Skeptic212 articles archived since 1845

Can We Trust Crime Forensics?

How trustworthy are DNA and other crime scene tests?

Why Do Cops Kill?

The Humanities and Science Share the Virtues of Empiricism and Skepticism

Reason, empiricism and skepticism are not virtues of science alone

Is Terrorism a Form of Self-Help Justice?

The moralistic motivations of ISIS

Are Paleo Diets More Natural Than GMOs?

What do we mean by “natural”?

What Can Be Done about Pseudoskepticism?

Just because we don't know everything doesn't mean we know nothing

How Science Can Inform Ethics and Champion Sentient Beings

The arc of the moral universe really is bending toward progress

Why We Are So Intrigued by Zombies

What the living dead can teach us about ancient prejudices

Why Do People Believe in Conspiracy Theories?

Who believes in conspiracy theories—and why

Perpetual Peace

Are democracies less warlike?

Anomalous Events That Can Shake One’s Skepticism to the Core

I just witnessed an event so mysterious that it shook my skepticism

How the Survivor Bias Distorts Reality

How the survivor bias distorts reality

Act on Climate Change, but Tackle Other Global Problems, Too

Should action on the climate be just another line item in the budget?

The American Dream of Income Equality Still Lives

The American dream is not dead yet

Will Mutual Assured Destruction Continue to Deter Nuclear War?

Does deterrence prohibit the total abolishment of nuclear weapons?

Naughty or Nice? When Does It Begin?

Before all learning, an infant's mind has a sense of right and wrong

What Science Tells Us about Why We Lie

When are we most (and least) likely to lie?

Can an Atheist Be in Awe of the Universe?

What does the magnificence of the universe have to do with God?

Can a Scientific Utopia Succeed?

Where Do Nonhuman Mammals Fit in Our Moral Hierarchy?

Where do nonhuman mammals fit in our moral hierarchy?