Teaching Critical Thinking: An Introduction to the Special Section by David McRaney
Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition
Release Date: 04/23/2025
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...
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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...
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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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The Demise of the American Society for Psychical Research
Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition
Stuart Vyse’s investigation into the American Society for Psychical Research (ASPR) reveals an organization, once rich in both assets and history, that has all but collapsed. 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 irrational behavior, he is frequently quoted in the press and has...
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Joe Nickell Leaves a Legacy of Intrigue and Solved Mysteries by Stephen Hupp
Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition
Stephen reflects on a investigative career in memory of Joe Nickell. 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 Inquirer Audio Edition is a production of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and the Center for Inquiry.
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Mysterious Drone Sightings: Give Me the DTLs (Dates, Times, Locations) by Mick West
Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition
In late 2024 and early 2025, reports of mysterious drone swarms over New Jersey and U.S. military bases triggered widespread media coverage and public concern, culminating in official statements from the Air Force and President Trump. Skeptical investigator Mick West debunked many of these sightings—often just misidentified planes—by promoting the need for “DTLs” (date, time, and location) to verify such claims through flight tracking and 3D reconstructions. Read this article and find accompanying references at: About the Author: Mick West is a writer, investigator, and debunker who...
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Cancer Misinformation Kills; Chemotherapy Saves Lives by Andrea Love
Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition
Pseudoscientific claims that chemotherapy kills more than it saves are dangerously misleading; in reality, chemotherapy has significantly improved survival rates for numerous cancers, including childhood leukemia and HER2-positive breast cancer. Rejecting evidence-based treatments in favor of "natural" alternatives drastically increases the risk of death, a trend driven by wellness industry disinformation and medical conspiracism. Read this article and find accompanying references at: About the Author: Dr. Andrea Love is an immunologist and microbiologist with over a decade of experience in...
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Critical Thinking about Our Vulnerabilities to Misinformation by Bertha Vazquez and Melanie Trecek-King
Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition
Vazquez and Trecek-King discuss the importance of epistemic vigilance—critical thinking about our beliefs and biases—to combat misinformation. They emphasize that while educators work to teach students to evaluate claims and sources, the more difficult challenge is addressing our own vulnerabilities to misinformation, and suggests that critical thinking should be integrated not only in schools but also in workplaces, communities, and through everyday conversations to foster a culture of skepticism. Read this article and find accompanying references at: About the Authors: Bertha Vazquez...
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Numerical Hygiene Lessons: Critical Thinking and the Central Tendency Fallacy by William Matthew London
Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition
William Matthew London discusses the concept of "numerical hygiene," a term he uses to promote quantitative reasoning and numeracy in daily decision-making. Read this article and find accompanying references at: About the Author: William Matthew London is a and the editor of the free weekly email newsletter . Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition is a production of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and the Center for Inquiry.
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Highly Effective Thinkers: Critical Thinking for Teens by Timothy J. Redmond
Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition
Timothy J. Redmond recounts his journey from conspiracy belief to critical thinking advocate, which inspired him to develop a high school course teaching teens how to think skeptically and avoid cognitive pitfalls. The course, structured in seven units, covers topics such as cognitive biases, evaluating information sources, and the importance of skepticism and intellectual humility in forming well-reasoned beliefs. Read this article and find accompanying references at: About the Author: Timothy J. Redmond received his MA and PhD in political science from the State University of New York at...
info_outlineDavid McRaney reflects on his experience at CSICon 2024 and the personal journey that led him to the skeptical movement, emphasizing the importance of passing on critical thinking skills in an era of misinformation and AI-generated content. He introduces a special section in Skeptical Inquirer highlighting modern educators and communicators teaching critical thinking across age groups, from children's media to high school and beyond.
Read this article and find accompanying references at:
About the Author:
David McRaney is a science journalist and lecturer who created the blog, internationally bestselling book, and ongoing podcast You Are Not So Smart. His most recent book, How Minds Change, is all about the nuances of communication and persuasion as well as the science behind how and why we do (and do not) update our understanding of the world (and ourselves) when faced with novel experiences, ambiguous information, challenging conversations, or a combination of all three.
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Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition is a production of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and the Center for Inquiry.