Skeptic: Examining Extraordinary Claims and Promoting Science

Science in your inbox every Wednesday!

eSkeptic is our free email newsletter. Delivered once a week, you’ll receive fascinating articles, announcements, podcasts, book reviews, and more…

• Read the current issue
• Browse past issues

Lectures Live Streamed from Caltech

Can’t make it to Caltech for a Skeptics Distinguished Science Lecture? Watch the live stream of our lectures for free online, right here, broadcast live from Caltech!

• Watch Live Broadcasts

Here are the articles that people have been sharing over the last few days.

Planning on shopping at Amazon.com? Start your shopping by clicking the button below, and the Skeptics Society will receive a commission. Your prices for all Amazon products will remain exactly the same, yet you’ll provide essential financial support for the work of the nonprofit Skeptics Society.

See our affiliate links page for Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, and iTunes links.

• Twitter: michaelshermer

  • God breaks up with humanity. Brilliant essay by Ingrid Hansen Smythe, excerpted from her book Dwynwen's Feast: http://t.co/S7aWdJDFq5 May 24, 2013 ReplyRetweetFavorite
  • How can you tell the difference between something that is real & something that is not real? My answer in 40 seconds http://t.co/PVbSrIJ6mO May 23, 2013 ReplyRetweetFavorite
  • Islamist terrorist to UK Judge: "I don't wish to stand up, I believe ruling and judging is only for Allah." http://t.co/OyoXoaNQmj May 23, 2013 ReplyRetweetFavorite
  • When you look up "conspiracy wingnut" in the dictionary this picture appears http://t.co/qPFRWcGOTW May 22, 2013 ReplyRetweetFavorite
  • Did you know there are "Tornado Truthers" who believe the Feds triggered killer OK tornado? Guess who? Yup-Alex Jones http://t.co/uO0jkQDoGN May 22, 2013 ReplyRetweetFavorite

Get the autographed paperback

In this, his magnum opus, Dr. Michael Shermer presents his comprehensive theory on how beliefs are born, formed, nourished, reinforced, challenged, changed, and extinguished. Sam Harris calls The Believing Brain “a wonderfully lucid, accessible, and wide-ranging account of the boundary between justified and unjustified belief.” Leonard Mlodinow calls it “a tour de force integrating neuroscience and the social sciences.”

• Order the paperback ($15.99)
• Order the hardback ($28)
• Order the Kindle Edition
• Order the Apple iBook
• Order the Audio CD
• Listen to the Prologue for free

Top 10 Myths About Evolution (and how we know it really happened)

This concise pamphlet provides answers to common objections to evolution, such as: If humans came from apes, why aren’t apes evolving into humans?; Only an intelligent designer could have made something as complex as an eye; The second law of thermo-dynamics proves that evolution is impossible; Evolution can’t account for morality; and more…

• Download the free PDF

Top 10 Things You Should Know About Alternative Medicine

Harriet Hall, MD (aka the SkepDoc), shares her wit and wisdom about alternative medicine including: chiropractic, the placebo effect, homeopathy, acupuncture, and the questionable benefits of organic food, detoxification, and ‘natural’ remedies.

• Download the free PDF

Learn to be a Psychic in 10
Easy Lessons

Psychic readings and fortunetelling are an ancient art — a combination of acting and psychological manipulation. While some psychics are known to cheat and acquire information ahead of time, these ten tips focus on what is known as “cold reading” — reading someone “cold” without any prior knowledge about them.

• Download the free PDF