The 'Sword of Durandal' promises to be a game-changing Quantum Navigation Device in the palm of your hand – except, it doesn't actually exist
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Scotland’s recent rise in sex crimes is almost certainly not linked to immigration

The 2025 Scottish crime statistics saw a rise in sex crimes - and social media immediately jumped to the conclusion that immigrants were at fault.

From the archives: The Cumbrian Vampire – The bloody mystery of Croglin Grange

From the archives in 1992, CM Drapkin on historical reports of vampiric goings-on at Croglin Grange, near Guildford

Machine learning without critical thinking only encourages tech pseudoscience

When ask how a machine learning tool can be used – but not whether it's accurate – we risk encoding technological pseudoscience into society.

Venezuelan “birtherism”: the nationalistic movement to delegitimise Nicolás Maduro

Nicolás Maduro, the former president of Venezuela, has long faced false rumours of his Colombian' birthplace - driven by nationalist politics.

Rights over regulation? The moral case against legalised snake oil

Whenever the regulation of pseudoscience is raised, we can reliably expect to hear the same objections – none of which justifies deceiving vulnerable people

From the archives: In no hurry to go – musings on life and death

From the archives in 1992, Charles Ward contemplates what death and mortality mean for a skeptical atheist with no belief in an afterlife.

The scientism of the obscurantists: disguising nonsense as emerging science

For as long as there has been science, there have been fringe figures promising that science will imminently catch up with their personal beliefs.

No body left behind: masculinity, eating disorders, and body dysmorphia

While conversations around disordered eating typically focus on young women, men also struggle with unhealthy body image, often masked by masculinity.

Five persistent “Zombie Facts” that should be allowed to finally die

'Zombie facts' are myths, ideas and factoids that continue to spread long after they have been comprehensively debunked.

From the archives: Is Light Getting Slower?

From the archives in 1992, Donald Rooum looks at The Atomic Constants, Light, And Time - a disreputable report from two reputable institutes

Superficial empowerment: the hidden cost of TikTok’s skincare obsession

TikTok trends may claim skincare routines are empowering self-care, but the message they send is that women – even young girls – should be judged on their looks
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