Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition

Center for Inquiry

Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition brings the insightful articles from Skeptical Inquirer magazine directly to your ears. Covering topics in science, skepticism, and critical thinking, each episode features narrated versions of our most thought-provoking content. Perfect for those on the go, SI Audio Edition allows you to stay informed and inspired wherever you are. Support our work and subscribe to the print magazine at skepticalinquirer.org Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition is produced at the Center for Inquiry in Amherst, NY.

  1. 1d ago

    The Science behind the Ouija Board: The Neuropsychological Basis of the Ideomotor Response

    Malorie Mackey and Michael Maldonado explain how the ideomotor response provides a neurological and psychological explanation for Ouija boards and other divination tools. They argue that our desire for control and our expectations can trigger tiny, unconscious movements—likely involving brain regions associated with anticipated actions and agency—that move planchettes, pendulums, and dowsing rods without conscious awareness, creating the compelling illusion of supernatural forces. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2026/08/the-science-behind-the-ouija-board-the-neuropsychological-basis-of-the-ideomotor-response/ About the Authors: Malorie Mackey is an investigative journalist who studies anthropology with a specialization in mythology, occult studies, and folklore. As a member of the Explorers Club, host of the show and podcast Weird World Adventures, and creator of MaloriesAdventures.com, she is always excited to investigate the unknown. Michael Maldonado, MD, is a physician subspecializing in neuroradiology with over sixteen years of experience in medicine. Regularly publishing in academic medical literature and presenting at multiple international medical conferences, he is no stranger to delving deeply into a topic and conveying a specialized knowledge to a wider audience. He is an expert in advanced neuroimaging techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/

  2. 3d ago

    Debunking The Telepathy Tapes: The Role of Facilitator Behaviors

    Janyce L. Boynton argues that The Telepathy Tapes revives long-discredited facilitated communication (FC) by mistaking facilitator-generated cues for evidence of telepathy. She points to physical, visual, and verbal cues—including movements of letterboards, hand signals, touch, and verbal prompts—and argues that the podcast's experiments fail to properly blind facilitators, making rigorous authorship testing essential before accepting claims of psychic communication. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2026/08/debunking-the-telepathy-tapes-the-role-of-facilitator-behaviors/ About the Author: Janyce L. Boynton, MEd, BS, is an artist, educator, and former facilitator who advocates for evidence-based practices in the field of communication sciences and disorders. Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/

  3. 6d ago

    Telepathy via Facilitated Communication in Profound Autism: A 21st-Century Delusion

    Katharine Beals traces the persistence of facilitated communication (FC) and its modern variants to a convergence of social, educational, and cultural forces, arguing that profound autism's communication challenges create fertile ground for the belief that hidden language abilities can be "unlocked."  Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2026/08/telepathy-via-facilitated-communication-in-profound-autism-a-21st-century-delusion/ About the Author: Katharine Beals, PhD, is lecturer at the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania, an adjunct professor at the Drexel University and Temple University schools of education, and the author of numerous books and articles on language, literacy, math instruction, and problems with current practices in K–12 classrooms. Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/

  4. Aug 26

    The Telepathy Tapes: A Portal into a World of Woo

    Stuart Vyse argues that The Telepathy Tapes has evolved from promoting dubious claims about telepathy among nonspeaking autistic people into a broader platform for paranormal and New Age pseudoscience. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2026/08/the-telepathy-tapes-a-portal-into-a-world-of-woo/ About the Author: Stuart Vyse is a psychologist and author of Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition, which won the William James Book Award of the American Psychological Association. He is also author of Going Broke: Why Americans Can't Hold on to Their Money. As an expert on irrational behavior, he is frequently quoted in the press and has made appearances on CNN International, the PBS NewsHour, and NPR's Science Friday. He can be found on Twitter at @stuartvyse. Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/

  5. Aug 24

    How The Telepathy Tapes Silences Voices

    Stephen Hupp previews the upcoming issue of Skeptical Inquirer, titled The Telepathy Tapes Silences Voices. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2026/08/how-the-telepathy-tapes-silences-voices/ About the Author: Stephen Hupp, PhD, is the executive director of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and the editor of Skeptical Inquirer. Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/

  6. Aug 19

    California Endorses Dangerous Autism Pseudoscience

    *]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(--scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(--thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-(--sticky-padding-top)" dir="auto" data-turn-id="7ea2af50-aaa6-4be6-963e-489f7a996a8e" data-turn-id-container="7ea2af50-aaa6-4be6-963e-489f7a996a8e" data-testid="conversation-turn-159" data-turn="user"> *]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(--scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(--thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id= "request-699c9d8e-8998-8329-94d7-4ba726badcc0-0" data-turn-id-container= "request-699c9d8e-8998-8329-94d7-4ba726badcc0-0" data-testid= "conversation-turn-160" data-turn="assistant"> Stuart Vyse argues that California's State Council on Developmental Disabilities has endorsed discredited communication methods such as facilitated communication, rapid prompting, and spelling to communicate despite overwhelming evidence against their validity and warnings from major professional organizations. He warns that the policy could legitimize pseudoscience, encourage public funding and institutional accommodation of these techniques, and expose autistic people and others with limited speech to serious harm. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/california-endorses-dangerous-autism-pseudoscience/#stuart-vyse About the Author: Stuart Vyse is a psychologist and author of Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition, which won the William James Book Award of the American Psychological Association. He is also author of Going Broke: Why Americans Can't Hold on to Their Money. As an expert on irrational behavior, he is frequently quoted in the press and has made appearances on CNN International, the PBS NewsHour, and NPR's Science Friday. He can be found on Twitter at @stuartvyse. Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/

  7. Aug 12

    The ABC's of Belief: Aliens, Bigfoot, and Chupacabra

    Benjamin Radford examines public beliefs about aliens, Bigfoot, and chupacabra through recent polling data, finding that belief varies widely between these legendary creatures.  Read this article and find accompanying references at: skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/the-abcs-of-belief-aliens-bigfoot-and-chupacabra/ About the Author: Benjamin Radford, M.Ed., is a scientific paranormal investigator, a research fellow at the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, deputy editor of the Skeptical Inquirer, and author, co-author, contributor, or editor of twenty books and over a thousand articles on skepticism, critical thinking, and science literacy. His newest book is America the Fearful. Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/

  8. Aug 7

    The Commodification of Science: "The Last da Vinci" Offers Insights about Aspartame

    Nick Tiller argues that modern science communication risks becoming science commodification when evidence is transformed from a process of inquiry into a product designed for attention, profit, and influence. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/the-commodification-of-science-the-last-da-vinci-offers-insights-about-aspartame/ About the Author: Dr. Nick Tiller is an exercise physiologist, researcher, and writer covering health, performance, and wellness misinformation. He's been a Skeptical Inquirer columnist since 2021 and is an elected fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. His new book, The Health and Wellness Lie, is an unflinching exposé of the trillion-dollar wellness machine. Visit www.nbtiller.com for more. Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/

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Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition brings the insightful articles from Skeptical Inquirer magazine directly to your ears. Covering topics in science, skepticism, and critical thinking, each episode features narrated versions of our most thought-provoking content. Perfect for those on the go, SI Audio Edition allows you to stay informed and inspired wherever you are. Support our work and subscribe to the print magazine at skepticalinquirer.org Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition is produced at the Center for Inquiry in Amherst, NY.

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