The Skeptics Guide To The Universe

The Skeptics Guide To The Universe

The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe is your weekly reality check, in a world drowning in misinformation. Hosted by Dr. Steven Novella and his elite squad of critical-thinking rogues, SGU cuts through the noise of pseudoscience, conspiracy theories, and sensationalized headlines with sharp analysis, smart humor, and fearless skepticism. But it’s not just about debunking myths—we celebrate the wonder of science, exploring the latest discoveries, breakthroughs, and the profound ways science shapes our world. Whether it’s exposing junk science, dissecting viral myths, or diving into the mysteries of the cosmos, this show arms you with the tools to think critically and challenge the status quo. If you’re ready to sharpen your mind and see the world through the lens of reason, hit play and join the fight for facts.

Episodes

May 31, 2025 124 mins
The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1038 May 29th 2025 Guest Rogues: George Hrab and Andrea Jones Roy Segment #1. Quickie with Steve AMOC Time https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-025-01709-0 Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Night Vision Infrared Contact Lenses https://gizmodo.com/infrared-contacts-let-you-see-in-the-dark-even-with-your-eyes-closed-2000604405 News Item #2 – Trees Respond to Solar Eclipse https://...
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Live from NotACon with Guest Rogue Adam Russell; News Items: New Cambrian Fossil, Best Archaeopteryx Specimen, Chimps Using First Aid, Treatment for Baldness, New Color - Olo, The Next Theranos, Bespoke Genetic Therapy; Science or Fiction

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May 17, 2025 109 mins
The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1036 May 12th 2025 Segment #1. Dumbest Word of the Week moxibustion Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Cold Plunges https://www.sciencenews.org/article/cold-water-plunge-workout-muscle News Item #2 – The End of Life https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/science/ever-wondered-when-life-on-earth-will-end-a-supercomputer-has-the-answer/articleshow/120957014.cms News Item #3 – Floating N...
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May 10, 2025 115 mins
The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1035 May 7th 2025 Segment #1. Quickie with Bob Nuclear Fusion Rocket https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/pulsar-fusion-unveils-nuclear-fusion-rocket-for-space-travel Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Falling Space Debris https://www.space.com/space-exploration/satellites/scientists-chased-a-falling-spacecraft-with-a-plane-to-understand-satellite-air-pollution News Item #2 ...
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May 3, 2025 119 mins
The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1034 April 30th 2025 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Internet Fakes Precede Violence https://theconversation.com/memes-and-conflict-study-shows-surge-of-imagery-and-fakes-can-precede-international-and-political-violence-233055 News Item #2 – Lab Grown Teeth https://www.livescience.com/health/lab-grown-teeth-could-offer-alternative-to-fillings-and-implants-scientists-say News Ite...
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April 26, 2025 95 mins
The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1033 April 23rd 2025 Segment #1. Quickie with Steve Game Transfer Phenomenon https://theness.com/neurologicablog/game-transfer-phenomenon/ Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Geoengineering https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/apr/22/uk-scientists-outdoor-geoengineering-experiments?utm_source=chatgpt.com News Item #2 – Biosignature Candidate https://www.astronomy.com/science...
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April 19, 2025 96 mins
The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1032 April 16th 2025 Segment #1. Dumbest Thing of the Week https://knewz.com/world/an-encounter-with-a-ufo-turned-russian-soldiers-into-stone-alleged-cia-report-contains-its-details/ Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Where Did Water Come From https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250416135918.htm News Item #2 – EPA Data on Emissions https://undark.org/2025/04/15/epa-emissi...
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April 12, 2025 106 mins
The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1031 April 9th 2025 Segment #1. From TikTok Flat Earthers Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – De-Extincting the Dire Wolf https://theness.com/neurologicablog/de-extincting-the-dire-wolf/ News Item #2 – What Experts Really Think About AI https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01123-x News Item #3 – Planned Obsolescence https://theness.com/neurologicablog/is-planned-obsolescence-r...
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April 5, 2025 112 mins
The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1030 April 2nd 2025 Segment #1. What’s the Word enantiodromia Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – AI Protein Sequencing https://www.science.org/content/article/ai-revolution-comes-protein-sequencing News Item #2 – Solving the Bat Cocktail Party Problem https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2407810122 News Item #3 – The Extremely Large Telescope https://www.universetoday.com/articles...
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March 29, 2025 108 mins

