Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition

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  One Man's Midlife Crisis in a NatGeo Docuseries 18.09.2026 8dk

  Brian Kerby reviews Limitless: Live Better Now. National Geographic Docuseries, 2025, arguing that the National Geographic docuseries is less a serious exploration of science than a celebrity's "midlife crisis" built around Chris Hemsworth's personal experiments with brain health, chronic pain, and risk-taking.  Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2026/08/one-mans-midlife-crisis-in-a-natgeo-docuseries/ About the Author: Brian Kerby is producer and host of the nationally syndicated public access show 502 Conversations. He has an MMus as well as an MEd in Science and the Public. Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/
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  Sounding the Alarm about Medical Misinformation 16.09.2026 4dk

  Katie Suleta reviews Everyone Else Is Lying to You: How Our Medical Establishment Weaponized Doubt to Spread COVID, Normalize Quackery, and Undermine Public Health by Jonathan Howard. Redhawk Publications, 2025. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2026/08/sounding-the-alarm-about-medical-misinformation/ About the Author: Katie Suleta is a public health researcher and science writer. Suleta is known for her work in countering medical misinformation and pseudoscience within the wellness industry. Her research and writing often focus on health literacy, clinical research, and policy and regulation. She holds a doctorate of health sciences from George Washington University, an MS in health informatics from Boston University, and an MPH from DePaul University. Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/
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  The Ghost in the iPhone 14.09.2026 8dk

  Christopher B. Steiner traces the history of nineteenth-century "spirit photography," focusing on William H. Mumler's famous photograph of Mary Todd Lincoln with the supposed ghost of Abraham Lincoln. By having students recreate the image using an iPhone long-exposure app, Steiner demonstrates how photographic effects and digital technology can reproduce seemingly supernatural images, highlighting the continuity between Victorian photographic trickery and modern digital manipulation. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2026/08/the-ghost-in-the-iphone/ About the Author: Christopher B. Steiner is the Lucy C. McDannel '22 Professor of Art History and Anthropology at Connecticut College, where he teaches courses on the history of photography, the anthropology of secrecy, and the visual culture of the invisible. He is currently writing Hustling Pictures: An Economy of Photographs, a history of American vernacular photography told through the entrepreneurs, hustlers, and wheelers-and-dealers who transformed photographs into one of America's most successful consumer products. Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/
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  Selling Immune Tolerance as Disease 11.09.2026 13dk

  Andrea Love argues that direct-to-consumer "food sensitivity" tests are a lucrative form of pseudoscience that misrepresents IgG antibodies—markers of exposure and immune tolerance—as evidence of disease. She explains how these unvalidated tests can lead to unnecessary dietary restrictions, health anxiety, and delayed medical care, and argues that the broader lesson is how wellness marketing can strip legitimate science of its context to create and sell solutions to problems consumers don't actually have. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2026/08/selling-immune-tolerance-as-disease/ About the Author: Andrea Love, PhD, is an immunologist and microbiologist and works full-time in life sciences biotechnology. She is an award-winning science communicator and the founder of ImmunoLogic, a science education and consulting organization. Love is also the executive director of the American Lyme Disease Foundation and teaches CME courses for medical professionals. Find her on social at @dr.andrealove (YouTube/Meta) | @dr_andrealove (X/Twitter) or at www.immunologic.org. Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/
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  Our AI Crisis Is Just a Symptom. It's Time to Fix the Root Cause 09.09.2026 19dk

  Melanie Trecek-King argues that the current panic over generative AI is largely a symptom of a much older media literacy crisis, not the root problem itself. She calls for replacing outdated tools like the CRAAP Test and blanket restrictions on information with stronger habits of lateral reading, calibrated skepticism, and understanding how algorithm-driven feeds blur the lines between reliable information, misinformation, advertising, and entertainment. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2026/08/our-ai-crisis-is-just-a-symptom-its-time-to-fix-the-root-cause/ About the Author: Melanie Trecek-King is an associate professor of biology at Massasoit Community College. Her website is www.ThinkingIsPower.com. Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/
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  Why Worry? Unwarranted Concerns—and What a Practical Skeptic Can Do 07.09.2026 11dk

