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Is Biological Sex Binary or Multifactorial? by Stephen Hupp

Release Date: 02/25/2025

Pseudo-Etymology: Do Words Have Hidden Meanings? by Talia Felix

Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition

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 This outdated notion assumes language was divinely assigned and that etymology can unlock secret meanings, a view long discarded by modern linguistics.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 to manipulate people. She debunks examples like the false idea that "week" and "weak" are...

The Force behind The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe by Jay Novella

Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition

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: 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 decades expertly side-eyeing nonsense. Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition is a production of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and the Center for...

Twenty Years of Health Scams and Wellness Trends by Cara Santa Maria

Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition

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: About the Author: Cara Santa Maria, PhD, is a clinical health psychologist, science communicator, podcaster, and Emmy Award–winning journalist. She is the host of the weekly science...

After Decades of Skepticism, How Are We Doing? by Steven Novella

Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition

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: About the Author: Steven Novella, MD, is an assistant professor of neurology at Yale University School of Medicine. He is the host of the podcast, author of the blog, executive editor of the blog, and president of . Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: Skeptical Inquirer Audio...

Celebrating Our Skeptical Guides by Stephen Hupp

Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition

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: 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 Edwardsville. Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: Skeptical...

Triangle SkeptiCamp 2025 by Susan Gerbic

Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition

Susan Gerbic Recaps the 2025 Triangle SkeptiCamp. Read this article and find accompanying references at: About the Author: Affectionately called the Wikipediatrician, Susan Gerbic is the cofounder of Monterey County Skeptics and a self-proclaimed skeptical junkie. Susan is also founder of the Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia (GSoW) project. She is a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, and writes for her column, Guerilla Skepticism, often. You can contact her through her . Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition is a production of the Committee for...

Five Things You Should Know Before Buying Fish Oil Supplements by Nick Tiller

Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition

Nick Tiller draws a compelling parallel between dietary supplements and slot machines: both are cheap to produce, highly profitable, and widely consumed despite offering questionable returns. Fish oil supplements, among the most popular, are critically examined through five key concerns. Read this article and find accompanying references at: About the Author: Dr Nick Tiller is an exercise scientist and author of The Skeptic’s Guide to Sports Science, named one of Book Authority’s “Best Sports Science Books of All Time.” He’s a columnist at Skeptical Inquirer and an elected Fellow of...

The Telepathy Tapes Tries to Silence a Critic—and Fails by Stuart Vyse

Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition

Stuart Vyse reports on how the popular podcast The Telepathy Tapes, which promotes debunked pseudoscientific methods of communication among nonspeaking autistic individuals—including telepathy—attempted to silence critics with a copyright claim. Read this article and find accompanying references at: 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...

The Seed Oil Gambit by Nick Tiller

Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition

Nick Tiller unpacks how wellness influencers and companies scapegoat seed oils to sell overpriced alternatives, despite a lack of scientific evidence supporting claims that seed oils are harmful. He argues that the attack on seed oils is part of a broader anti-science narrative driven by identity-based marketing, profit motives, and distrust of mainstream health institutions. Read this article and find accompanying references at About the Author: Dr Nick Tiller is an exercise scientist and author of The Skeptic’s Guide to Sports Science, named one of Book Authority’s “Best Sports...

Ecuadorian Equatorial Pseudoscience by Rob Palmer

Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition

In this "flashback" episode of Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition, Rob Palmer reads an article from his "The Well-Known Skeptic" online column at skepticalinquirer.org, originally published on January 8, 2020. Palmer recounts a frustrating museum tour at the Museo de Sitio Intiñan near Quito, Ecuador, where guides perform pseudoscientific demonstrations—like water draining in different directions on either side of the equator—to mislead tourists. Read this article and find accompanying references at: About the Author: Rob Palmer has had a diverse career in engineering, having worked...

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Stephen Hupp reports from CSICon 2024.

Read this article and find accompanying references at:

https://skepticalinquirer.org/2025/02/is-biological-sex-binary-or-multifactorial/

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