Log in

goodpods headphones icon

To access all our features

Open the Goodpods app
Close icon
headphones
Skepticality - The Official Podcast of Skeptic Magazine

Skepticality - The Official Podcast of Skeptic Magazine

Skepticality - The Official Podcast of Skeptic Magazine

We're tired of pertinent social and science news being buried by claptrap. Our podcast is here to bring you relevant, under-reported current events, as well as in-depth discussions from a scientific, critical, skeptical, and humorous point of view. Derek and Swoopy are your hosts, filling your pod and your brain with skeptical insight and conversation, sometimes heated, on a plethora of topics that are ripe for critical examination. Bringing truth to podcasting, and all who choose to listen. In our travels we will tackle the beasts of pseudoscience; the paranormal, supernatural, ufo / alien encounters, misunderstood history, and overwrought legends - urban or otherwise. Our interview shows feature notable skeptics including; leading astronomy speakers, scientists, philosophy experts, and other scientific, secular, humanist, and skeptical book authors, and critical thinkers.
bookmark
Share icon

All episodes

Best episodes

Top 10 Skepticality - The Official Podcast of Skeptic Magazine Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Skepticality - The Official Podcast of Skeptic Magazine episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Skepticality - The Official Podcast of Skeptic Magazine for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Skepticality - The Official Podcast of Skeptic Magazine episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Skepticality - The Official Podcast of Skeptic Magazine - Skepticality #121 - Astronomy Overload Hour - Guest: Dr. Phil Plait, The Bad Astronomer
play

02/09/10 • 66 min

For a myriad of reasons, NASA is in the news this week. For an update on everything astronomical Skepticality is proud to welcome back The Bad Astronomer himself, Dr. Phil Plait (author of the popular books Bad Astronomy, Death from the Skies and his award-winning blog at Discovermagazine.com). Swoopy chats with Phil about this week's planned launch of the space shuttle Endeavour (one of five final missions marking the retirement of the shuttle fleet by the close of 2010); the surprising recent announcement of President Obama's plans to increase NASA's funding but cancel the Constellation program already five years underway; and, Phil's own tough decision to step down as president of the James Randi Educational Foundation in order to extend his skeptical outreach to a global audience through television.

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Skepticality - The Official Podcast of Skeptic Magazine - Skepticality #120 - Evolution of Jr. Skeptic - Guests: Pat Linse and Daniel Loxton

Skepticality #120 - Evolution of Jr. Skeptic - Guests: Pat Linse and Daniel Loxton

Skepticality - The Official Podcast of Skeptic Magazine

play

01/26/10 • 54 min

This week on Skepticality, Swoopy talks with a true skeptical original: Skeptics Society co-founder Pat Linse, co-publisher and Art Director of Skeptic magazine. She is among skepticism's most influential pioneers — and yet, she has rarely stepped into the public spotlight. Among Pat's many groundbreaking innovations was the creation of Junior Skeptic (the 10-page kids' critical thinking insert bound within Skeptic magazine). Joining Pat in this interview is current Junior Skeptic editor and illustrator Daniel Loxton, here to talk about their latest creation: a full-color children's book released this week by Kids Can Press, entitled "Evolution: How We and All Living Things Came to Be".
bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Skepticality - The Official Podcast of Skeptic Magazine - Skepticality #118 - The Santa Situation- Guests: Heidi and Hollis Anderson

Skepticality #118 - The Santa Situation- Guests: Heidi and Hollis Anderson

Skepticality - The Official Podcast of Skeptic Magazine

play

12/22/09 • 41 min

The holiday season can be a stressful time for anyone, but for those parents raising their children to be critical thinkers and skeptics, there are some special challenges — namely, to Santa or not to Santa? This week, on a special holiday episode of Skepticality, Derek & Swoopy talk with Heidi Anderson (whose article, Skeptical Parenting: Raising Young Critical Thinkers appears in the current issue of Skeptical Inquirer) and her seven-year-old son Hollis. Young Hollis, it turns out, has his own opinions on Santa, science and truth…
bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Skepticality - The Official Podcast of Skeptic Magazine - Skepticality #115 - The Green Fairy - Guest: Cheryl Lins, owner Delaware Phoenix Distillery
play

