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Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition

Center for Inquiry

Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition brings the insightful articles from Skeptical Inquirer magazine directly to your ears. Covering topics in science, skepticism, and critical thinking, each episode features narrated versions of our most thought-provoking content. Perfect for those on the go, SI Audio Edition allows you to stay informed and inspired wherever you are. Support our work and subscribe to the print magazine at skepticalinquirer.org Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition is produced at the

society & culture

All Episodes

04:53

Barry Karr Strengthened the Skeptical Community by...

Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition ·

2025/09/08

Barry Karr, longtime executive director of CSI, built the skeptical movement by exposing frauds like Popoff and Geller while organizing conferences that united science communicators worldwide. His greatest legacy lies in fostering collaboration, community, and global outreach that will continue to strengthen skepticism beyond his retirement. Read this article and find accompanying references at:

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06:29

From ‘Tractors’ to Cell Therapy Clinics: Unproven...

Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition ·

2025/09/03

Curtis E. Margo warns that today’s unregulated stem cell clinics mirror the quackery of the past, from Elisha Perkins’s bogus “tractors” to modern snake-oil medicine. He argues consumers must stay vigilant, verifying FDA approval and relying on rigorous clinical trials before trusting new medical procedures. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2025/08/from-tractors-to-cell-therapy-clinics-unproven-medical-procedures/ About the Author: Curtis E. Margo

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07:41

Boiled Frogs and Chained Dogs: Habituation Myths by...

Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition ·

2025/09/01

Benjamin Radford debunks popular myths about habituation, including the chained dog and boiled frog stories, showing they are inaccurate metaphors often misused in politics, business, and culture. While habituation is real in psychology, these animal myths rely on slippery-slope reasoning and bad science—so skeptics should reject them and leave the dogs and frogs alone. Read this article and find accompanying references at:

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12:26

Is ‘Extraordinary Evidence’ Unreasonable? by Mick West

Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition ·

2025/08/27

Mick West examines the history and criticism of the “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence” maxim, showing how its vagueness invites accusations of unfairness from UFOlogists and parapsychologists. He argues that skeptics should move beyond catchphrases and instead apply Hume’s principle of proportioning belief to evidence, stressing that claims violating established science demand especially strong proof. Read this article and find accompanying references at:

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07:15

NIH Funding Cuts Hurt Basic Research and Patients by...

Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition ·

2025/08/25

Dan Wilson explains how proposed 44% cuts to NIH funding could devastate lifesaving research and stall future medical breakthroughs. He highlights past NIH-supported discoveries like CRISPR and Gleevec that have already transformed deadly diseases into treatable conditions. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2025/08/nih-funding-cuts-hurt-basic-research-and-patients/ About the Author: Dan Wilson earned his PhD in biological sciences from Carnegie

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03:41

We Must Stand Up for Science by Bill Nye

Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition ·

2025/08/22

Bill Nye gave the following speech on March 7, 2025, as part of the Stand Up for Science rally held on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2025/08/we-must-stand-up-for-science/ About the Author: Bill Nye (The Science Guy) is chief executive officer of The Planetary Society. He learned his love of astronomy from Carl Sagan while earning a mechanical engineering degree at Cornell University. He was

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03:21

Science Saves Lives, but Science Is under Attack by...

Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition ·

2025/08/20

Skeptical Inquirer editor Stephen Hupp previews issue (Vol. 49, No. 5) of the magazine titled The Disturbing Attacks on Science: Science Communicators Fight Back. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2025/08/science-saves-lives-but-science-is-under-attack/ About the Author: Stephen Hupp, PhD, is editor of Skeptical Inquirer. He is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and professor of Clinical Child & School Psychology at Southern Illinois University

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10:57

A Closer Look at the Gambler’s Fallacy and the Hot...

Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition ·

2025/08/13

Stuart Vyse explores new research showing that the long-dismissed “hot hand” in sports may be real once shot difficulty is considered, vindicating athletes’ experiences. In contrast, the gambler’s fallacy remains alive and well, but recent studies reveal it stems from decision-making biases rather than an inability to understand probabilities, leaving psychologists with fresh questions to investigate. Read this article and find accompanying references at:

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06:06

Houdini’s Lost Manuscript Discovered by Michelle E....

Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition ·

2025/08/06

A long-lost manuscript commissioned by Harry Houdini, The Cancer of Superstition, has finally been published a century after it was written. Though the core text is brief, it offers surprising insights into enduring patterns of belief—and missed opportunities for historical context. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/houdinis-lost-manuscript-discovered/#michelle-ainsworth About the Author: Michelle E. Ainsworth holds an MA in history. For

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07:19

Consumer Magazines and the Fine Art of...

Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition ·

2025/07/30

Science writer Nick Tiller critiques lifestyle magazines for promoting pseudoscience under the guise of empowerment, highlighting how superficial gestures toward skepticism mask an industry driven by profit and gendered consumerism. By mocking only fringe “woo” while protecting lucrative wellness trends, these outlets distort critical thinking and undermine public health. Read this article and find accompanying references at:

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12:02

The ‘Direct Experience Fallacy’ in Psychedelics...

Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition ·

2025/07/23

Peter Barglow critiques what he calls the “direct experience fallacy” in psychedelic research, warning that personal experiences with ketamine and MDMA can bias scientific judgment and undermine research validity. While acknowledging promising findings, he emphasizes the need for rigorous methodology and caution in light of the significant psychological and physiological risks associated with these substances. Read this article and find accompanying references at:

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10:06

Same Science, Different Reactions: Genetic...

Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition ·

2025/07/16

Biomedical scientist Andrea Love highlights the inconsistency in public acceptance of genetic engineering—embraced in medicine but often rejected in agriculture. She argues that the same scientific tools used to treat cancer and genetic diseases can also save lives through innovations like Golden Rice, and warns that misinformation and ideology are blocking progress where it’s needed most. Read this article and find accompanying references at:

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05:33

Calling Out Quantum Woo by Taner Edis

Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition ·

2025/07/16

Taner Edis reviews Quanta in Distress: How New Age Gurus Kidnapped Quantum Physics by Sadri Hassani. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2025/06/calling-out-quantum-woo/ About the Author: Taner Edis is a professor of physics at Truman State University. Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/ Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition is a production of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and the Center for Inquiry.

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12:27

Miracle Boy? The First Millennial Saint by Joe Nickell

Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition ·

2025/07/09

Joe Nickell’s final “Investigative Files” column critically examines the canonization of Carlo Acutis, a tech-savvy teen dubbed the first millennial saint. Nickell explores Acutis’s fascination with Eucharistic miracles and challenges the legitimacy of the “miraculous” healings attributed to him, arguing instead for rational, evidence-based explanations. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2025/06/miracle-boy-the-first-millennial-saint/ About the

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08:00

Full Moon, Full Wards? How Science Craters That Lunar...

Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition ·

2025/07/09

Foster and Miller travel to Summer 1979, volume 3 number 4 of Skeptical Inquirer in the latest edition of The Time Warp! Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2025/06/full-moon-full-wards-how-science-craters-that-lunar-link/ About the Authors: Craig A. Foster is a CSI fellow and the director of research and evaluation at Northshore School District in Bothell, Washington. Kate Miller is a certified healthcare simulation operations specialist (CHSOS) at

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06:00

Pseudo-Etymology: Do Words Have Hidden Meanings? by...

Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition ·

2025/07/02

Talia Felix, a contributor to the Online Etymology Dictionary, explores the widespread misunderstanding of etymology—not just as a confusion with "entomology," but as a belief that words contain hidden, mystical truths. This outdated notion assumes language was divinely assigned and that etymology can unlock secret meanings, a view long discarded by modern linguistics. Felix critiques the pseudolinguistic use of etymology by occultists and conspiracy theorists who claim words are "spells" designed

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12:38

The Force behind The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe...

Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition ·

2025/07/02

Jay Novella reflects on the 20-year journey of The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe (SGU) and its founding force, his brother Dr. Steven Novella. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2025/06/the-force-behind-the-skeptics-guide-to-the-universe/ About the Author: Jay Novella is a skeptic, podcaster, and coauthor who’s been fighting pseudoscience since dial-up internet was around. He cohosts The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe podcast, where he’s spent

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11:56

Twenty Years of Health Scams and Wellness Trends by...

Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition ·

2025/07/02

Cara Santa Maria reflects on two decades of debunking health pseudoscience as a cohost of The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe (SGU). From bleach-based “cures” like Miracle Mineral Solution (MMS) to enduring myths such as homeopathy, chiropractic, detoxes, and anti-vaccine rhetoric, she tracks the dangerous persistence and evolution of medical quackery. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2025/06/twenty-years-of-health-scams-and-wellness-trends/ About

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05:39

After Decades of Skepticism, How Are We Doing? by...

Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition ·

2025/06/25

Steven Novella reflects on the evolution of the modern skeptical movement, particularly through the lens of his own decades-long involvement and the 20-year success of The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe podcast, which recently celebrated its 1,000th episode. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2025/06/after-decades-of-skepticism-how-are-we-doing/ About the Author: Steven Novella, MD, is an assistant professor of neurology at Yale University School

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03:06

Celebrating Our Skeptical Guides by Stephen Hupp

Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition ·

2025/06/25

Stephen Hupp reflects on his admiration for The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe (SGU) podcast and envisions what it might look like as a magazine. That idea became reality in a special issue of Skeptical Inquirer celebrating SGU’s milestones: its 1,000th episode and 20th anniversary. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2025/06/celebrating-our-skeptical-guides/ About the Author: Stephen Hupp, PhD, is editor of Skeptical Inquirer. He is a Licensed

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216 results

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