Skepticality
{{Short description|Skeptical podcast}}
{{use mdy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox Podcast
| title = Skepticality
| image = Skepticality Logo
| caption =
| host = {{nowrap|Derek Colanduno{{·}} "Swoopy"}}
| url = [http://www.skepticality.com/ www.skepticality.com/]
| status = Biweekly
| began = 1 April 2005
| ended = 28 August 2019
| genre = science{{\}} news
| ratings = Non-explicit
| language = English
| module = {{Listen| embed = yes
| filename = Skepticality Theme.oga
| title = Skepticality theme
|fetchwikidata= ALL
}}
}}
Skepticality was the official podcast of The Skeptics Society's Skeptic magazine. Beginning in May 2005, the podcast explores rational thought, skeptical ideas, and famous myths from around the world and throughout history. Each episode is an audio magazine featuring regular segments by contributors who are specialized in specific areas of critical thought followed by featured content which is usually in the form of an interview with a researcher, author, or individual who is helping promote skeptical thought and/or science in an effective way. It has featured interviews with James Randi, and scientists, such as authors and astronomers Phil Plait and Neil deGrasse Tyson, Greg Graffin from Bad Religion, Adam Savage from the MythBusters, songwriter Jill Sobule, author Ann Druyan and science communicator Bill Nye.
Skepticality is co-hosted by Derek Colanduno and "Swoopy" Robynn McCarthy.
The last released episode is from 28 August 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://feeds.feedburner.com/skepticalitypodcast|title=Skepticality:The Official Podcast of Skeptic Magazine|website=FeedBurner|language=en-US|access-date=19 June 2019}}
History
The concept and the name Skepticality were created in May 2005{{cite web|last1=McCarthy|first1=Robynn|author-link1= Robynn McCarthy|last2=Colanduno|first2=Derek|author-link2=Derek Colanduno|title=Odd Leader|url=http://www.skepticality.com/odd-leader/|website= Skepticality |date=2 May 2005|accessdate=24 December 2014}} by Robynn McCarthy and Derek Colanduno, after the two became friends in Las Vegas. At the time, Colanduno was working at a national Sports Radio network and a privately owned Alternative Rock Station (KEDG) during the overnight shift.{{cite web|last1=Slater|first1=Stan|title=Skeptical Literacy|url=http://skepticalliteracy.blogspot.com/2009/03/q-with-derek-colanduno-of.html|website= Skeptical Literacy Blogspot.com|accessdate=24 December 2014|date=March 13, 2009}} Skepticality gained notability on September 7, 2005 during a keynote address, when Apple CEO Steve Jobs mentioned it as one of the top nine podcasts at the iTunes Music Store.{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMKdejxVwNs |title=Apple Keynote – Special Music Event |author=Steve Jobs |author-link=Steve Jobs |work=YouTube |publisher=Keynote Apple |date=September 7, 2005 |accessdate=August 5, 2015}}{{cbignore}}{{Dead Youtube links|date=February 2022}}{{rp|at=3:12}} On August 14, 2006, Skepticality became Skeptic magazine's official podcast.{{cite web|last1=Shermer|first1=Michael|author-link=Michael Shermer|title=About Skepticality|url=http://www.skeptic.com/podcasts/skepticality/|website= Skeptic Magazine|accessdate=24 December 2014}}
Featured segments
- Tim Farley of What's The Harm?, Skeptools.com and Virtual Skeptics.com regularly contributes pieces of skeptic history with this segment titled Skepticism, Past and Future. First called A Few Minutes of Skeptic History, it debuted on episode 123 on March 3, 2010.{{cite web|last=Colanduno|first=Derek|author-link=Derek Colanduno|title=Episode 123|date=16 March 2010|url=http://www.skepticality.com/one-nation-under-the-constitution/|publisher=Skeptic Magazine|accessdate=2012-04-25}}
- Bob Carroll from The Skeptics Dictionary debuted with a segment on logical fallacies called Unnatural Virtue, March 27, 2012.{{cite web|last=Colanduno|first=Derek|author-link=Derek Colanduno|title=Episode 179|date=27 March 2012|url=http://www.skepticality.com/dictionaries-bugs-space/|publisher=Skeptic Magazine|accessdate=2012-04-25}}
- Jarrett Kaufman and Wendy Hughes from the Independent Investigations Group debuted April 25, 2012 with a segment centered on the coincidence website The Odds Must Be Crazy.{{cite web|title=Episode 181|url=http://www.skepticality.com/|publisher=Skeptic Magazine|accessdate=2012-04-25|author=Derek Colanduno|author-link=Derek Colanduno}}{{cite web|title=Skepticality Episode 181: The Odds Must be Crazy|url=http://www.theoddsmustbecrazy.com/2012/04/24/skepticality-episode-181/|publisher=IIG|accessdate=2012-04-25}} Kaufman was replaced by John Rael on September 10, 2012. Rael is best known for his creation of skepticallypwnd, a group of comedic skeptics, or skeptical comedians, whose objective is to question pseudoscience in a humorous way.{{cite web|last1=Rael|first1=John|title=Skeptically Pwnd|url=http://skepticsonthe.net/skeptically-pwnd/|website= Skeptics on the .net (blog)|accessdate=24 December 2014}}
