The Skeptic

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

09/12/2024

In the wake of Trump's election win, conspiracy theories around a 'missing 15m' votes were easier for the left to accept than Harris simply losing...

In the wake of Trump’s election win, conspiracy theories around a ‘missing 15m’ votes were easier for the left to accept than Harris simply losing

06/12/2024

AI poses an unprecedented challenge for scientific integrity, but AI is just a tool. Its value, good or ill, comes from people using it...

AI poses an unprecedented challenge for scientific integrity, but AI is just a tool. Its value, good or ill, comes from people using it

04/12/2024

It's far to soon to tell patients platelet-rich plasma injections can treat infertility | Alice Howarth

Platelet-rich plasma might one day be a viable treatment infertility, or it might be a plausible treatment that fails to pan out – right now, we simply don’t know

03/12/2024

From the archive: Memory, fantasy and past lives - reflections on past life regressions | Mike Heap

From the archives in 1990, psychiatrist Dr Mike Heap looks at what might really be going on in reports of past life regressions

02/12/2024

Journalists have a duty to inform their readers, but they also must ensure they present true information in ways that don't accidentally misinform...

Journalists have a duty to inform their readers, but they also must ensure they present true information in ways that don’t accidentally misinform

29/11/2024

The predictions of astrology have now been put to the empirical test (at least) a thousand times – the results fail to support astrology's validity...

The predictions of astrology have now been put to the empirical test (at least) a thousand times – the results fail to support astrology’s validity

27/11/2024

Rather than 'do no harm', doctors must do more good than harm – an ethical obligation that alternative medicine almost inevitably fails to meet...

Rather than ‘do no harm’, doctors must do more good than harm – an ethical obligation that alternative medicine almost inevitably fails to meet

25/11/2024

Pacemakers don't work when they're switched off - we should doubt studies that say otherwise | Mike Hall

Among the many odd claims made about the placebo effect is that pacemakers work even before they’re switched on – which obviously isn’t true

22/11/2024

The meaning crisis, and how we rescue young men from reactionary politics | Aaron Rabinowitz

In the recent US election, male voters overwhelmingly voted for Trump – because he offered them the illusion of meaning in a world where their position is uncertain

20/11/2024

Now journals have moved away from paper publications, our access to our ongoing history of discovery and innovation relies entirely on digital archives...

Now journals have moved away from paper publications, our access to our ongoing history of discovery and innovation relies entirely on digital archives

19/11/2024

From the archives in 1990, BBC presenter Melvin Harris examines the evidence for reincarnation from accounts of past-life regressions...

From the archives in 1990, BBC presenter Melvin Harris examines the evidence for reincarnation from accounts of past-life regressions

18/11/2024

Argan oil from Morocco is said to have all manner of health benefits, from preventing hair loss to boosting the immune system - all based on little to no evidence...

Argan oil from Morocco is said to have all manner of health benefits, from preventing hair loss to boosting the immune system – all based on little to no evidence

15/11/2024

Faking the faking of fake news, 1910 style: the 'death' of film star Florence Lawrence | Andrew Shail

Fake news is nothing new – film promoters have known for over a century that successfully selling a fake news story takes a degree of cunning

13/11/2024

HADD its day: there's no evidence for an inherited hyperactive agency detection device | Kat Ford

That our superstitious beliefs can be explained by an inherited trait for hyperactive agency detection is simple, elegant… and not remotely evidence-based

12/11/2024

Unborn in the USA: being honest about IUDs could help us fight the anti-abortion movement | Colin Brewer

We shouldn’t shy away from the fact that IUDs are abortifacients – embracing it could help highlight the hypocrisy of anti-abortionists

11/11/2024

Animals, acupuncture and alt-med: the Brazilian penguin being subjected to Enya | Natália Pasternak

A recently rescued penguin in Rio de Janeiro is being treated with acupuncture, cannabinoids and music therapy – despite a total lack of evidence

08/11/2024

When it comes to 'Blue Zones' - higher clusters of people over the age of 100 - the answer is typically not about health, but rather admin...

When it comes to ‘Blue Zones’ – higher clusters of people over the age of 100 – the answer is typically not about health, but rather admin

06/11/2024

The idea that the colour of a pill influences what placebo response you get is based on a succession of badly designed or badly interpreted trials...

The idea that the colour of a pill influences what placebo response you get is based on a succession of badly designed or badly interpreted trials

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