mastodon 4.7.2Expert skeptical analysis in the UK of pseudoscience, conspiracy theory and claims of the paranormal, since 1987.
Reason with compassion.
Richard Dawkins and AI: the lights are on, but nobody's home | Mike Hall
https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2026/05/richard-dawkins-and-ai-the-lights-are-on-but-nobodys-home/
Learning about science and statistics through pseudoscience
Evaluating claims of ESP and other psi abilities can provide the perfect opportunity to grapple with some counterintuitive, but incredibly important, maths.
https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2026/05/learning-about-science-and-statistics-through-pseudoscience/
The 'Quiet Revival' in British religiosity was only ever a statistical mirage | Michael Marshall
The ‘Quiet Revival’ in British religiosity was only ever a statistical mirage
The much-heralded 'Quiet Revival' report on British youth religiosity has been withdrawn after its data was found to be fraudulent.
Michael Marshall | Who’s afraid for Naomi Wolf? The fall of a feminist icon into a conspiracist rabbithole
Richard Glover | In the era of AI, cognitive biases are not exclusive to humans
https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2026/05/in-the-era-of-ai-cognitive-biases-are-not-exclusive-to-humans/
Gen Z don't really think they're psychic – at least no more so than their elders | Michael Marshall
For all the claims of governments and Big Tech, cybersecurity is far from scientific
Rather than accept at face value claims that cybersecurity measures will make us safer and more secure, we need to ask for proof before we hand over our data.
The rise in chronic disease doesn’t necessarily mean we are getting sicker
Robert F. Kennedy Jr is right to say chronic disease is on the rise – but it's due to a population that's living longer and less likely to die from disease.
The Skeptic Podcast – Episode 065
Featuring articles from Aaron Rabinowitz (June 2021), Robyn Lowe (March 2023), and Matt Mills (May 2021).
https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2026/05/the-skeptic-podcast-episode-065/
Jim Cliff | Smoke and mirrors: violent media, cigarettes, and shaky statistics
https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2026/05/smoke-and-mirrors-violent-media-cigarettes-and-shaky-statistics/
How a very wrong Royal horoscope put astrology on the map in Britain
Astrology really found its foothold in Britain in 1930, when the Sunday Express began to publish astrological predictions for the new-born Princess Margaret.
Richard Dawkins and AI: the lights are on, but nobody’s home
When Richard Dawkins claims AI may have consciousness, he's committing the same cognitive blunder as the creationists he has long argued against.
https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2026/05/richard-dawkins-and-ai-the-lights-are-on-but-nobodys-home/
Remembering Nick Pope, “the UK’s top UFO expert” (1965-2026)
Nick Pope was the former civil servant who became one of the most prominent figures in ufology on both sides of the pond.
https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2026/04/remembering-nick-pope-the-uks-top-ufo-expert-1965-2026/
Chris French | Remembering Nick Pope, “the UK’s top UFO expert” (1965-2026)
https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2026/04/remembering-nick-pope-the-uks-top-ufo-expert-1965-2026/
From the archives: Quackupuncture – A question of medical ethics
From the archive in 1992, HB Gibson looks at the rise and fall - and rise again - of medical acupuncture in Western society.
https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2026/04/from-the-archives-quackupuncture-a-question-of-medical-ethics/
The Skeptic Podcast – Episode 066
Featuring articles from Sarah Hearne (June 2021), Dave Hahn (October 2022), and Aaron Rabinowitz (June 2022).
https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2026/05/the-skeptic-podcast-episode-066/
From the archives: A healthy dose of sarsaparilla – snake oil for the nineties
From the archives in 1993, Jerome Cosyn compares the flagrant snake oil of old with our enlightened times, and asks how much has really changed.
The Skeptic Podcast – Episode 066
Featuring articles from Sarah Hearne (June 2021), Dave Hahn (October 2022), and Aaron Rabinowitz (June 2022).
https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2026/05/the-skeptic-podcast-episode-066/
Wendy M. Grossman | From the archives: The power of the publisher
https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2026/05/from-the-archives-the-power-of-the-publisher/