- Heather Henderson was a contributor from November 2012 and April 2013 with a segment entitled The News in Religion. In it, Heather presents current events and opinions around the topics of atheism, deism and the effects of religion on the general population. Heather is currently the lead vocalist of Penn Jillette's NoGod Band in Las Vegas{{cite web|last1=Gaudette|first1=Bridget R.|title=Shades of Black Atheism #9: Performer & Podcaster, Heather Henderson|url=http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/03/05/shades-of-black-atheism-9-performer-podcaster-heather-henderson/|website= Patheos|accessdate=24 December 2014|date=March 5, 2013}} and along with Emery Emery publishes two podcasts, Ardent Atheist and Skeptically Yours.{{cite web|last1=Henderson|first1=Heather|author-link=Heather Henderson|title=About the Show|url=http://ardentatheist.com/|website= Ardent Atheist (blog)|accessdate=24 December 2014}}{{cite web|last1=Henderson|first1=Heather|last2=Emery|first2=Emery|author-link=Emery Emery|title=Skeptically Yours|url=http://skepticallyyours.net/|website= Skeptically Yours (blog)|accessdate=25 December 2014}}
- Robert Blaskiewicz and Eve Siebert joined Skepticality with their segment Skeptical Humanities in Episode 226 on February 18, 2014. The segment presents examples of mainstream research & critical thinking as it pertains to the humanities such as art, philosophy, history, literature, rhetoric, aesthetics, literary criticism, pop culture studies, folklore, and cultural studies.{{cite web|last1=Colanduno|first1=Derek|author-link=Derek Colanduno|title=Episode #226 Taboo|url=http://www.skepticality.com/taboo/|website= Skepticality |date=18 February 2014|accessdate=24 December 2014}}{{cite web|last1=Siebert|first1=Eve|last2=Blaskiewicz|first2=Robert|title=About Skeptical Humanities|url=http://skepticalhumanities.com/about/|website= Skeptical humanities (blog)|date=28 December 2010}}
- Susan Gerbic of Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia (GSoW) has also made regular appearances on Skepticality, providing updates about the GSoW project{{cite web|last1=Gerbic|first1=Susan|author-link=Susan Gerbic|title=Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia|url=http://guerrillaskepticismonwikipedia.blogspot.com/|website= Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia Blogspot.com|accessdate=24 December 2014}}{{cite web|last1=Colanduno|first1=Derek|author-link=Derek Colanduno|title=Episode 199: Another Doubtful Year|url=http://www.skepticality.com/another-doubtful-year/|website= Skepticality|date=9 January 2013|accessdate=24 December 2014}} since January 2013.
Recurrent guests
The show has a number of guests who have been featured on more than one show. Amongst them are James Randi, Phil Plait, Pamela Gay and skeptical musician George Hrab.
Asteroids
In an interview with Derek during the June 1, 2006 episodeIdentified as both chat show #7 and #9. of Slacker Astronomy, the naming of Asteroids 106545 Colanduno{{cite web |url=http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=colanduno;orb=1 |title=JPL Small-Body Database Browser |accessdate=2012-07-09}} and 106537 McCarthy{{cite web |url=http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=mccarthy;orb=1 |title=JPL Small-Body Database Browser |accessdate=2012-07-09}} was announced to the world. The asteroids were named in homage to the hosts of Skepticality by their discoverer Jeff Medkeff, who said, "My naming of these asteroids for you is a token of my esteem for you and your accomplishments."
Awards
In 2007, Skepticality was recognized for excellence in podcasting with the Best Speculative Fiction News Podcast award at the Parsec Awards and Best Science Podcast award at the Podcast Peer Awards, selected by registered fellow podcasters. Both presentations were made at Dragon*Con 2007 in Atlanta, Georgia.
On November 22, 2007, the Skepticality podcast was listed as "Site of the Week" on SciFi.com's Sci Fi Weekly.{{cite news | url=http://www.scifi.com/sfw/sites/sfw17418.html | title=Site of the Week | publisher=SciFi.com |date=November 22, 2007 | accessdate =2008-10-10 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080504001323/http://www.scifi.com/sfw/sites/sfw17418.html |archive-date = 2008-05-04}}
On August 9, 2008, Skepticality was named "Podcast of the Week" by The Times.{{cite news | url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article4470372.ece | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616034149/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article4470372.ece | url-status=dead | archive-date=June 16, 2011 | title=Podcast of the week: Skepticality offers the 'truth' | work=The Times |date=August 9, 2008 | first= Chris| last= Campling| accessdate =2008-10-10 | location=London}}
In April 2014, Skepticality received the Ockham Award at QED for Best Podcast. The award was accepted on behalf of Derek and Swoopy by Susan Gerbic.{{cite web|last1=Gerbic|first1=Susan|author-link=Susan Gerbic|title=Ockham Award QED 2014 – Best Podcast|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TRaYyGGM7s |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/3TRaYyGGM7s |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|website= YouTube |date=April 20, 2014 |accessdate=21 December 2014}}{{cbignore}}
Skepticality Interview of Julia Sweeney 2007.jpg|Swoopy interviews Julia Sweeney 2007
Recording Skepticality at TAM 2013.JPG|Recording at TAM 2013
Skepticality Podcast wins Ockham Award QED 2014.JPG | Skepticality Podcast wins Ockham Award QED 2014
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
{{Commons}}
- {{Official website|http://www.skepticality.org}}
{{Skeptical podcasts}}