Eugenie C. Scott
28 January 2025
My doc says I should walk a lot, and so I listen to a lot of podcasts as I trudge off on some errand. I listen to a variety of podcasts on a variety of topics, and I’ve been struck at how many podcasts I could classify as “skeptical”, dealing with topics we skeptics are concerned with, or that showcase good critical thinking.
There are a lot of self-identified skeptical podcasts, and you probably listen to some of them: Skeptics Guide to the Universe; The Skeptic Zone; Skeptoid; and so on. The “ Skeptisphere ” tab of the BAS website has a list. But like me, you probably have discovered skeptical and critical thinking content on podcasts where you didn’t expect to find it.
Some of you might remember a SkepTalk from October of 2022 where I interviewed two podcasters whose podcasts had good solid skeptical content and which apply good critical thinking to their topics. One guest was Australian Wendy Zukerman, whose “Science vs” podcast is probably familiar to skeptics (or should be!) The team, which won a AAAS Kavli Award for science journalism, regularly tackles pseudosciences of various sorts, and misunderstandings about science.
The other interviewee was Sebastian Major whose podcast “Our Fake History” presents a skeptical view of history that people think happened, but probably didn’t – or didn’t happen like people think it did. As the tagline says, “[figuring] out what’s fact, what’s fiction, and what is such a good story it simply must be told.” Good history is like good science: it requires research, comparison of evidence, and evaluation of findings to reach a tentative conclusion. There is a lovely series of three episodes on Houdini comprising episodes 168, 169, and 170. Were the Amazons real? See Episode 162. Lots more where these come from.
You can tell I have a soft spot for critical thinking about history. Another Australian-originating podcast, “Stuff the British Stole” is definitely worth a look. Mark Fennell takes one item (usually from a museum) and studiously researches its provenance and history, usually with surprising or unexpected results. The myths arise – or are invented – around such items often serve useful purposes, patriotic or psychological, but the truth is always important to know. Thoughtful and often funny.
I also have found good skeptical content on “99% Invisible”, a program about “the unnoticed architecture and design that shape our world”. Not the first place you would think to look for skeptical topics. It consists of subjects like architecture, infrastructure, and lots of quirky stories about how humans have interacted with the built environments in which they live. A recent episode covered a seemingly sensible idea about city planning called the “15 Minute City” – which has generated an international controversy resulting in death threats to proponents. I’m looking for someone to do a SkepTalk for us on this one. And this is not the only skeptical approach they’ve taken to a subject. “Fact Checking the Supreme Court” isn’t about science, but it highlights critical thinking and solid research. And how no one is checking the facts in an amicus brief.
A recent podcast that began in 2020, “When Experts Attack” similarly turns a critical eye on topics in addition to science where the host has “a conversation with a specialist in science, art, society or health”, asking the question “hey, what does everybody get wrong about what you do?” Host Brenden Lynch gets professors and other professionals (most of them from Kansas University) to deal with misinformation about their fields of specialization. Evolution, pseudoarchaeology, distortions of history in video games, and other subjects will be of interest to skeptics.
From the BBC comes “Curious Cases” with mathematician Hannah Fry and comedian Dara Ó Briain (previous to 2024, it was “Curious Cases of Rutherford and Frye”, with geneticist and science communicator Adam Rutherford). Most of the time they answer quirky questions from listeners such as “what is the shiniest thing in the world/universe?” “How do anesthetics work?” But they’ve also taken on “The Puzzle of the Pyramids” – a much beloved skeptical chestnut! They’ve also tackled alien life. And often within a program even outside familiar skeptical topics I’ll admire the reasoning and research that goes into their efforts to answer a listener question. Good scientific thinking – and a good dose of silliness and fun in most of the episodes.
I could go on – hey, I haven’t even mentioned “Imaginary Worlds”, which is about science fiction, fantasy, and speculative fiction, but in which you’ll also find skeptical approaches – sometimes as plot devices. Hint: the SkepTalk guest for February, Mohamed Noor, is a guest on a show on astrobiology.
What skeptical shows do YOU enjoy? The conversation can continue here!