  Mick West argues that skeptics should help people distinguish between legitimate risks and unfounded worries without simply replacing one anxiety with another. Using examples ranging from UFO and alien-invasion fears to sharks and the supposed significance of 2027, he emphasizes that facts and statistics alone may not overcome emotionally driven fears, and concludes that practical skepticism should prioritize reassurance, understanding, and reducing worry rather than shaming people or redirecting them toward potentially more distressing concerns. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2026/08/why-worry-unwarranted-concerns-and-what-a-practical-skeptic-can-do/ About the Author: Mick West is a writer, investigator, and debunker who enjoys looking into the evidence behind conspiracy theories and strange phenomena and then explaining what is actually going on. He runs the Metabunk forum, tweets @mickwest, and is the author of the book "Escaping the Rabbit Hole". Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/
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  Critical Thinking as a Collective Endeavor: The 2026 LiliCon 04.09.2026 5dk

  Carlos Orsi recaps LiliCon 2026 at  California State University Fresno. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2026/08/critical-thinking-as-a-collective-endeavor-the-2026-lilicon/ About the Author: Carlos Orsi is a journalist and writer, the director of Instituto Questão de Ciência, and author of What Science Says about Astrology (Columbia University Press, 2026). Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/
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  The Science behind the Ouija Board: The Neuropsychological Basis of the Ideomotor Response 02.09.2026 7dk

  Malorie Mackey and Michael Maldonado explain how the ideomotor response provides a neurological and psychological explanation for Ouija boards and other divination tools. They argue that our desire for control and our expectations can trigger tiny, unconscious movements—likely involving brain regions associated with anticipated actions and agency—that move planchettes, pendulums, and dowsing rods without conscious awareness, creating the compelling illusion of supernatural forces. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2026/08/the-science-behind-the-ouija-board-the-neuropsychological-basis-of-the-ideomotor-response/ About the Authors: Malorie Mackey is an investigative journalist who studies anthropology with a specialization in mythology, occult studies, and folklore. As a member of the Explorers Club, host of the show and podcast Weird World Adventures, and creator of MaloriesAdventures.com, she is always excited to investigate the unknown. Michael Maldonado, MD, is a physician subspecializing in neuroradiology with over sixteen years of experience in medicine. Regularly publishing in academic medical literature and presenting at multiple international medical conferences, he is no stranger to delving deeply into a topic and conveying a specialized knowledge to a wider audience. He is an expert in advanced neuroimaging techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/
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  Debunking The Telepathy Tapes: The Role of Facilitator Behaviors 31.08.2026 14dk

  Janyce L. Boynton argues that The Telepathy Tapes revives long-discredited facilitated communication (FC) by mistaking facilitator-generated cues for evidence of telepathy. She points to physical, visual, and verbal cues—including movements of letterboards, hand signals, touch, and verbal prompts—and argues that the podcast's experiments fail to properly blind facilitators, making rigorous authorship testing essential before accepting claims of psychic communication. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2026/08/debunking-the-telepathy-tapes-the-role-of-facilitator-behaviors/ About the Author: Janyce L. Boynton, MEd, BS, is an artist, educator, and former facilitator who advocates for evidence-based practices in the field of communication sciences and disorders. Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/
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  Telepathy via Facilitated Communication in Profound Autism: A 21st-Century Delusion 28.08.2026 21dk