11/10/09 • 79 min

Absinthe. The very name of this anise-flavored spirit has become synonymous with the forbidden. Associated with marijuana and other illicit drugs, it is said to cause hallucinatory and psychoactive secondary effects, delusions, criminal tendencies, convulsions, tuberculosis and death. At the start of the 20th century, these beliefs were reported by the media, widely promoted by the French wine industry, and spread via propaganda posters. This led to a ban on absinthe in Europe and the United States (lasting nearly 100 years). This week on Skepticality, Swoopy talks with Cheryl Lins, owner of Delaware Phoenix Distilleries in Walton, New York, about how this once-accepted and popular drink came to be outlawed and misunderstood — and how it was eventually resurrected at the hands of skeptics and scientists.
bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Skepticality - The Official Podcast of Skeptic Magazine - Skepticality #112 - Men Who Stare at Goats - Interview: Jon Ronson

Skepticality #112 - Men Who Stare at Goats - Interview: Jon Ronson

Skepticality - The Official Podcast of Skeptic Magazine

play

10/13/09 • 68 min

One of the refrains of skepticism is that reality is often more amazing than fiction. This is most assuredly true of the stories reported by investigative journalist, filmmaker and author Jon Ronson, who has delved time and again into the worlds of conspiracy theorists and extremists. This week on Skepticality Swoopy talks with Jon Ronson about his experiences bonding with skeptics at the recent Amazing Meeting London, his bizarre cruise (and rare interview) with psychic Sylvia Browne, and his 2004 auto-biographical book The Men Who Stare at Goats which will be released this November as a feature film starring Ewan McGregor and George Clooney.
bookmark
plus icon
share episode
On this week's Skepticality, Derek and Swoopy have just returned from Charlotte PopFest, a unique music festival with proceeds benefitting the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science. Unexpected local media backlash against the PopFest benefitting a group of "evolutionists" is further evidence why events like this one, the first of it's kind, are so important. These sentiments are echoed in this week's short interviews with PopFest musician Jill Sobule, members of the Charlotte Atheists and Agnostics and Keith Williams, a local Charlotte skeptic who wrote a letter to WBTV Charlotte to express his concern over their reporting of the PopFest as an example of "Science and religion butting heads".
bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Skepticality - The Official Podcast of Skeptic Magazine - Skepticality #108 - Stars of TAM 7 - Interviews: Jennifer Ouellette, Michael Goudeau & Ray Hyman
play

08/18/09 • 71 min

This week Skepticality releases the entertaining wealth of recent audio Derek recorded at the James Randi Educational Foundation's "Amazing Meeting 7" conference in sunny Las Vegas. The diverse nature of modern skepticism is well represented in interviews featuring Jennifer Ouellette (author of The Physics of the Buffyverse) and magician Michael Goudeau (executive producer of Penn and Teller's Bullshit!). Best of all, Skepticality shares thoughts from one of the founding fathers of the skeptical movement — psychologist Dr. Ray Hyman.
bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Skepticality - The Official Podcast of Skeptic Magazine - Skepticality #106 - TAM7 Recap - A view of The Amazing Meeting 7 from near and far.
play

07/14/09 • 31 min

This week on Skepticality, Derek & Swoopy recap The James Randi Educational Foundation's Amazing Meeting 7 conference, which took place this past week in Las Vegas, Nevada. Derek recounts his many adventures as a TAM7 attendee, including his interviews and discussions with TAM Guests including Ray Hyman, Jennifer Oullette and MythBuster Adam Savage. Looking at this epic convention in a new way, Swoopy shares her impressions of following the conference from home via social networking websites such as Twitter, Facebook and uStream.
bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Skepticality - The Official Podcast of Skeptic Magazine - Skepticality #102 - The Great Psychic Detective Challenge - Interviews: Benjamin Radford & Dr. Phil Plait
play

05/19/09 • 70 min

This week Skepticality is pleased to have back paranormal investigator Benjamin Radford. Derek talks with Ben about his recently concluded "Great Psychic Detective Challenge" which came about through amazing claims made to Ben while he was a guest on the Skeptiko Podcast. We also catch up with JREF (James Randi Educational Foundation) President Dr. Phil Plait about the upcoming Amazing Meeting 7, to be held in Las Vegas July 9-12.
bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Skepticality - The Official Podcast of Skeptic Magazine - Skepticality #122 - In With The New - Guest: D.J. Grothe

Skepticality #122 - In With The New - Guest: D.J. Grothe

Skepticality - The Official Podcast of Skeptic Magazine

play

02/16/10 • 31 min

Derek catches up with the new JREF President, DJ Grothe to discuss what is next for the JREF now that he has become the new President. 

bookmark
plus icon
share episode

Show more best episodes

Toggle view more icon

FAQ

What is the most popular episode on Skepticality - The Official Podcast of Skeptic Magazine?

The episode title 'Skepticality #288 - 'Psychic' Detective!' is the most popular.

Comments