Society

When skepticism collides with human experience. The societal implications of scientific skepticism.

Archive

From the archives: Hear our prayers – the Northern Irish prayer efficacy study

Wendy M. Grossman - 12th October 1989

From the archives in 1989, Wendy Grossman tracks down Francis Galton's 1872 study on the supposed power of prayer in Northern Ireland

Alternative Medicine

From the archives: In the eye of the beholder – Keeping an eye on iridology

Hocus Pocus - 7th October 1989

From the archives in 1989, The Skeptic's roving correspondent takes a look at the alternative diagnostic practice of iridology

Archive

From the archives: Twitching sticks – the (pseudo)science of dowsing

Anthony Garrett - 5th October 1989

From the archives in 1989, Anthony Garrett takes a look at the science - or otherwise - of dowsing and water divination

Archive

Being a magician wasn’t necessarily sufficient to see through the trickery of Uri Geller

Mike Hutchinson - 16th September 1989

From the archives in 1989, Mike Hutchinson examines contemporary accounts of the miracles performed by Uri Geller, and how they impressed a rather naive magician

Archive

From the archives: A look at the world of Tarot cards

Mike Rutter - 5th July 1989

From the archives in 1989, Mike Rutter takes a look at the world of Tarot cards and their ability to divine the future.

Archive

From the archives: Having faith in skepticism – Science, belief and meaning

Nick Beard - 1st May 1989

From the archives in 1989, Nick Beard examines the skeptical movement of the late 1980s, and the principles on which it was founded

Archive

From the archives: Cosmic Crystal Crankery – An examination of ‘New Age’ crystalline nonsense

Stephen Moreton - 1st March 1989

From the archives in 1989, Dr Stephen Moreton takes a look at the New Age fascination with crystals

Archive

From the archive: James Randi’s 1989 lecture for the Manchester Skeptics

Frank Koval - 29th January 1989

From the archives, Frank Koval's 1989 article presents a transcript of James Randi's lecture that year for the Manchester Skeptics

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Lemme Purr: the celebrity-backed wellness gummies trading on intimate insecurities

First do no harm? Treatments don’t need to be harmless, as long they do good

Moroccan Argan oil is an interesting traditional product, but it’s certainly no panacea

Animals, acupuncture and alt-med: the Brazilian penguin being subjected to Enya

Wim Hof: the self-described ‘Ice man’ whose extreme health claims leave many cold

Does pill packet branding change the placebo response, or is this just another placebo myth?

Studying the promotion of health misinformation by the Bolsonaro government

It’s far to soon too tell patients platelet-rich plasma injections can treat infertility

First do no harm? Treatments don’t need to be harmless, as long they do good

Pacemakers don’t work when they’re switched off – we should doubt studies that say otherwise

From the archive: The man who invented the flying saucer

From the archive: Memory, fantasy and past lives – reflections on past life regressions

From the archive: Many Happy Returns – Are past-life regressions evidence for reincarnation?

From the archives: The Art of Fakery – Fakes and forgeries at the British Museum

From the archives: A skeptical look at astrology

Left-wing conspiracy theories and ‘missing’ votes in the wake of Trump’s election win

Comparing misinformation to a virus is both accurate and useful in preventing its spread

2000 mules: why many Americans are convinced Trump won the 2020 election

Welcome to the modern American Right – the world that high weirdness built

Donald Trump’s debate performance proved he has mainstreamed extreme conspiracy theories

Ho Ho Holy Man? Why Santa technically doesn’t quite count as a god

Spotify Trapped? The algorithm is not what’s keeping you from new music

From the archive: A former Scientologist explains what the cult is all about

Huge social media accounts glorify ancient architecture, while whitewashing the past

From the archive: The man who invented the flying saucer

Will we soon face AI-related risks? Maybe, but they are probably overestimated

Scientific publication is now fully digital – so who is responsible for preserving our archives?

HADD its day: there’s no evidence for an inherited hyperactive agency detection device

Unborn in the USA: being honest about IUDs could help us fight the anti-abortion movement

The evidence for pill colour impacting placebo effects gets flimsier the more you examine it

Society

Latest news

Ho Ho Holy Man? Why Santa technically doesn’t quite count as a god

Spotify Trapped? The algorithm is not what’s keeping you from new music

Lemme Purr: the celebrity-backed wellness gummies trading on intimate insecurities

From the archive: A former Scientologist explains what the cult is all about

Does pill packet branding change the placebo response, or is this just another placebo myth?

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