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Science Update

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Reality Check

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Snopes Newsfeed
  • DOD gave $620M loan to startup backed by Donald Trump Jr.'s venture capital firm
  • Grounding rumor Trump gifted his private plane to Make-A-Wish Foundation
  • Does photo show Quentin Tarantino glaring at Paul Dano? Here's the truth
  • Unpacking reports ICE detained Jamaican-born Army veteran Godfrey Wade
  • Did Judge Caprio 'shut down' CEO's daughter? You can rule the video a fake
  • Story of Pinewood Elementary janitor 'Stanley Okoye' who taught kids to read doesn't check out
  • USCIS reportedly turned away immigrants set to become citizens. Here's what we know
  • Is FBI compiling list of American 'extremists'? We confirmed leaked memo
  • Could FIFA remove its president for giving Trump the FIFA Peace Prize? What we know
  • 13 rumors about Venezuela we've investigated
Skeptical Inquirer Newsfeed
  • How Wicked Reflects Real-World Intersections between Belief and Skepticism
  • How Stranger Things Mirrors Real-World Paranormal Stories
  • A Closer Look at Encounters and the Ariel School Sighting
  • Count Dante, Dim Mak, and the Kung Fu Death Touch
  • How the Darwinian Revolution Is Finally Reaching Medicine
  • Weird Things Some Scientific Skeptics Say about Science
  • Now You See Me: A Magician’s Take on the Movie Trilogy
  • Teaching Critical Thinking in Authoritarian Cultures
  • Scopes Trial Centennial Conference: The Fight for Science Education Continues
  • The Supernatural Stories That Mirror Our Realities
FactCheck Newsfeed
  • Probing Trump’s Verbal Attack on Somalis
  • Vance’s Misleading Claims on Housing Prices and Illegal Immigration
  • Vaccine Panel, Voting to Change Hepatitis B Shot for Newborns, Shares Misleading Information
  • Pentagon Inspector General Report Not ‘Total Exoneration’ for Hegseth
  • Examining Trump’s Pardon of Former Honduran President Convicted of Trafficking Drugs to U.S.
  • Unpacking the FDA’s Black Friday Vaccine Memo
  • Q&A on Vetting of Accused National Guard Shooter
  • Previewing the CDC’s December Vaccine Advisory Meeting
  • Sorting out the Facts on Epstein Claims
  • Experts Say Democratic Video Not ‘Seditious,’ as Trump Claims

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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