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The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe

Dr. Steven Novella
Climate Change
Artificial Intelligence
NASA
Covid-19
Critical Thinking
Misinformation
Black Holes
Kansas
Vaccines
Gravitational Waves
Pseudoscience
CRISPR
Science
Italy
Alzheimer's Disease
Scientific Skepticism
Evolution
Nightmares
Conspiracy Theories
Vaccination

The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe is a weekly science podcast discussing the latest science news, critical thinking, bad science, conspiracies and controversies. -The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe: Your escape to reality - Produced by SGU Productions, LLC: www.theskepticsguide.org

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes1114Founded21 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Science

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Artwork for The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe

Latest Episodes

Interview with Brian Wecht: The Mathpocalypse; News Items: Does AI Have Feelings, CDC Hep B Vaccine Guidance, Potassium Enriched Salt for High Blood Pressure; Who's That Noisy; Science or Fiction

Interview with Andrea Jones Rooy on the Election; News Items: Red Flags for Bad Journals, Comets and the Origin of Life, Schooling and Dementia, Trapping Antimatter; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: CT Haunting; Science or Fiction

Guest Rogue: Alice Howarth; What's the Word: Centripetal-Centrifugal; News Items: Christina Applegate's MS Diagnosis, Ultraprocessed Food and Cancer Risk, Superworms Clean Skeletons, Goodbye Leap Second, Wellness and Hyperoptimization; Who's That Noi... more

Flu Season; News Items: Future Forests, Carbon Nanotube Product, Rethinking Normal, Smart Clothing; Who's That Noisy; Name That Logical Fallacy; Your Questions and E-mails: Lab Leak Theory; Science or Fiction

Key Facts

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Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Alice Howarth
Cancer cell biologist, research-on-research specialist, and vice president of the Merseyside Skeptic Society
Merseyside Skeptic Society
Episode: The Skeptics Guide #1111 - Oct 24 2026
Christian Hubicki
Special guest on the episode
Episode: The Skeptics Guide #1108 - Oct 3 2026
Julia Novella
Steven Novella's daughter, guest on this episode
Episode: The Skeptics Guide #1108 - Oct 3 2026
Adam Kall
Co-founder of KMI Space
KMI Space
Episode: The Skeptics Guide #1107 - Sep 26 2026
Troy Morris
Co-founder of KMI Space
KMI Space
Episode: The Skeptics Guide #1107 - Sep 26 2026
Jesse Bullard
Inventor; Frisson researcher working on musical chills
Frisson research / Frisson Labs
Episode: The Skeptics Guide #1106 - Sep 19 2026
Brian Wecht
Guest rogue on this episode
The players on stage; physicist/musician
Episode: The Skeptics Guide #1104 - Sep 5 2026
Andrea Jones-Roy
Guest rogue on this episode
Guest educator and comedian
Episode: The Skeptics Guide #1104 - Sep 5 2026
Kara Santa Maria
Guest rogue on this episode
Journalist/host
Episode: The Skeptics Guide #1104 - Sep 5 2026

Hosts

Steven Novella
Neurologist and science communicator
Bob Novella
Science communicator and skeptical investigator
Kara Santa Maria
Neuroscientist and science communicator
Jay Novella
Science communicator and producer

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 11.3k ratings
  • I've listened to this podcast almost 20 years. I found the consistency and clarity to be incredible. The main host has never missed an episode. And yes not all just scientific skepticism, the show also talks about future technology and philosophy. One of the best podcasts there ever will be

    Podcast Addict
    5
    migrations
    3 days ago
  • Excellent podcast!

    Podcast Addict
    5
    Xoltri
    3 days ago
  • I actively look forward to this podcast every week! It has helped me clarify my thought processes into being more evidence based. I can't begin to express how much I've learned from listening to it. And it's fun!

    Podcast Addict
    5
    Media Junkie
    3 days ago
  • One of my favourite podcasts!

    Podcast Addict
    5
    Squishy
    14 days ago
  • Science at its best

    Podcast Addict
    5
    DMS
    16 days ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Longtime fans value the regular hosts and consistency, while some find the hosts occasionally arrogant or dismissive.
A few reviewers criticize long off-topic introductions and recurring promotional segments, while others enjoy the conversational style.
Listeners praise the clear science explanations, skeptical approach, humor and broad range of topics.
Some listeners feel current-affairs commentary has become too political and prefer a stronger focus on science.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#15
United States/Science
Apple Podcasts
#10
Canada/Science
Apple Podcasts
#14
United Kingdom/Science
Apple Podcasts
#7
Australia/Science
Apple Podcasts
#70
Italy/Science
Apple Podcasts
#75
Germany/Science

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The Skeptics Guide #1111 - Oct 24 2026
Q: How can Christina Applegate have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and later told she does not have it?
Steven Novella explains that MS diagnosis relies on evidence of inflammatory lesions occurring in different places and at different times, while excluding other causes. Imaging, testing, and clinical understanding can change, and lack of response to treatment may prompt doctors to reassess a working diagnosis.
The Skeptics Guide #1111 - Oct 24 2026
Q: What is hyperoptimization?
Alice Howarth describes it as the increasingly obsessive tracking and adjustment of health, sleep, food, and physical traits, often encouraged by wellness influencers and products. She says the pursuit can escalate into supplements and unregulated interventions while shifting responsibility onto individuals.
The Skeptics Guide #1109 - Oct 10 2026
Q: Was this a moment of partial consciousness, and does sleep science explain why I couldn't understand this idea until I was fully awake? And was it really two parts of my brain separately thinking?
The hosts explain that dreaming involves reduced activity in the prefrontal cortex, which supports logic and reality testing, alongside active emotional, visual, and creative systems. Consciousness arises from interacting brain systems rather than a single internal observer, so the experience does not require two separate minds.
The Skeptics Guide #1110 - Oct 17 2026
Q: If interested, it's a link to an article. I respect that you favor natural origins, but the same virologists are creating self-spreading Ebola vaccines for fruit bats, which are the SARS-2 reservoir host.
Steven Novella says the article relies on circumstantial evidence and notes that experts have found no genetic-engineering signatures in SARS-CoV-2. He says the evidence better supports zoonotic spillover than a lab leak.
The Skeptics Guide #1093 - Jun 20 2026
Q: What did the battery testing reveal about the claimed solid-state battery?
Independent battery experts found the sample behaved like a lithium-ion battery, with voltage curves and an expansion fingerprint consistent with lithium, strongly suggesting fraud or misrepresentation at best.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe

What is The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Weekly discussions of science news, skeptical inquiry and critical thinking, with regular segments that test claims and explain research across medicine, technology, space, physics and the natural sciences. The format combines a recurring panel of science communicators with expert guests, listener questions, live-event conversations, trivia and humor. Topics range from clinical evidence and public health to emerging technologies, astronomy and paranormal claims, often with attention to the limits of studies and the difference between evidence and speculation.

The mix of accessible conversation and detailed scientific analysis suits curious listeners who want context for current discoveries and practice evaluating claims for themselves. Gue... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe:

1. Political Reality
2. Talk Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria
3. Skeptics with a K
4. Skeptoid
5. Cognitive Dissonance

How many episodes of The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe are there?

The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe launched 21 years ago and published 1114 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe?

Recent guests on The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe include:

1. Alice Howarth
2. Christian Hubicki
3. Julia Novella
4. Adam Kall
5. Troy Morris
6. Jesse Bullard
7. Brian Wecht
8. Andrea Jones-Roy

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