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1029 March 29th 2025 Quickie with Bob: Extinction Survivors; News Items: Constructed Languages, Exercise and Brain Health, Curiosity Rover Finds Long Carbon Chains, Nanotech Lightsails, Vaccine and Autism Again; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: Technology vs Magic; Science or Fiction

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March 22, 2025 107 mins
The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1028 March 19th 2025 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – NASA Delays Artemis Again https://www.space.com/space-exploration/artemis/nasa-delays-artemis-missions-again-what-could-this-mean-for-the-moon-mars-and-space-leadership News Item #2 – Punishing AI https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/punishing-ai-doesnt-stop-it-from-lying-and-cheating-it-just-makes-it...
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March 15, 2025 128 mins
The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1027 March 12th 2025 Segment #1. What’s The Word Psionic Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Screen Time and Mental Health https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250310131816.htm News Item #2 – US Mass Shootings https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/society/us-mass-shootings-impact/ News Item #3 – Stem Cells for Parkinson’s https://theness.com/neurologicablog/stem-cells-for-parki...
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March 8, 2025 99 mins
The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1026 March 5th 2025 Segment #1. Quickie with Bob Atlantic Shutdown https://phys.org/news/2025-02-simulations-nightmare-atlantic-current-shutdown.html Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Measles Outbreak https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/04/health/texas-measles-outbreak-kennedy.html News Item #2 – Reintroducing Wolves https://tinyurl.com/expusrnx News Item #3 – TIGR-Tas Gene Editing ht...
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March 1, 2025 120 mins
The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1025 February 26th 2025 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Congestion Pricing https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-widening-highways-doesnt-fix-traffic-but-congestion-pricing-can/ News Item #2 – AI Therapists https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/24/health/ai-therapists-chatbots.html News Item #3 – Redefining Dyslexia https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/redefining-dyslexia/ News I...
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February 22, 2025 98 mins
The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1024 February 19th 2025 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Bird Brain Evolution https://theness.com/neurologicablog/birds-separately-evolved-complex-brains/ News Item #2 – Air Pollution Inside Homes https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250213144623.htm News Item #3 – Abortion Bans Drive Infant Deaths https://undark.org/2025/02/18/some-states-claim-zero-abortions-is-that-po...
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February 15, 2025 109 mins
The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1023 February 12th 2025 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Demographics of Misinformation https://theness.com/neurologicablog/who-believes-misinformation/ News Item #2 – The Toll of Fake Research https://www.livescience.com/human-behavior/fake-studies-are-slowing-slowing-lifesaving-medical-research-all-while-fraudsters-are-getting-rich-investigation-reveals News Item #3 – Dangerous...
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February 8, 2025 108 mins
The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1022 February 5th 2025 Segment #1. Quickie https://www.sciencenews.org/article/nuclear-x-rays-deflect-earth-asteroids Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Asteroid Chance of Hitting Earth https://www.space.com/180-foot-asteroid-1-in-83-chance-hitting-Earth-2032 News Item #2 – Does the Internet Affect Our Memory https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00292-z News Item #3 – The Gro...
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February 1, 2025 109 mins
The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1021 January 29th 2025 Segment #1. What’s the Word Geyser Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Self Replicating AI https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/ai-can-now-replicate-itself-a-milestone-that-has-experts-terrified News Item #2 – DeepSeek https://theness.com/neurologicablog/the-skinny-on-deepseek/ News Item #3 – PEPFAR Freeze https://www.nytimes.com/2025...
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January 25, 2025 106 mins

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1020 January 22nd 2025 With Guest Rogue, Andrea Jones Rooy Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Unexpected Scientific Results https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00161-9 News Item #2 – Trust In Scientists https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-024-02090-5 News Item #3 – FDA Bans Red Dye No. 3 https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/why-did-the-fda-ban-red-dye-3/ News Item #4 – Androm...

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January 18, 2025 111 mins
The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1019 January 15th 2025 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Does Fact-Checking Work https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00027-0 News Item #2 – Nuclear Electric Propulsion https://phys.org/news/2024-12-strategic-alliance-high-energy-nuclear.amp News Item #3 – The LA Fires https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/11/climate/wildfire-smoke-risks.html and https://www.sciencealert.com/dumpi...
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