The Skeptic

Expert skeptical analysis of pseudoscience, conspiracy theory and claims of the paranormal, since 19

15/10/2024

From the archives in 1990, Jean Dorricott on bringing a little skepticism to her local paranormal evening class...

From the archives in 1990, Jean Dorricott on bringing a little skepticism to her local paranormal evening class

14/10/2024

The 2024 US election campaign has illustrated the ongoing influence of 'high weirdness' in the MAGA movement and modern conservatism...

The 2024 US election campaign has illustrated the ongoing influence of ‘high weirdness’ in the MAGA movement and modern conservatism

11/10/2024

A Scottish child created a wolf 'persona' in order to cope with severe bullying and, as a result, ended up being bullied by the national media...

A Scottish child created a wolf ‘persona’ in order to cope with severe bullying and, as a result, ended up being bullied by the national media

10/10/2024

Floral alchemy: the even stranger Brazilian cousin of Bach Flower Remedies | Mauro Proença

Endorsed by the São Paulo city government, floral alchemy claims to be able to heal based on vibrational energy derived from lunar cycles

08/10/2024

From the archives: A skeptical look at astrology | Anthony Garrett

From the archives in 1990, Anthony Garrett explores the then-popular trend of astrological charts and predictions

07/10/2024

March for Life: The UK's anti-abortion movement is becoming more organised and emboldened | Abi Kennedy

March for Life UK’s pro-health summit showcased the full range of judgmental anti-choice rhetoric on abortion, IVF, and assisted dying

02/10/2024

Could AI help fix the issues of ineffective alternative medicine regulation? | Michael Marshall

A new study uses AI to identify misleading health claims, showing that with the right motivation and technology, proper regulation of alternative medicine is possible

01/10/2024

From the archives: Urban legends - a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend | Toby Howard

From the archives in 1990, Toby Howard takes a look at urban legends, and how untrue stories pass around as tales from a friend of a friend

30/09/2024

It's said that pill colour influences what placebo effect people experience, but the primary source for this claim is flimsy at best...

It’s said that pill colour influences what placebo effect people experience, but the primary source for this claim is flimsy at best

27/09/2024

Donald Trump's debate performance proved he has mainstreamed extreme conspiracy theories | Dave Hahn

Trump’s debate lies showed us a useful truth – just how much of his information he gets from conspiracy theorists and online extremists

25/09/2024

Trump's lies aside, what is the basis for our revulsion at the idea of eating cats and dogs? | Gabriel Andrade

Trump falsely claimed immigrants were eating cats and dogs, but we can question the moral revulsion to eating some animals, but not others

24/09/2024

When it comes to matters of science, giving equal time to promoters of misinformation might make for 'good TV', but it is wholly irresponsible...

When it comes to matters of science, giving equal time to promoters of misinformation might make for ‘good TV’, but it is wholly irresponsible

23/09/2024

Theatrical but ultimately ineffective, religion may be the ultimate placebo effect - as 17th Century priest Jean Meslier realised 300 years ago...

Theatrical but ultimately ineffective, religion may be the ultimate placebo effect – as 17th Century priest Jean Meslier realised 300 years ago

20/09/2024

From the archives: On Coincidences - Chance can be a fine thing | Clive Hunt

From the archives in 1990, Clive Hunt looks at the role of chance and probability in explaining paranormal claims

18/09/2024

Nobody undergoes egg donation for the money - it is about altruism, not exploitation | Emma McClure

Egg donors will see a raise in compensation from next month, but campaign groups are wrong when they say this incentivises people to donate

17/09/2024

From the archives: The Moses Barrier - the paranormal takes over where religion left off | Lewis Jon

From the archives in 1990, Lewis Jones looks at where religion ends and where pseudoscience and the paranormal take over

16/09/2024

L***a peels: it is a very bad idea to apply chemicals to your l***a in the name of beauty | Alice Howarth

The sale of l***a peels – caustic chemicals to apply to the ge****ls to lighten the skin – is a dangerous example of the pressures on women to look ‘perfect

13/09/2024

Portraying misinformation as a virus assumes we're all equally susceptible, and risks distracting us from solutions to the problem it poses...

Portraying misinformation as a virus assumes we’re all equally susceptible, and risks distracting us from solutions to the problem it poses

11/09/2024

Despite the marketing claims, research has found no evidence to suggest at-home microbiome tests offer reliable health insights...

Despite the marketing claims, research has found no evidence to suggest at-home microbiome tests offer reliable health insights

10/09/2024

From the archives in 1990, Tom Ruffles asks whether the UFOs seen over Russia were alien visitors taking advantage of glasnost...

From the archives in 1990, Tom Ruffles asks whether the UFOs seen over Russia were alien visitors taking advantage of glasnost

09/09/2024

"Woman arrested for praying" is the latest in a string of legal cases used by US conservative Christian organisations to fight against progress in the UK...

“Woman arrested for praying” is the latest in a string of legal cases used by US conservative Christian organisations to fight against progress in the UK

06/09/2024

Gacha video games - where players pay real money for a chance at winning digital items - are a poorly regulated space that can become as exploitative as gambling...

Gacha video games – where players pay real money for a chance at winning digital items – are a poorly regulated space that can become as exploitative as gambling

04/09/2024

JD Vance is right - for anti-intellectuals like him, the professors are the enemy | Edzard Ernst

Professors seek the truth, and the truth is something that politicians like JD Vance fear, because it can reveal their agenda as being fascist.

02/09/2024

A search for meming: fighting the mind-virus virus | Blake Smith

The meme of religion as a “mind virus” oversimplifies how we come to our beliefs, and actively harms our attempts to encourage people to question dogma

30/08/2024

The Estes method is an update to the ghost hunter's Spirit Box, with all the same flaws | Hayley Stevens

A modern take on the Spirit Box, the Estes Method is similarly doomed to fail, as long as ghost hunters continue to put their biases ahead of the science

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