Count Dante, Dim Mak, and the Kung Fu Death Touch by Peter Huston
Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition
Release Date: 11/12/2025
Ethical Issues in Ghost Investigation by Benjamin Radford
Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition
Benjamin Radford examines the ethical risks of ghost hunting. Drawing on established ethical frameworks, he contends that ghost hunting lacks accountability, incentives for skepticism, and safeguards for vulnerable people—making ethical reflection not optional but essential. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2025/12/ethical-issues-in-ghost-investigation/ 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...
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Fifty Years of the Modern Skeptical Movement by James E. Alcock
Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition
James E. Alcock recounts the cultural explosion of paranormal belief in the 1960s and 1970s and explains why that climate made the founding of CSICOP an urgent and necessary response. Reflecting on fifty years of achievements, he argues that today’s challenges—direct attacks on science, reason, and democratic institutions—make the skeptical movement more vital than ever. Read this article and find accompanying references at: About the Author: James E. Alcock is professor of psychology at York University, Toronto, Canada. He is author of Parapsychology: Science or Magic? and co-editor of...
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The Spark That Started CSICOP by Massimo Polidoro
Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition
Massimo Polidoro traces the cultural climate of the 1970s and the early encounters with figures like Uri Geller that convinced skeptics such as James Randi and Ray Hyman that organized scientific scrutiny was urgently needed. The article reveals how informal conversations and failed “psychic” research helped ignite what would become CSICOP and, ultimately, the modern skeptical movement. Read this article and find accompanying references at: About the Author: Massimo Polidoro is an investigator of the paranormal, author, lecturer, and co-founder and head of CICAP, the Italian skeptics...
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A Flight of Fancy about Psychic Predictions and Probabilities by Adrienne Hill
Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition
Adrienne Hill reviews the best-selling novel Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty. Crown, 2024. Read this article and find accompanying references at: About the Author: Adrienne Hill, a former high school mathematics teacher, currently dedicates her time to various roles and interests. She serves as a board member for the nonprofit organization About Time, founded by Susan Gerbic. Additionally, she holds positions as a board member, presenter, and educational consultant for the Tourette OCD Alberta Network. Hill actively contributes as an editor for Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia, reports for...
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Fifty Years of Inquiry! by Stephen Hupp
Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition
Stephen Hupp reflects on the founding of CSICOP in 1976 and the emergence of The Skeptical Inquirer, tracing fifty years of organized skepticism rooted in open-minded inquiry rather than reflexive debunking. The article previews a commemorative issue highlighting key figures, landmark investigations, and the movement’s lasting impact, culminating in plans to celebrate the anniversary at CSICon 2026 in Buffalo. Read this article and find accompanying references at: About the Author: Stephen Hupp, PhD, is Executive Director of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) and editor of Skeptical...
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The CDC’s ‘Autism and Vaccines’ Webpage and the Negative Evidence Principle by William Matthew London
Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition
William Matthew London explains how recent CDC changes falsely cast doubt on the overwhelming scientific consensus that vaccines do not cause autism, misrepresenting evidence and reviving long-debunked claims under political pressure. London argues that applying the “negative evidence principle” shows that decades of rigorous research failing to find any association is precisely why we are justified in saying vaccines do not cause autism. Read this article and find accompanying references at: About the Author: William Matthew London is a and the editor of the free weekly email...
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MAHA Isn’t Denying Science: It’s Doing Something Much Worse by Nick Tiller
Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition
MAHA’s summit highlighted how the movement selectively embraces real science—such as evidence-based benefits of creatine—only when it aligns with its ideology and commercial interests. Tiller argues that this strategic, opportunistic use of science is more dangerous than denialism because it cloaks misinformation in a veneer of credibility. 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.”...
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Santa Cruz County SkeptiCamp 2025 by Susan Gerbic
Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition
Susan Gerbic recounts here experience at the Santa Cruz County SkeptiCamp 2025. 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:
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The Global Retreat from Scientific Temper by Amardeo Sarma
Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition
Amardeo Sarma warns that efforts to “decolonize” science have drifted from addressing historical inequities into promoting epistemic relativism that blurs the line between empirical inquiry and spiritual or traditional belief systems. Read this article and find accompanying references at: About the Author: Amardeo Sarma is a fellow and member of the Executive Council of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. He is founder and past chairman of the German skeptics organization GWUP. He has been involved in industrial research for more than thirty-five years and is currently general...
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Pickle Juice: Cramping Cure or Congruence Bias? by Nick Tiller
Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition
Nick Tiller examines the popular belief that pickle juice quickly relieves muscle cramps... 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 Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. www.nbtiller.com Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition is a production of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and the Center...
info_outlinePeter Huston examines the bizarre life of “Count Dante,” a self-styled martial arts master whose outlandish claims helped popularize Dim Mak, the mythical “kung fu death touch.” Tracing Dim Mak’s roots in traditional Chinese medicine and its pseudoscientific evolution, Huston separates legend from fact to reveal how prescientific ideas were sensationalized into modern martial arts folklore.
Read this article and find accompanying references at:
https://skepticalinquirer.org/2025/10/count-dante-dim-mak-and-the-kung-fu-death-touch/
About the Author:Peter Huston is a longtime contributor to Skeptical Inquirer. He earned an MA in East Asian studies with a focus in Chinese history and language from Cornell University and has a strong interest in the history of Chinese science, proto-scientific thinking, and intellectual thought. He also has an MS in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) Education from the University at Albany and is an experienced teacher of English as a Second or Additional language to adults with experience living and teaching in Taiwan and two years as a member of the faculty at the highly ranked Fudan University in Shanghai, as well as working with refugees in the United States. He is a National Registry and New York State Certified Advanced EMT and a regular contributor to www.jems.com. His hobbies include studying martial arts, cooking (including Chinese cooking), and visiting historical sites. He is the author Scams from the Great Beyond, its sequel More Scams from the Great Beyond, and several other books, including a book on Trump called Scams from the Great Beyond—The Presidential Edition. He has been publishing and writing the email substack newsletter Mostly Asian History, which can be found at peterhuston.substack.com; it occasionally features skeptical examinations of topics in that field.
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Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition is a production of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and the Center for Inquiry.