  Katharine Beals traces the persistence of facilitated communication (FC) and its modern variants to a convergence of social, educational, and cultural forces, arguing that profound autism's communication challenges create fertile ground for the belief that hidden language abilities can be "unlocked."  Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2026/08/telepathy-via-facilitated-communication-in-profound-autism-a-21st-century-delusion/ About the Author: Katharine Beals, PhD, is lecturer at the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania, an adjunct professor at the Drexel University and Temple University schools of education, and the author of numerous books and articles on language, literacy, math instruction, and problems with current practices in K–12 classrooms. Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/
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  The Telepathy Tapes: A Portal into a World of Woo 26.08.2026 18dk

  Stuart Vyse argues that The Telepathy Tapes has evolved from promoting dubious claims about telepathy among nonspeaking autistic people into a broader platform for paranormal and New Age pseudoscience. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2026/08/the-telepathy-tapes-a-portal-into-a-world-of-woo/ About the Author: Stuart Vyse is a psychologist and author of Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition, which won the William James Book Award of the American Psychological Association. He is also author of Going Broke: Why Americans Can't Hold on to Their Money. As an expert on irrational behavior, he is frequently quoted in the press and has made appearances on CNN International, the PBS NewsHour, and NPR's Science Friday. He can be found on Twitter at @stuartvyse. Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/
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  How The Telepathy Tapes Silences Voices 24.08.2026 3dk

  Stephen Hupp previews the upcoming issue of Skeptical Inquirer, titled The Telepathy Tapes Silences Voices. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2026/08/how-the-telepathy-tapes-silences-voices/ About the Author: Stephen Hupp, PhD, is the executive director of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and the editor of Skeptical Inquirer. Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/
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  California Endorses Dangerous Autism Pseudoscience 19.08.2026 3dk

  Stuart Vyse argues that California's State Council on Developmental Disabilities has endorsed discredited communication methods such as facilitated communication, rapid prompting, and spelling to communicate despite overwhelming evidence against their validity and warnings from major professional organizations. He warns that the policy could legitimize pseudoscience, encourage public funding and institutional accommodation of these techniques, and expose autistic people and others with limited speech to serious harm. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/california-endorses-dangerous-autism-pseudoscience/#stuart-vyse About the Author: Stuart Vyse is a psychologist and author of Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition, which won the William James Book Award of the American Psychological Association. He is also author of Going Broke: Why Americans Can't Hold on to Their Money. As an expert on irrational behavior, he is frequently quoted in the press and has made appearances on CNN International, the PBS NewsHour, and NPR's Science Friday. He can be found on Twitter at @stuartvyse. Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/
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  The ABC's of Belief: Aliens, Bigfoot, and Chupacabra 12.08.2026 4dk

  Benjamin Radford examines public beliefs about aliens, Bigfoot, and chupacabra through recent polling data, finding that belief varies widely between these legendary creatures.  Read this article and find accompanying references at: skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/the-abcs-of-belief-aliens-bigfoot-and-chupacabra/ About the Author: Benjamin Radford, M.Ed., is a scientific paranormal investigator, a research fellow at the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, deputy editor of the Skeptical Inquirer, and author, co-author, contributor, or editor of twenty books and over a thousand articles on skepticism, critical thinking, and science literacy. His newest book is America the Fearful. Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/
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  The Commodification of Science: "The Last da Vinci" Offers Insights about Aspartame 07.08.2026 10dk

  Nick Tiller argues that modern science communication risks becoming science commodification when evidence is transformed from a process of inquiry into a product designed for attention, profit, and influence. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/the-commodification-of-science-the-last-da-vinci-offers-insights-about-aspartame/ About the Author: Dr. Nick Tiller is an exercise physiologist, researcher, and writer covering health, performance, and wellness misinformation. He's been a Skeptical Inquirer columnist since 2021 and is an elected fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. His new book, The Health and Wellness Lie, is an unflinching exposé of the trillion-dollar wellness machine. Visit www.nbtiller.com for more. Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/
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  A Visit to the Center of the Spiritualist World 29.07.2026 13dk

