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Skeptoid

Brian Dunning·1000 episodes

ScienceSocialSolo narrator15-20 minWeeklyMyth-bustingStandalone episodesEvidence-based

The true science behind our most popular urban legends. Historical mysteries, paranormal claims, popular science myths, aliens and UFO reports, conspiracy theories, and worthless alternative medicine schemes... Skeptoid has you covered. From the sublime to the startling, no topic is sacred. Weekly since 2006.

Why listen

Skeptoid gives you compact, evidence-first explanations of the claims people argue about at dinner, from UFO stories and paranormal legends to health fads and conspiracy theories. Brian Dunning's solo format is brisk and tightly researched, so each episode feels like a 15-minute myth-busting briefing rather than a rambling debate. It is a strong fit for curious listeners who like weird stories but want the science, history, and source-checking behind them.

Series(3)

Episodes

17 min
Jun 2, 2026Episode 1043
The Men Who Walk Through Walls

The real story behind the CIA spending $20 million on PROJECT STARGATE to study psychics. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

17 min
May 30, 2026
Encore! "Finding the Black Olmec"

Our final Skeptoid Adventure of 2026 takes us to the Yucatán coast to explore the Mysteries of the Maya. So, in anticipation of that, we're playing an episode from the archive that takes us to the heart of Mesoamerica: "Finding the Black Olmec" -- Enjoy!And this Adventure takes place December 6th-13th and links up seamlessly with the New Orleans Escapade for those who are interested!www.skeptoid.com/adventures Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

16 min
May 26, 2026Episode 1042
On the Trail of the Rougarou

From 17th century France to Nova Scotia and all the way to the bayous of Louisiana, one particular cryptid has had a far longer run than most. The rougarou is said to be the werewolf of the swamps, stepping out of Cajun folklore and into your nightmares. Where can we find the rougarou, and what role will it fill for centuries to come? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

15 min
May 23, 2026
Encore! "The Voodoo Ax Murders"

In preparation for our Skeptoid Adventure to New Orleans, we’re playing an encore edition of an episode that takes us to the heart of the Big Easy and dives into Louisiana Voodoo. We’ll see how Louisiana Voodoo stacks up against the Hollywood version as we explore the mysterious case of what came to be known as "The Voodoo Ax Murders." Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

17 min
May 19, 2026Episode 1041
Full Moon Myths

A round-up of plausible-sounding myths about the Moon, most of which you've probably heard, and some of which you might believe. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

17 min
May 12, 2026Episode 1040
Food Dyes

Some say artificial food dyes are killing us. The truth is a lot more nuanced. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

18 min
May 5, 2026Episode 1039
Chemtrails: Still Haven't Blown Away

The more years go by, the more Americans believe that ordinary airliners are secretly spraying chemicals for some hidden nefarious purpose. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

16 min
Apr 28, 2026Episode 1038
Project Anchor: Anatomy of a Hoax

This Internet legend claims the Earth's gravity will shut off for seven seconds in 2026. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

17 min
Apr 21, 2026Episode 1037
A Skeptic's Guide to Sleepmaxxing

This social media fad promises to supercharge your sleep and make you healthier than healthy, when in fact it probably does significantly more harm than good. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

5 min
Apr 17, 2026
New Skeptoid Movie: Alien Echoes

Skeptoid is now going into production on our third feature film: Alien Echoes. Get all the details at skeptoid.org/alienechoes Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

15 min
Apr 14, 2026Episode 1036
The Myth of the Alpha Wolf

It turns out there's probably no such thing as an alpha wolf. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

19 min
Apr 7, 2026Episode 1035
How Disastrous Are Declining Birth Rates?

Popular influencers claim birth rates are declining disastrously. How true is that, and is it a disaster? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

14 min
Mar 31, 2026Episode 1034
The Colorado Martian

The discovery of a Martian sarcophagus in Colorado in 1864: An oddball story, or consistent with the lore of the day? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

20 min
Mar 24, 2026Episode 1033
Skeptifying BBC's Uncanny

Supplying some much-needed skepticism to an episode of the BBC podcast Uncanny. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

17 min
Mar 17, 2026Episode 1032
Is Germ Theory a Myth?

