Follow Us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube

Skeptic: Promoting Science and Critical Thinking

top navigation:

Share this page with friends online.
Click the + for more sharing options.

Results for the keyword:
science

From the Doubtful News Blog
Plant, animal or something in between? Amateur fossil finder consults experts with discovery.

Mysterious ‘Monster’ Discovered by Amateur Paleontologist For 70 years, academic paleontologists have been assisted by a dedicated corps of amateurs known as the Dry Dredgers. Recently, one amateur found a very large and very mysterious fossil that has the professionals puzzled. Around 450 million years ago, shallow seas covered the Cincinnati region and harbored one… more

From the Doubtful News Blog
Autism and high-fructose corn syrup: Grist for the misinformation mill

Last week, the website Grist got themselves into a sticky mess with the publication of this article: Paper asks: Does high-fructose corn syrup contribute to a rise in autism? The blaring headline version of the new study’s conclusion would read: “High-Fructose Corn Syrup Causes Autism.” And while that may be a bit of an overstatement,… more

From the Doubtful News Blog
New film on creationists and the politicization of education: The Revisionaries

New film on science and creationism in schools explores how we find meaning in life. Were There Dinosaurs on Noah’s Ark? These and other questions are explored by the Texas School Board of Education in Scott Thurman’s riveting documentary The Revisionaries. The Revisionaries is a story about a small town dentist who chairs the Texas… more

From the Doubtful News Blog
North Carolina science teacher points students towards Creationist information

Wake County science teacher told to stop teaching about creationism – Education – NewsObserver.com. The Wake County school system has told a middle school science teacher to stop giving assignments about creationism as part of the study of the theory of evolution. School officials say the assignment, in which the teacher gave his students the… more

From the Doubtful News Blog
Get the Hell out of Canada you exorcists!

Ban exorcisms, science advocacy group urges An Ontario science advocacy group says it wants medical authorities to ban exorcisms in Canada, following a recent Saskatoon incident involving a man who carved “hell” on his chest. Alleged demon-expelling rituals can be physically stressful to the subject and are sometimes dangerous, according to the Toronto-based Centre for… more

From the Doubtful News Blog
Is the death penalty a deterrent for homicides? It’s complicated and we don’t know.

Death Penalty Research Flawed, Expert Panel Says “Proponents of the death penalty often argue that the threat of being executed acts as a deterrent that prevents people from committing murder. But those who oppose capital punishment challenge that claim. And some researchers argue that state-sanctioned execution might actually increase homicide rates. Now, a panel of… more

From the Doubtful News Blog
A problematic problem with a science journal. Oops.

Math paper retracted because it “contains no scientific content” According to a retraction notice for “Computer application in mathematics,” published in Computers & Mathematics with Applications: “This article has been retracted at the request of the Publisher, as the article contains no scientific content and was accepted because of an administrative error. Apologies are offered… more

From the Doubtful News Blog
Beware of traditional Chinese meds: Tests reveal nasty stuff in them

Another HUGE black eye for herbal meds. A widely distributed news story about how TCM products contain potentially harmful and banned substances: Traditional Chinese medicines under scrutiny DNA analysis can identify illegal or unsafe ingredients in traditional Chinese medicines, according to new research. An Australian-led group of scientists found traces of endangered species, as well… more

From the Doubtful News Blog
New analysis suggests microorganisms on Mars

Viking robots found life on Mars in 1976, scientists say New analysis of 36-year-old data, resuscitated from printouts, shows that NASA found life on Mars, an international team of mathematicians and scientists conclude in a paper published this week. Further, NASA doesn’t need a human expedition to Mars to nail down the claim, neuropharmacologist and… more

From the Doubtful News Blog
Baboons learn the first steps of word recognition

Baboons can learn reading skills Findings may indicate pre-existing capacity in brain Dan the baboon sits in front of a computer screen. The letters BRRU pop up. With a quick and almost dismissive tap, the monkey signals it’s not a word. Correct. Next comes, ITCS. Again, not a word. Finally KITE comes up. He pauses… more

« Previous PageNext Page »

search

Popular Articles
on skeptic.com

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

Help the
Skeptics Society
at no cost to you!

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.

amazon.com

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

get eSkeptic
our free newsletter

Free science articles delivered to your inbox once a week.


eSkeptic is our free email newsletter. Delivered once a week to your inbox, you will receive fascinating & provocative articles, event announcements, podcasts, book reviews, and timely updates from Skeptic.

Tweets from Shermer

Facebook logo (copyright Facebook Inc.)
Myspace logo (copyright Myspace Inc.)

FREE PDF Download

Top 10 Myths About Evolution

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…

FREE PDF Download

Top 10 Things You Should Know About Alternative Medicine

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.

FREE PDF Download

Learn to be a Psychic in 10 Easy Lessons

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.

Copyright © 1992–2012 Skeptic and its contributors. For general enquiries regarding the Skeptics Society or Skeptic magazine, email skepticssociety@skeptic.com or call 1-626-794-3119. Website-related matters: webmaster@skeptic.com. Enquiries about online store orders: orders@skeptic.com. To update your subscription address: subscriptions@skeptic.com.
See our Contact Information page for more details. This website uses Google Analytics, Google AdWords, and AddThis tracking software.