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Science Update

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Reality Check

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Snopes Newsfeed
  • How Father's Day grew out of one mom's 'obsession'
  • Debunking alleged Pope Leo XIV quote about following both 'Christ and the cruelty of kings'
  • Video of LAPD officers destroying their own cruiser lacks context
  • 15 claims we've investigated about LA protests
  • Did FIFA cancel 2026 World Cup matches in US due to Trump's immigration policies?
  • Clarifying claims about Missouri schools asking students for menstrual cycle information
  • This isn't real Kamala Harris 2028 campaign art, honestly
  • Travis Kelce bought tiny diner from college days to feed homeless people?
  • What we know about claims Lockheed Martin replaced white employees on year-end bonus list with non-white colleagues
  • LeBron James didn't call Karoline Leavitt 'KKK Barbie'
Skeptical Inquirer Newsfeed
  • Teaching Critical Thinking: An Introduction to the Special Section
  • Critikid: Critical Thinking and Mind Illusions for Kids
  • Media Masters Rock: Critical Thinking about Social Media for Kids
  • Highly Effective Thinkers: Critical Thinking for Teens
  • Numerical Hygiene Lessons: Critical Thinking and the Central Tendency Fallacy
  • Critical Thinking about Our Vulnerabilities to Misinformation
  • Chupacabra Revisited: Dueling Origin Stories of the Hispanic Vampire
  • Joe Nickell Leaves a Legacy of Intrigue and Solved Mysteries
  • CFI Statement on the Senate’s Vote to Confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services
  • Critical Thinking for Curious Minds
FactCheck Newsfeed
  • Q&A on Federalizing the National Guard in Los Angeles
  • HHS Misleads on mRNA Vaccine Safety After Pulling Moderna Funding
  • Online Posts Make Baseless Claim Linking Protesters to Craigslist Ad
  • Trump Now Citing Murder Stats He Used to Dismiss as ‘Fake News’
  • Viral Graphic Makes False, Questionable Claims About House Reconciliation Bill
  • Walz and Johnson Make Misleading Claims About Bill’s Impact on SNAP
  • Assessing Medicaid Coverage Losses Under House Reconciliation Bill
  • Q&A on New COVID-19 Vaccine Policies
  • Explaining Trump’s Claim of a ‘68%’ Tax Increase
  • Checking the Math on White House, GOP Claims About ‘Big Beautiful Bill’

Are Avocado Pits Edible?

December 6, 2024

  What is it about fruit pits? Science Update listeners called and emailed about them frequently over the years with two opposite questions: Will …

Read moreAre Avocado Pits Edible?
Concerned boy blowing large bubble

Chewing Gum Myth

October 17, 2018

Does it really take seven years to digest chewing gum?

Read moreChewing Gum Myth
Open microwave oven with metal parts inside

Metal in Microwaves

July 8, 2016

If metal isn’t supposed to go in microwave ovens, why do some of them have metal racks?

Read moreMetal in Microwaves
Bread, flour and wheat grains

Fear of Gluten

June 24, 2016

Gluten-free diets are all the rage, but only a small percentage of the population is truly sensitive to the wheat protein.

Read moreFear of Gluten
Photo of singer Janis Joplin

27 Club Myth

May 1, 2014

Statisticians test whether famous musicians are really more likely to die at age 27.

Read more27 Club Myth
Toddler brushing teeth while bathing in green bucket

Baby Tooth Cavities

September 5, 2013

Baby teeth fall out eventually. But that doesn't mean cavities in baby teeth should be ignored.

Read moreBaby Tooth Cavities
Brightly colored candy

Artificial Dyes

August 14, 2013

Some people argue that food dyes are harmful to human health, but do decades of safety research back up these allegations?

Read moreArtificial Dyes
Barbecued ribs in front of fire

How Paleo is “Paleo”?

August 1, 2013

Did our hunter-gatherer ancestors really eat a “Paleo” diet?

Read moreHow Paleo is “Paleo”?
Monochrome image depicting apocalyptic urban skyline

2012 Apocalypse Myth Exposed – Encore presentation

December 21, 2012

The world is not ending today. Find out why in this Science Update encore presentation.

Read more2012 Apocalypse Myth Exposed – Encore presentation
An avocado, sliced in half, in a white bowl

Poison Pits

March 1, 2011

A listener asks whether it's safe to eat fruit seeds and pits.

Read morePoison Pits
Hand holding a pen left-handed, writing in an application formn an application form

Left-Handed Brains

February 8, 2011

Left-handers suffer more from learning disabilities but can also excel in spatial visualization.

Read moreLeft-Handed Brains
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