Even today, some people cling to a pre-scientific belief that germs do not cause disease. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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2 min
Mar 13, 2026
Sailing the Skeptical Seas! New Orleans Escapade! Mysteries of the Maya Cruise!

Time is running out to grab one of the few remaining cabins for Málaga, Spain to Nice, France on the SV Royal Clipper AND announcing our next adventure to New Orleans followed by the Mysteries of the Maya cruise to the Yucatán Peninsula! Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

17 min
Mar 10, 2026Episode 1031
Unearthing Ancient Advanced Civilizations

An exploration of the validity of the Silurian hypothesis, which posits the existence of a pre-human intelligent race on Earth. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

11 min
Mar 7, 2026
Gentle Reminder: Daylight Saving Time Starts Tomorrow

As a gentle reminder that you will have an hour of sleep robbed from you tonight, enjoy this episode on Daylight Saving Time Myths from the archives! Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

15 min
Mar 3, 2026Episode 1030
Testing the Rossi E-Cat

This secretive device has been promising to deliver clean, free energy for more than 15 years — but so far nobody's been allowed to examine it. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

15 min
Feb 24, 2026Episode 1029
How to Become a Sovereign Citizen

Is there somewhere on Earth where Sovereign Citizens can actually be free of any nation's laws? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

17 min
Feb 17, 2026Episode 1028
Manipulative Advertising

Advertising wants your attention, not your soul; and it’s not nearly as good at getting either as you might think. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

17 min
Feb 10, 2026Episode 1027
Radioactive Relics: The Missing RTGs

Radioactive nuclear generators sit out in the environment, posing a real hazard. They're mostly — but not all — in Russia. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

14 min
Feb 6, 2026
Mic'd Up: Brian's Blood Donation Interview

Brian gets questioned while giving blood. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

16 min
Feb 3, 2026Episode 1026
Vintage Ceramics: Decorative or Deadly?

How concerned do you truly need to be about vintage ceramicware leaching lead into your food? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

18 min
Jan 27, 2026Episode 1025
Pop Quiz: Space Quandaries

Oh no! Another pop quiz. Take the challenge: 9 questions about space. Think you can get them all? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

15 min
Jan 20, 2026Episode 1024
The Van Meter Visitors

A century-old hoax takes wing again, proof that good stories never stay buried. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

18 min
Jan 13, 2026Episode 1023
What Accounts for Ghost Encounters?

If ghosts don't exist, then how do we account for all the ghost experiences that people have every day? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

22 min
Jan 7, 2026
Dr. Flint Dibble Interview: Our Resident Expert for Málaga to Nice!

Mediterranean archaeologist Dr. Flint Dibble will be our resident expert on the real history (and the fake history) at our ports of call when Skeptoid Adventures sails from Málaga, Spain to Nice, France this April. He is perhaps best known for his 2024 destruction of pseudo-archaeologist Graham Hancock on the Joe Rogan Experience. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

17 min
Jan 6, 2026Episode 1022
Blood Donation Myths

The myths and misconceptions surrounding blood donation and why you might consider donating.Links to resources from Bloodworks Northwest:Blood Donation Need to KnowEligibility GuidelinesEligibility Checker Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

15 min
Dec 30, 2025Episode 1021
The First Middle Finger

The history and pseudohistory of this infamous and ubiquitous obscene gesture. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

1 min
Dec 25, 2025
Your Donation Is Being Matched This Holiday Season!

Double your generosity by donating to Skeptoid before the end of the year! Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

16 min
Dec 23, 2025Episode 1020
Yule Logs

From fireplace to folklore, how the Yule log got its fake pagan backstory. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

17 min
Dec 16, 2025Episode 1019
Testing the Thunderstorm Generator

This device claims to be able to dramatically improve the efficiency and emissions of any internal combustion engine. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

17 min
Dec 9, 2025Episode 1018
Might Ghosts Exist?

