From the pages of The Skeptic magazine, this is The Skeptic podcast, bringing you the best of the magazine’s expert analysis of pseudoscience, conspiracy theory and claims of the paranormal since its relaunch as online news source in September 2020. 

On this episode: 

• Does a prohibition-based approach to drugs and disposable vaping make sense?, by Clio Bellenis from March 2024

• Walking the alt-med tightrope when a loved one has a terminal diagnosis, by Brian Eggo from January 2024

• From the archives: The day I met w orld renowned psychic, Shirley Ghostman, by Chris French from April 2012

• From the archives: Mrs Gaskell’s Elephant - the true story of a hoax, by Chris Willis from January 2002

Find more from The Skeptic at skeptic.org.uk, or to support the show, take out a small voluntary donation at patreon.com/theskeptic