  Stuart Vyse visits Lily Dale—the world's largest Spiritualist community—to explore the history and enduring appeal of Spiritualism while examining the methods behind famous mediumistic phenomena such as slate writing, spirit trumpets, and precipitated spirit paintings. Although he concludes that these practices are better explained by deception and psychology than the paranormal, he argues that Lily Dale remains an important historical site for understanding how Spiritualism developed and why beliefs in communicating with the dead continue to attract followers today. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/a-visit-to-the-center-of-the-spiritualist-world/ About the Author: Stuart Vyse is a psychologist and author of Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition, which won the William James Book Award of the American Psychological Association. He is also author of Going Broke: Why Americans Can't Hold on to Their Money. As an expert on irrational behavior, he is frequently quoted in the press and has made appearances on CNN International, the PBS NewsHour, and NPR's Science Friday. He can be found on Twitter at @stuartvyse. Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/
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  When the Doctor Says Stop, But the Fight Goes On 22.07.2026 9dk

  Nick Tiller argues that a recent UFC fight in which medical advice was effectively overridden illustrates the dangerous erosion of respect for expert judgment, especially when entertainment and a culture of performative toughness take precedence over athlete safety. Using the incident to examine combat sports more broadly, he contends that ringside physicians—not referees, promoters, or fighters—should have the final authority on medical decisions to prevent avoidable, potentially life-altering injuries. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/when-the-doctor-says-stop-but-the-fight-goes-on/ About the Author: Dr. Nick Tiller is an exercise physiologist, researcher, and writer covering health, performance, and wellness misinformation. He's been a Skeptical Inquirer columnist since 2021 and is an elected fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. His new book, The Health and Wellness Lie, is an unflinching exposé of the trillion-dollar wellness machine. Visit www.nbtiller.com for more. Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/
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  Percival Lowell and the Canals on Mars 17.07.2026 10dk

  Terence Hines reviews The Martians: The True Story of an Alien Craze That Captured Turn-of-the-Century America. By David Baron. Liveright Books/W. W. Norton, 2025. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2026/06/percival-lowell-and-the-canals-on-mars/ About the Author: Terence Hines is professor of psychology at Pace University and adjunct professor of neurology at New York Medical College. He is author of The Psychology and Science of Pseudoscience (2025) and a CSI fellow. Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/
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  The Lost Art of Scientific Inquiry 15.07.2026 9dk

  Aymen I. Idris reflects on how modern academia has transformed scientists from hands-on experimenters into grant writers, managers, and administrators, eroding the craft of direct inquiry that once defined scientific discovery. Drawing on his own career and conversations with researchers worldwide, he argues that the future of science depends on reclaiming time at the lab bench, protecting curiosity-driven research, and resisting a system that values metrics and funding over genuine exploration. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2026/06/the-lost-art-of-scientific-inquiry/ About the Author: Aymen I. Idris, PhD, is a London-born academic, researcher, founder, and director of Africa in Science (AiS), a think tank dedicated to exploring under-researched and neglected topics in academia. As an editor and writer, his work focuses on academia, culture, and diversity. Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/
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  The Cottingley Fairies and James Randi's Marionette Mystery 13.07.2026 13dk

  Benjamin Radford investigates the claim that James Randi wrongly concluded the famous Cottingley Fairies were suspended as marionettes, tracing the allegation through decades of sources and finding no evidence that Randi ever made such a claim. Instead, the article shows how a tentative early image analysis by other investigators evolved into a persistent myth, illustrating how careful historical research can correct misconceptions—even about prominent skeptics. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2026/06/the-cottingley-fairies-and-james-randis-marionette-mystery/ About the Author: Benjamin Radford, M.Ed., is a scientific paranormal investigator, a research fellow at the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, deputy editor of the Skeptical Inquirer, and author, co-author, contributor, or editor of twenty books and over a thousand articles on skepticism, critical thinking, and science literacy. His newest book is America the Fearful. Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/