Massimo Polidoro traces the cultural climate of the 1970s and the early encounters with figures like Uri Geller that convinced skeptics such as James Randi and Ray Hyman that organized scientific scrutiny was urgently needed. The article reveals how informal conversations and failed "psychic" research helped ignite what would become CSICOP and, ultimately, the modern skeptical movement.

Read this article and find accompanying references at:

https://skepticalinquirer.org/2025/12/the-spark-that-started-csicop/

About the Author:

Massimo Polidoro is an investigator of the paranormal, author, lecturer, and co-founder and head of CICAP, the Italian skeptics group. His website is at www.massimopolidoro.com.

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Adrienne Hill reviews the best-selling novel Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty. Crown, 2024.

Read this article and find accompanying references at:

https://skepticalinquirer.org/2025/12/a-flight-of-fancy-about-psychic-predictions-and-probabilities/

About the Author:

Adrienne Hill, a former high school mathematics teacher, currently dedicates her time to various roles and interests. She serves as a board member for the nonprofit organization About Time, founded by Susan Gerbic. Additionally, she holds positions as a board member, presenter, and educational consultant for the Tourette OCD Alberta Network. Hill actively contributes as an editor for Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia, reports for The Skeptic Zone podcast, and cochairs the Western Canadian Reason Conference (WeCanReason), which is held in Calgary, Canada, at the beginning of May each year. Her website is https://www.zonegiggler.ca/.

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Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition is a production of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and the Center for Inquiry.

Stephen Hupp reflects on the founding of CSICOP in 1976 and the emergence of The Skeptical Inquirer, tracing fifty years of organized skepticism rooted in open-minded inquiry rather than reflexive debunking. The article previews a commemorative issue highlighting key figures, landmark investigations, and the movement's lasting impact, culminating in plans to celebrate the anniversary at CSICon 2026 in Buffalo.

Read this article and find accompanying references at:

https://skepticalinquirer.org/2025/12/fifty-years-of-inquiry/

About the Author:

Stephen Hupp, PhD, is Executive Director of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) and editor of Skeptical Inquirer. He is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and professor of Clinical Child & School Psychology at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

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William Matthew London explains how recent CDC changes falsely cast doubt on the overwhelming scientific consensus that vaccines do not cause autism, misrepresenting evidence and reviving long-debunked claims under political pressure. London argues that applying the "negative evidence principle" shows that decades of rigorous research failing to find any association is precisely why we are justified in saying vaccines do not cause autism.

Read this article and find accompanying references at:

https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/the-cdcs-autism-and-vaccines-webpage-and-the-negative-evidence-principle/

About the Author:

William Matthew London is a professor of public health at Cal State LA and the editor of the free weekly email newsletter Consumer Health Digest.

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MAHA's summit highlighted how the movement selectively embraces real science—such as evidence-based benefits of creatine—only when it aligns with its ideology and commercial interests. Tiller argues that this strategic, opportunistic use of science is more dangerous than denialism because it cloaks misinformation in a veneer of credibility.

Read this article and find accompanying references at:

https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/maha-isnt-denying-science-its-doing-something-much-worse/

About the Author:

Dr Nick Tiller is an exercise scientist and author of The Skeptic's Guide to Sports Science, named one of Book Authority's "Best Sports Science Books of All Time." He's a columnist at Skeptical Inquirer and an elected Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. www.nbtiller.com

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Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition is a production of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and the Center for Inquiry.

Susan Gerbic recounts here experience at the Santa Cruz County SkeptiCamp 2025.

Read this article and find accompanying references at:

https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/santa-cruz-county-skepticamp-2025/

About the Author:

Affectionately called the Wikipediatrician, Susan Gerbic is the cofounder of Monterey County Skeptics and a self-proclaimed skeptical junkie. Susan is also founder of the Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia (GSoW) project. She is a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, and writes for her column, Guerilla Skepticism, often. You can contact her through her website.

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Amardeo Sarma warns that efforts to "decolonize" science have drifted from addressing historical inequities into promoting epistemic relativism that blurs the line between empirical inquiry and spiritual or traditional belief systems.

Read this article and find accompanying references at:

https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/the-global-retreat-from-scientific-temper/

About the Author:

Amardeo Sarma is a fellow and member of the Executive Council of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. He is founder and past chairman of the German skeptics organization GWUP. He has been involved in industrial research for more than thirty-five years and is currently general manager at NEC Research Laboratories Europe in Germany.

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Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition is a production of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and the Center for Inquiry.

Nick Tiller examines the popular belief that pickle juice quickly relieves muscle cramps...

Read this article and find accompanying references at:

https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/pickle-juice-cramping-cure-or-congruence-bias/

About the Author:

Dr Nick Tiller is an exercise scientist and author of The Skeptic's Guide to Sports Science, named one of Book Authority's "Best Sports Science Books of All Time." He's a columnist at Skeptical Inquirer and an elected Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. www.nbtiller.com

Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/

Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition is a production of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and the Center for Inquiry.