Skeptical Inquirer
Skeptical Inquirer is the official journal of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. Six times per year Skeptical Inquirer publishes critical scientific evaluations of all manner of controversial and extraordinary claims, including but not limited to paranormal and fringe-science matters, and informed discussion of all relevant issues. In addition to news, articles, book reviews, and investigations on a wide variety of topics, Skeptical Inquirer has a stellar stable of regular columnists including Joe Nickell (“Investigative Files”), Massimo Polidoro (“Notes on a Strange World”), Massimo Pigluicci (“Thinking About Science”), Robert Sheaffer (“Psychic Vibrations”), and SI managing editor Benjamin Radford's reader-driven (“The Skeptical Inquiree”). Yale University neurologist Steven Novella, M.D., founder of the New England Skeptical Society and executive editor of the Science-Based Medicine blog, contributes a new "The Science of Medicine" column, and contributing editor Kenneth W. Krause adds a regular science column, "ScienceWatch."
Bill Nye’s Take on the Nye-Ham Debate
by Bill Nye
Volume 38.3, May/June 2014
Article
In this Special Pre-Issue Release, Bill Nye gives his own first-person view of this much-watched and much-discussed debate, the circumstances surrounding it, his preparations and strategy, and the reasons he decided to take part.
Demarcation and Pseudoscience
by Massimo Pigliucci
Volume 38.1, January/February 2014
Thinking About Science
The demarcation problem is a serious one because science has extraordinary social cachet and commands huge sums of public financing, as well as because pseudoscience maims and even kills people.
Stanislaw Burzynski: Four Decades of an Unproven Cancer Cure
by David H. Gorski
Volume 38.2, March/April 2014
Article
The Houston doctor Stanislaw Burzynski has been using an unproven cancer cure, “antineoplastons,” for decades, but despite its lack of proven anticancer activity, he has still not been shut down. Here is a primer for skeptics on his career and claims.
Skeptic Activists Fighting for Burzynski’s Cancer Patients
by Robert Blaskiewicz
Volume 38.2, March/April 2014
Article
A group of skeptical activists has been aggressively investigating and challenging the false claims of the Burzynski clinic and its dubious cancer treatments, presenting reliable information about them online. They even raised funds for a legitimate research hospital.
Curse of the Evil Eye
by Massimo Polidoro
Volume 38.1, January/February 2014
Notes on a Strange World
The evil eye is a lucrative business for many psychics and charlatans. However, the risks run by those who decide to rely on these frauds are often much worse than just a bloodletting to their pocketbooks.
Losing Our Minds in the Age of Brain Science
by Sally Satel and Scott O. Lilienfeld
Volume 37.6, November/December 2013
Article
Neuroscience and its new brain imaging tools are great achievements of modern science. But they are vulnerable to being oversold by the media, some overzealous scientists, and neuroentrepreneurs.
Why Being Human Makes Evolution Hard to Understand
by Cameron M. Smith
Volume 37.6, November/December 2013
Article
Our difficulty accepting evolution isn’t just because some religions oppose it or that it is complicated—it isn’t. The problem may be a result of how our minds work.
The Valentich Disappearance: Another UFO Cold Case Solved
by James McGaha and Joe Nickell
Volume 37.6, November/December 2013
Article
What did he see? The missing piece of the puzzle in a strange ‘UFO’ case involving the crash of a young pilot off Australia has been identified.
The Jersey Devil: The Real Story
by Brian Regal
Volume 37.6, November/December 2013
Article
The story of the Jersey Devil has become layered with myths and variations, obscuring the original events that gave rise to it. Not surprising considering the story comes from colonial-era political intrigue, Quaker religious infighting, and a future Founding Father.
Why We Do This: Revisiting the Higher Values of Skeptical Inquiry
by Kendrick Frazier
Volume 37.6, November/December 2013
Commentary
I want to give some brief historical perspective about the skeptical movement, take a look at some new trends, and revisit a theme I’ve emphasized before, reminding ourselves why we do this: the higher values of skeptical inquiry.