Back Issues 71–present
Junior Skeptic #79
Cognitive Dissonance
We’ve investigated some very weird mysteries in the pages of Junior Skeptic. Today we’ll delve into the deepest, strangest mystery of them all: what’s happening inside our own brains! There are smart people today who believe that the Earth is flat, that they’ve been kidnapped by space aliens, or even that the deadly coronavirus pandemic is a hoax. How is it that so many people believe things that aren’t true, despite strong evidence that they’re wrong? Well, how is it that any of us decide what is true, or which sources to trust? How do our brains someties fool us into justifying our silliest beliefs and most hurtful behaviour? Let’s find out!
Junior Skeptic #78
Conspiracy Theories
As the world continues the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve learned that we’re facing another enemy just as dangerous as the virus: a plague of misinformation! Even while scientists, doctors, and nurses work around the clock to prevent illness and save lives, millions of others are being misled by stories they’ve heard about shadowy groups secretly scheming against society. False rumors about wicked conspiracies are as old as time. Some seem harmless. Others cost lives. Some rumors have even changed the course of history. How do conspiracy theories work? And what can we do about them? Let’s find out!
Junior Skeptic #77
The Honest Truth about Vaccines
“Vaccines” are medicines we take when we’re healthy to prevent us from getting sick later. Nobody loves getting their shots. But vaccines protect you, your family, and your community. Vaccines have helped us control many serious diseases. Right now, scientists are racing to develop a safe, effective vaccine to make us immune to COVID-19. However, some people claim that a COVID vaccine might not be safe, or even that it might be some sort of trick to control us. Others say vaccines are more dangerous than doctors admit. What is the truth? Are vaccines safe or risky? Or might the truth be something in between? Let’s find out!
Junior Skeptic #76
Plagued by Nonsense — Pandemics Throughout History: How Mistakes, Fakes, and Missing Facts Make Epidemics Worse
In this issue of Junior Skeptic we’ll confront one of humanity’s scariest enemies: epidemic disease. Are we brave enough to face this horror? You bet we are! We’ve done it every day during the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID is new. Other diseases have plagued our ancestors since ancient times. Mighty civilizations have been devastated by the invisible invaders we call “germs.” But people are not helpless! Over centuries, we learned how to fight back against disease. Our strongest weapons are science and critical thinking. However, germs have a powerful ally: misinformation! How do ignorance and bad ideas help the germs win—and what can we do about that? Let’s find out!
Junior Skeptic #75
The Howling Horror of Werewolves!
In this issue of Junior Skeptic, we will dare to track down some of the most ferocious beasts from movies and myth—werewolves! These savage shapeshifters have inspired tales of terror for centuries. People didn’t always believe that werewolves were make-believe creatures. For hundreds of years werewolves were feared as an all too deadly threat. Farmers huddled near guttering candles at night, terrified that bloodthirsty beasts prowled just outside the door. Soldiers hunted werewolves. Accused werewolves were captured and punished. Amazingly, witnesses have even reported werewolf sightings in modern America! How can that be? Let’s find out!
Junior Skeptic #74
Are You Eating Fake Food?
Everybody eats food. Along with air, water, and shelter, food is a basic human need. Food is the most important thing we buy, and we can’t choose not to. We can’t survive without food! Almost no one in our culture is able to grow or forage for all of their own food. Even people who live on farms still buy ingredients for cooking and baking. Foods such as flour, sugar, and cheese need to be processed. Other foods come from far away places, such as tropical fruit, seafood, salt, spices, coffee, or tea. That means we have to rely on products sold in stores. But what happens when people sell food that isn’t what it’s supposed to be? Let’s find out!
Junior Skeptic #73
Victorian England’s Jurassic Park
In this issue of Junior Skeptic, we venture back two hundred years to a time when no one had ever heard the word “dinosaur” or suspected such creatures ever existed. This is hard for modern people to imagine. Today, everyone knows about dinosaurs. Kids learn about dinosaurs almost before they can talk! If I say “Tyrannosaurus rex,” you can clearly picture one. You know things about T. rex: it lived a long time ago, walked on two legs, ate meat, and eventually went extinct. Yet there was a time when absolutely no one knew any of those things. What was it like when people learned about dinosaurs for the very first time? Let’s find out!
Junior Skeptic #72
The Chilling, Changeling Chupacabra!
In this issue of Junior Skeptic we’ll investigate a mystery as gruesome as it is creepy. Hair-raising stories claim that a vampire beast stalks the shadows — stealthy, silent, and thirsty for blood. According to these tales, the chupacabra — or “goatsucker” — is rarely seen. It strikes farms in the night, feasting on blood from goats, sheep, chickens, and other helpless prey. These stories first terrified people in Puerto Rico, then spread to many other places. Some claim it is an unknown animal. Others say it is an alien predator or secret experiment gone wrong. What is the truth behind this modern vampire legend? Let’s find out!
Junior Skeptic #71
The Colossal Case of the Cardiff Giant
In this issue of Junior Skeptic we’ll tell a story of gigantic proportions! Once upon a time, America buzzed with claims that the remains of a giant had been dug up from a field in New York state. It was over ten feet tall and made entirely of stone. Amazed onlookers said this was the fossilized body of a colossal human being. Could this be true? Was America once home to a lost race of giants? Or was this a whopper too big to swallow? Let’s find out!
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