The Skeptic Podcast

Episode #084

The Skeptic Podcast

Show Notes

From the pages of The Skeptic magazine, this is The Skeptic podcast, bringing you the best of the magazine's expert analysis of pseudoscience, conspiracy theory and claims of the paranormal since its relaunch as online news source in September 2020. On this episode: Joe Nickell, legendary skeptical investigator, dies at the age of 80 by Blake Smith from March 2025

Has my dog got autism? The online groups that claim vaccines cause autism... in dogs by Robyn Lowe from August 2022

Not all dentists follow evidence-based medicine - here are some red flags to watch out for by Shaun Sellars from May 2021

Five persistent myths about caring for houseplants, and why they're wrong by Alice Howarth from January 2024

Find more from The Skeptic at skeptic.org.uk, or to support the show, take out a small voluntary donation at patreon.com/theskeptic

More from The Skeptic Podcast

Oct 16, 2026

From the pages of The Skeptic magazine, this is The Skeptic podcast, bringing you the best of the magazine's expert analysis of pseudoscience, conspiracy theory and claims of the paranormal since its relaunch as online news source in September 2020. On this episode: "It's in our DNA": the clichés that only confuse the public about genetics and essentialism by Carlos Orsi from March 2024

Oct 9, 2026

From the pages of The Skeptic magazine, this is The Skeptic podcast, bringing you the best of the magazine's expert analysis of pseudoscience, conspiracy theory and claims of the paranormal since its relaunch as online news source in September 2020. On this episode: MSG and the Chinese Restaurant Syndrome: the persistence of a nutritional myth by Elissar Gerges from August 2022

Sep 25, 2026

From the pages of The Skeptic magazine, this is The Skeptic podcast, bringing you the best of the magazine's expert analysis of pseudoscience, conspiracy theory and claims of the paranormal since its relaunch as online news source in September 2020. On this episode: The Beecher story, the origin of the placebo effect myth, likely didn't happen, by Mike Hall from February 2025

Sep 18, 2026

From the pages of The Skeptic magazine, this is The Skeptic podcast, bringing you the best of the magazine's expert analysis of pseudoscience, conspiracy theory and claims of the paranormal since its relaunch as online news source in September 2020. On this episode: Irredeemably Flawed: The IPP prisoner scandal, and the death of Matthew Price, by Emma McClure from April 2024 Psychics and mediums: Mad, bad, or dangerous to know?, by Chris French from March 2021 King Charles appoints alt-med fan Dr Michael Dixon as Head of the Royal Medical Household, by Edzard Ernst from May 2023 Reptoids and lizard-like rulers: who truly owns a conspiracy theory? by Dave Hahn from August 2026 Find more from The Skeptic at skeptic.org.uk, or to support the show, take out a small voluntary donation at patreon.com/theskeptic

Sep 11, 2026

From the pages of The Skeptic magazine, this is The Skeptic podcast, bringing you the best of the magazine's expert analysis of pseudoscience, conspiracy theory and claims of the paranormal since its relaunch as online news source in September 2020. On this episode: The persistence of error: why longevity doesn't equate to veracity, by Carlos Orsi from June 2023

See all episodes →