An exploration of all the scientific possibilities by which ghosts might actually exist in this universe. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

18 min
Dec 2, 2025Episode 1017
The Bell that Tolls for the K-129

It should have been impossible for the CIA's Glomar Explorer to obtain the ship's bell from the K-129 submarine... but they did. How? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

1 min
Dec 1, 2025
End of the Year Matching!

Now through the end of the year, all Skeptoid donations will be matched up to $27,500. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

16 min
Nov 25, 2025Episode 1016
The Case for Carbon Dating

A roundup of evidence supporting the use of radiocarbon dating to assess the age of organic matter from 500 to 55,000 years old. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

15 min
Nov 18, 2025Episode 1015
The Alaska Triangle

Stories claim that this region of Alaska is home to a huge number of unexplained disappearances. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

17 min
Nov 11, 2025Episode 1014
The Giant of Kandahar

Did US Special Forces battle a 15-foot-tall red-haired giant in the mountains of Afghanistan in 2002? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

16 min
Nov 4, 2025Episode 1013
Medbeds: Sleeping in Bunk

A conspiracy theory claims the Hollywood and Deep State elitists have a magical bed that allows them to remain forever young and healthy. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

15 min
Oct 28, 2025Episode 1012
The Rake That Comes for You in the Night

Is the Rake mere creepypasta, or do more recent events prove it to be a real creature? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

16 min
Oct 21, 2025Episode 1011
The Not-Deer and Weird Appalachian Lore

When ordinary deer turn grotesque, Appalachia’s forests whisper of the Not-Deer — unnatural predators lurking somewhere between folklore and nightmare. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

27 min
Oct 14, 2025Episode 1010
Pop Quiz: 19 Years of Skeptoid

A pop quiz of trivia from the previous 19 years of Skeptoid shows! Can you beat the masters? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

18 min
Oct 7, 2025Episode 1009
Facts and Fiction of Polynesian Navigation, Part 2

The actual wayfinding methods used by the ancient Polynesians to navigate between islands and settle the entire Pacific Ocean. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

2 min
Oct 1, 2025
Skeptoid Adventures Sets Sail! Malaga, Spain to Nice, France 2026

Skeptoid Adventures will set sail on the world's largest sailing vessel, the SV Royal Clipper, from Malaga, Spain, to Nice, France this April. We'll have a mini-conference aboard and we'll stop at amazing ports of call -- all while on the coolest full-rigged sailing ship you've ever seen. Take a look at skeptoid.com/adventures. Please note: This ship often sells out by the end of October, so reserve your cabin soon. All deposits are fully refundable. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

16 min
Sep 30, 2025Episode 1008
Facts and Fiction of Polynesian Navigation, Part 1

Nearly as much mythology as science surrounds the wayfinder techniques used by early Polynesians to navigate the South Pacific. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

18 min
Sep 23, 2025Episode 1007
The Pilots Who Landed at Area 51

True stories of the pilots who have tried to land at Area 51 — and what happened to them. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

18 min
Sep 16, 2025Episode 1006
Deconstructing Structured Water

We all enjoy a nice crisp glass of water when we're feeling dehydrated — which makes sense, because our bodies need it most of all, so enjoying it is an evolved behavior. However, some people — notably wellness influencers — have determined that good old H2O is actually not a good thing at all (who knew?); and that what you really need is their own concoction that's actually an entirely different molecule: structured water. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

15 min
Sep 9, 2025Episode 1005
Debugging Done Diligently

Another round of corrections of errors from past episodes, keeping your Skeptoid archive tidy and accurate. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

17 min
Sep 2, 2025Episode 1004
Dating the White Sands Footprints

Ancient footprints in New Mexico are forcing scientists to rewrite the story of when humans first set foot in the Americas, and the debate is shaking paleoanthropology to its core. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices