking does work, if done …

Featuring: Sean B. Carroll

From acclaimed writer and biologist Sean B. Carroll, a rollicking, awe-inspiring story of the surprising power of chance in our lives and the world. “Fascinating and exhilarating—Sean B. Carroll at his very best.” —Bill Bryson, author of The Body: A Guide for Occupants Sean B. Carroll is an award-winning scientist, writer, educator, and film producer. …

Featuring: Bob Nygaard

Fortunetelling fraud (aka Psychic Fraud) is a prevalent problem in the world. It is a certain species of fraud whereby self-proclaimed psychics emotionally abuse and financially exploit vulnerable people who are experiencing problems in their lives, bilking them out of billions of dollars each year under the guise of providing assistance. The victims are of …

Featuring: John Petrocelli

Our beliefs, what we believe to be true, are the most fundamental things to our decisions. Why then are so many beliefs based on bullshit rather than on truth, facts, data, evidence, or established knowledge? John Petrocelli discusses how lying and bullshitting are distinct behaviors with unique antecedents and unique consequences for beliefs. With a …

Featuring: Sasha Sagan

How do we as skeptics navigate life’s rites of passage? How do we celebrate and mourn without the infrastructure of religion? Sasha Sagan, author of For Small Creatures Such As We: Rituals for Finding Meaning in Our Unlikely World explores these questions, and highlights the astronomical and biological roots of many human traditions. Sasha Sagan has worked as …

Featuring: Nathan Lents

The pseudoscientific movement known as Intelligent Design (ID) does not offer a consistent or cohesive theory of life. Instead, it is a loose collection of criticisms of the supposed shortcomings of modern evolutionary theory. One such criticism is that the natural forces of evolution can serve only to weaken, damage, or destroy molecular functioning, thereby …

Featuring: Seema Yasmin

Can your zip code predict when you will die? Will testosterone supplements boost your libido? Should you space out childhood vaccines? Does talcum powder cause cancer? Why do some doctors recommend e-cigarettes while other doctors recommend you stay away from them? Health information―and misinformation―is all around us, and it can be hard to separate the …

Featuring: Carol Tavris

Because of the intense polarization in our country, a great many Americans now see the life-and-death decisions they must make in living in the time of the pandemic as political choices rather than medical ones. This dynamic is playing out among the many people who refuse to wear masks or practice social distancing. While the …

Featuring: Paul Offit

We’ll discuss the path to developing a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine with an understanding that most research and development programs for vaccines take about 15-20 years. The expectation, however, is that this vaccine will be developed in 12-18 months. Given that this would undoubtedly mean that steps along the path will be compressed or skipped, will this …

Featuring: Joseph Uscinski

Using a wealth of recent survey data, Professor Joseph Uscinski will show just how popular conspiracy theories about COVID-19 are, and why they are so dangerous to our health. Uscinski will then look at another set of dangers facing us today: those associated with misunderstanding the causes of conspiracy theories. Smashing down some of the …