Seed oils seem to be the newest food villain. Are they something you truly need to avoid?

Popular tales claim that pirates used the island of Cozumel as a base of operations. History tells us pretty much the exact opposite.

As a thoughtful primer for our Skeptoid Adventure through the Maya World of the Yucatán coast this December, we're dropping an episode from our good friends at the Tales From Aztlantis podcast that's all about the so-called "Mayan Calender" that was the source of so much hype -- and some real harm -- leading up to December 2012.

FUN FACT: Tales From Aztlantis co-host and Indigenous Chicano archaeologist and ethnohistorian Kurly Tlapoyawa will be our guide on "The Mysteries of the Maya" Skeptoid Adventure this December!

skeptoid.com/adventures

Are alien spacecraft truly the best explanation for "transient" dots found on old telescope photographs?

The early bird special ends this Monday for BOTH Skeptoid Adventures launching this December!

What was the real cause of the drop in English-speaking literacy rates between 1980 and 2020?

Usually, wellness therapies that claim to treat everything actually treat nothing.

The real story behind the CIA spending $20 million on PROJECT STARGATE to study psychics.

Our final Skeptoid Adventure of 2026 takes us to the Yucatán coast to explore the Mysteries of the Maya. So, in anticipation of that, we're playing an episode from the archive that takes us to the heart of Mesoamerica: "Finding the Black Olmec" -- Enjoy!

And this Adventure takes place December 6th-13th and links up seamlessly with the New Orleans Escapade for those who are interested!

www.skeptoid.com/adventures

From 17th century France to Nova Scotia and all the way to the bayous of Louisiana, one particular cryptid has had a far longer run than most. The rougarou is said to be the werewolf of the swamps, stepping out of Cajun folklore and into your nightmares. Where can we find the rougarou, and what role will it fill for centuries to come?

In preparation for our Skeptoid Adventure to New Orleans, we?re playing an encore edition of an episode that takes us to the heart of the Big Easy and dives into Louisiana Voodoo. We?ll see how Louisiana Voodoo stacks up against the Hollywood version as we explore the mysterious case of what came to be known as "The Voodoo Ax Murders."

A round-up of plausible-sounding myths about the Moon, most of which you've probably heard, and some of which you might believe.

Some say artificial food dyes are killing us. The truth is a lot more nuanced.

The more years go by, the more Americans believe that ordinary airliners are secretly spraying chemicals for some hidden nefarious purpose.

This Internet legend claims the Earth's gravity will shut off for seven seconds in 2026.

This social media fad promises to supercharge your sleep and make you healthier than healthy, when in fact it probably does significantly more harm than good.

Skeptoid is now going into production on our third feature film: Alien Echoes. Get all the details at skeptoid.org/alienechoes

It turns out there's probably no such thing as an alpha wolf.

Popular influencers claim birth rates are declining disastrously. How true is that, and is it a disaster?

The discovery of a Martian sarcophagus in Colorado in 1864: An oddball story, or consistent with the lore of the day?

Supplying some much-needed skepticism to an episode of the BBC podcast Uncanny.

Even today, some people cling to a pre-scientific belief that germs do not cause disease.

Time is running out to grab one of the few remaining cabins for Málaga, Spain to Nice, France on the SV Royal Clipper AND announcing our next adventure to New Orleans followed by the Mysteries of the Maya cruise to the Yucatán Peninsula!

An exploration of the validity of the Silurian hypothesis, which posits the existence of a pre-human intelligent race on Earth.

As a gentle reminder that you will have an hour of sleep robbed from you tonight, enjoy this episode on Daylight Saving Time Myths from the archives!

This secretive device has been promising to deliver clean, free energy for more than 15 years ? but so far nobody's been allowed to examine it.

Is there somewhere on Earth where Sovereign Citizens can actually be free of any nation's laws?

Advertising wants your attention, not your soul; and it?s not nearly as good at getting either as you might think.

Radioactive nuclear generators sit out in the environment, posing a real hazard. They're mostly ? but not all ? in Russia.

Brian gets questioned while giving blood.

How concerned do you truly need to be about vintage ceramicware leaching lead into your food?

Oh no! Another pop quiz. Take the challenge: 9 questions about space. Think you can get them all?

A century-old hoax takes wing again, proof that good stories never stay buried.

If ghosts don't exist, then how do we account for all the ghost experiences that people have every day?

Mediterranean archaeologist Dr. Flint Dibble will be our resident expert on the real history (and the fake history) at our ports of call when Skeptoid Adventures sails from Málaga, Spain to Nice, France this April. He is perhaps best known for his 2024 destruction of pseudo-archaeologist Graham Hancock on the Joe Rogan Experience.

The myths and misconceptions surrounding blood donation and why you might consider donating.

Links to resources from Bloodworks Northwest:

Blood Donation Need to Know

Eligibility Guidelines

Eligibility Checker

The history and pseudohistory of this infamous and ubiquitous obscene gesture.

From fireplace to folklore, how the Yule log got its fake pagan backstory.

This device claims to be able to dramatically improve the efficiency and emissions of any internal combustion engine.

An exploration of all the scientific possibilities by which ghosts might actually exist in this universe.

It should have been impossible for the CIA's Glomar Explorer to obtain the ship's bell from the K-129 submarine... but they did. How?

A roundup of evidence supporting the use of radiocarbon dating to assess the age of organic matter from 500 to 55,000 years old.

Stories claim that this region of Alaska is home to a huge number of unexplained disappearances.

Did US Special Forces battle a 15-foot-tall red-haired giant in the mountains of Afghanistan in 2002?

A conspiracy theory claims the Hollywood and Deep State elitists have a magical bed that allows them to remain forever young and healthy.

Is the Rake mere creepypasta, or do more recent events prove it to be a real creature?

When ordinary deer turn grotesque, Appalachia?s forests whisper of the Not-Deer ? unnatural predators lurking somewhere between folklore and nightmare.

A pop quiz of trivia from the previous 19 years of Skeptoid shows! Can you beat the masters?

The actual wayfinding methods used by the ancient Polynesians to navigate between islands and settle the entire Pacific Ocean.

Skeptoid Adventures will set sail on the world's largest sailing vessel, the SV Royal Clipper, from Malaga, Spain, to Nice, France this April. We'll have a mini-conference aboard and we'll stop at amazing ports of call -- all while on the coolest full-rigged sailing ship you've ever seen. Take a look at skeptoid.com/adventures. 

Please note: This ship often sells out by the end of October, so reserve your cabin soon. All deposits are fully refundable.