The Skeptics Society & Skeptic magazine

Clown Panic! Sightings of Mysterious Clowns Rattle Nerves in South Carolina

Robert Bartholomew | September 14, 2016

Unsubstantiated reports of phantom clowns in the United States can be traced back decades and are a form of social panic. In this week’s eSkeptic, sociologist and authority on culture-specific mental disorders, outbreaks of mass psychogenic illness, and moral panics—Dr. Robert Bartholomew—reminds us that they reflect age-old fears that are dressed up in new garb—literally.

The Hero on the Edge of Forever: Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek, and the Heroic in History

Michael Shermer | September 7, 2016

September 8, 1966 marks the 50th anniversary of Star Trek. In this essay, from 1994, upon the publication of David Alexander’s biography: Star Trek Creator: The Authorized Biography of Gene Roddenberry, Shermer considers the role of the individual—the hero even—and difference that Gene Roddenberry made in history.

What Will Tomorrow Bring?

Bernard Leikind | August 31, 2016

Bernard Leikind reminds us how fortunate we are to stand grounded on a foundation of scientific knowledge in the face of uncertainty.

What Was Adam’s IQ?

Bernard Leikind | August 24, 2016

Bernard Leikind takes a satirical look at the question of Adam’s IQ and the idea that we only use 10% of our brains.

Facilitated Communication: Mental Miracle or Sleight of Hand?

Gina Green | August 17, 2016

Gina Green traces the history of the Facilitated Community (FC) movement’s rapid growth and widespread adoption—a movement whose validity was accepted largely on faith, with little objective evaluation. Green discusses how scientifically controlled observations have been used to determine authorship in FC, weaving a cautionary tale about the obvious and serious legal, ethical, and practical implications of these findings.

Flood Myths and Sunken Arks: Who needs to believe in Noah’s Ark and why?

Gerald A. Larue | August 10, 2016

Should the Noah’s Ark story be taken literally? No, said Dr. Gerald A. Larue (1916–2014), former Emeritus Professor of Biblical History and Archaeology at USC, back in 1994, when Skeptic first published this article. There never was a world-wide flood, nor was there ever a “Noah’s ark” containing all the species of the world. Here’s why.

Uncertainty in Medicine

Harriet Hall, M.D. | July 27, 2016

Modern medicine deals in probabilities and informed guesses based on scientific evidence. Complimentary and alternative medicine (CAM) deals in certainties based on fantasy and intuition. Harriet Hall, M.D. reminds us that, although modern medicine is riddled with uncertainty, it’s still far better than any other option.

Myths about Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

Harriet Hall, M.D. | July 20, 2016

Harriet Hall, M.D. asks whether electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) is physical or psychological, and dispels some myths about it and other sensitivities.

Draw Them A Picture: How Skeptic Activists and a Cartoon Kept Quacks Away from Infants

Linda Rosa | July 13, 2016

What does it take to convince legislators with a negligible understanding of science or ignorance of alternative medicine to kill a bill that would allow parents to choose Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) providers and “natural remedies” for their infants? Linda Rosa takes a look at the many attempts naturopathic “doctors” have made seeking recognition as the equivalent of physicians.

Heaven is Not for Real

Sebastian Dieguez | July 6, 2016

Given the current success of neuroscience in establishing the neural basis of consciousness and thought, is it still honest to claim that we simply don’t know “what comes after”? Cognitive neuroscientist, Sebastian Dieguez, of the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, reviews The Myth of an Afterlife: The Case against Life after Death, edited by M. Martin and K. Augustine.

Accepting the Reality of Biological Evolution

James Randi | June 28, 2016

James “The Amazing” Randi ruminates on the reality of biological evolution.

Barefoot in Sedona: Bogus Claims About Grounding Your Feet to Earth Promote Medical Pseudoscience

Harriet Hall, M.D. | June 21, 2016

Could it be that shoes are the world’s most dangerous invention and the cause of health problems ranging from autoimmune diseases to premature aging? Harriet Hall, M.D. examines the claims of “grounding” or “earthing” — the idea that shoes are the most destructive invention ever and that maintaining health requires direct contact with the earth.

Myths of Terrorism

Michael Shermer | June 14, 2016

Michael Shermer dispels seven myths of terrorism. This is an excerpt from his book The Moral Arc: How Science and Reason Lead Humanity Toward Truth, Justice, and Freedom. This excerpt also appeared in Skeptic magazine 20.1—a special issue on Terrorism—in 2015.

Aspartame: Safe Sweetener or Perilous Poison?

Harriet Hall, M.D. | June 8, 2016

Depending on who you listen to, aspartame is either a safe aid to weight loss and diabetes control or it is evil incarnate — a deadly poison that is devastating the health of consumers. Harriet Hall, M.D. examines the claims and explains how we know that aspartame is safe for almost everyone.

Electromagnetic Fields & Parental Panics: A case study in how science can bring comfort

Julie Frantsve-Hawley | June 1, 2016

There is no known biological mechanism for non-ionizing electromagnetic fields (EMF) to cause DNA damage, and thus cancer. Yet, the media continue to drop panic bombs, instilling fear where none is warranted. In this week’s eSkeptic, Dr. Julie Frantsve-Hawley reminds us of the importance of sound science communication so that the general public can experience the same comfort in and reliance on science as scientists themselves.

Cons

Maria Konnikova | May 24, 2016

Why are we so bad at spotting deception? Read this excerpt from The Confidence Game: Why We Fall For It…Every Time, by Maria Konnikova, published by Viking, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright © 2016 by Maria Konnikova. This excerpt appeared in Skeptic magazine 21.1 (2016).

Winning the Vaccination War in California

Raymond Barglow & Margret Schaefer | May 17, 2016

Raymond Barglow & Margret Schaefer discuss the issue of vaccination of school children, the subject in California of a prolonged and bitter debate which led to California Senate Bill 277 which eliminated the personal belief exemption that allowed unvaccinated children to attend school. The bill became law in California on the last day of June 2015.

Evidence: “It Worked for My Aunt Tillie” Is Not Enough

Harriet Hall, M.D. | May 10, 2016

There is no such thing as alternative medicine. In this article from Skeptic magazine 20.3, Dr. Harriet Hall, aka the SkepDoc, distinguishes between science-based medicine and CAM.

The Non-Fine-Tuned Universe: The Astronomical Failure of the Cosmological Argument for Theism

Jérémie Harris & Edouard Harris | May 4, 2016

How significant are we as humans within the universe? Could the universe have been fine-tuned for our existence? In this week’s eSkeptic, Jérémie Harris and Edouard Harris examine the nature and extent of universal fine-tuning.

More on Porn: Guard Your Manhood—A Response to Marty Klein

Philip Zimbardo, Gary Wilson & Nikita Coulombe | April 27, 2016

What would happen if you stopped watching online pornography for a few months? The debate about pornography addiction and its effects concludes with this response to Marty Klein by Philip Zimbardo, Gary Wilson, and Nikita Coulombe.

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