Best Candle & Bell Podcasts (2026)

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Ripped from Apple Music Replay, Part 1 (feat. The Beths, Lola Young, Turnstile, Wednesday and more) 57:42

Play Pause

3h ago57:42

57:42

With nearly every app giving us some history of our activity this year, we decided to share with you three songs each that made their way onto our Apple Music Replay playlists. This is a super-sized, two-part episode. In today's episode, Bob and Carla share their picks, a few of which come with some controversy and some attitude. Have Bob and Carla…

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Skeptoid #1021: The First Middle Finger 15:23

5m ago15:23

15:23

The history and pseudohistory of this infamous and ubiquitous obscene gesture. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Brian Dunning

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Skeptoid #1020: Yule Logs 16:45

2d ago16:45

16:45

From fireplace to folklore, how the Yule log got its fake pagan backstory. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Ashley Hamer Pritchard

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Ep 154: Lillian Burns, The Most Powerful Woman in Hollywood 46:00

15d ago46:00

46:00

Before the Stanislavski 'Method' overtook Hollywood in the 1950s, each studio had their own in-house drama coach to develop talent. The drama coaches were women: Phyllis Loughton Seaton (Paramount), Lela Rogers (RKO), Josephine Hutchinson (Columbia), Helena Sorrell (20th Century Fox), Sophie Rosenstein (Warner Bros.), and Anita Colby was 'feminine …

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Skeptoid #1019: Testing the Thunderstorm Generator 17:44

9d ago17:44

17:44

This device claims to be able to dramatically improve the efficiency and emissions of any internal combustion engine. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Brian Dunning

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RE-RELEASE: And the Bells Are Ringing Out ... MTD CHRISTMAS SPECIAL 37:52

10d ago37:52

37:52

Today we are re-releasing one of our favorite episodes...our Christmas Special! Here we talked about some of our favorite (and not so favorite) Christmas songs and movies. Joining us on The Nice List are the Pogues, Bowie and Bing, Weezer, Ella, Jose Feliciano, She & Him, the Kinks, the Vince Guaraldi Trio, John and Yoko, Darlene Love, the Waitress…

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Skeptoid #1018: Might Ghosts Exist? 17:25

16d ago17:25

17:25

An exploration of all the scientific possibilities by which ghosts might actually exist in this universe. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Brian Dunning

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Remembering Mani: A Tribute to The Stone Roses' bass player 39:20

22d ago39:20

39:20

Today we pay tribute to one of rock music's most legendary bass players, Gary "Mani" Mounfield of The Stone Roses and Primal Scream. We lost Mani in late November - far too soon. As tributes have poured in from many of our favorite bands including Oasis and Richard Ashcroft, we wanted to pay our own tribute to honor the man whose music and signatur…

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Skeptoid #1017: The Bell that Tolls for the K-129 18:08

23d ago18:08

18:08

It should have been impossible for the CIA's Glomar Explorer to obtain the ship's bell from the K-129 submarine... but they did. How? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Brian Dunning

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Skeptoid #1016: The Case for Carbon Dating 16:45

1M ago16:45

16:45

A roundup of evidence supporting the use of radiocarbon dating to assess the age of organic matter from 500 to 55,000 years old. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Brian Dunning

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Skeptoid #1015: The Alaska Triangle 15:39

1M ago15:39

15:39

Stories claim that this region of Alaska is home to a huge number of unexplained disappearances. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Brian Dunning

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Skeptoid #1014: The Giant of Kandahar 17:08

1M ago17:08

17:08

Did US Special Forces battle a 15-foot-tall red-haired giant in the mountains of Afghanistan in 2002? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Brian Dunning

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Ep 153: Claire Trevor in Born to Kill (1947) 35:30

2M ago35:30

35:30

In Robert Wise's Born to Kill (1947), Claire Trevor veers between planning a future with Lawrence Tierney and curating his downfall. She gives one of her best performances in a picture that was initially dismissed as lurid but has since been reclaimed as a classic. Beneath the smart suits, metallic-stud accessories, and mink coat beats the heart of…

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Skeptoid #1013: Medbeds: Sleeping in Bunk 16:11

2M ago16:11

16:11

A conspiracy theory claims the Hollywood and Deep State elitists have a magical bed that allows them to remain forever young and healthy. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Brian Dunning

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Skeptoid #1012: The Rake That Comes for You in the Night 15:11

2M ago15:11

15:11

Is the Rake mere creepypasta, or do more recent events prove it to be a real creature? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Brian Dunning

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Skeptoid #1011: The Not-Deer and Weird Appalachian Lore 16:07

2M ago16:07

16:07

When ordinary deer turn grotesque, Appalachia’s forests whisper of the Not-Deer — unnatural predators lurking somewhere between folklore and nightmare. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Brian Dunning

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Skeptoid #1010: Pop Quiz: 19 Years of Skeptoid 27:02

3M ago27:02

27:02

A pop quiz of trivia from the previous 19 years of Skeptoid shows! Can you beat the masters? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Brian Dunning

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Skeptoid #1009: Facts and Fiction of Polynesian Navigation, Part 2 18:35

3M ago18:35

18:35

By Brian Dunning

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Skeptoid Adventures Sets Sail! Malaga, Spain to Nice, France 2026 2:31

3M ago2:31

2:31

Skeptoid Adventures will set sail on the world's largest sailing vessel, the SV Royal Clipper, from Malaga, Spain, to Nice, France this April. We'll have a mini-conference aboard and we'll stop at amazing ports of call -- all while on the coolest full-rigged sailing ship you've ever seen. Take a look at skeptoid.com/adventures. Please note: This sh…

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Skeptoid #1008: Facts and Fiction of Polynesian Navigation, Part 1 16:13

3M ago16:13

16:13

By Brian Dunning

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Skeptoid #1007: The Pilots Who Landed at Area 51 18:30

3M ago18:30

18:30

True stories of the pilots who have tried to land at Area 51 — and what happened to them. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Brian Dunning

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Songs from Sixteen Candles (w/ AC/DC, The Revillos, Altered Images, Thompson Twins) 1:07:36

4M ago1:07:36

1:07:36

What'sa happenin' hot stuff? Bob, Brad, Carla and Mark are back to discuss one of our favorite movies, John Hughes' first feature film, Sixteen Candles. This movie did not have an official soundtrack, but the songs featured in it are a killer combination of new wave, post punk and rock 'n' roll. Here are four songs we felt would have made the sound…

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Skeptoid #1006: Deconstructing Structured Water 18:02

3M ago18:02

18:02

We all enjoy a nice crisp glass of water when we're feeling dehydrated — which makes sense, because our bodies need it most of all, so enjoying it is an evolved behavior. However, some people — notably wellness influencers — have determined that good old H2O is actually not a good thing at all (who knew?); and that what you really need is their own…

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Skeptoid #1005: Debugging Done Diligently 15:02

4M ago15:02

15:02

Another round of corrections of errors from past episodes, keeping your Skeptoid archive tidy and accurate. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Brian Dunning

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Skeptoid #1004: Dating the White Sands Footprints 17:49

4M ago17:49

17:49

Ancient footprints in New Mexico are forcing scientists to rewrite the story of when humans first set foot in the Americas, and the debate is shaking paleoanthropology to its core. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Brian Dunning

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Skeptoid #1003: History's Weirdest Science Findings 17:54

4M ago17:54

17:54

Fourteen of the most unexpected and counterintuitive science findings. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Brian Dunning

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Skeptoid #1002: A Feast of Feedback 15:56

4M ago15:56

15:56

Once again we go through some of your feedback to past episodes — all the good stuff that enhances and improves the presentation. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Brian Dunning

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Skeptoid #1001: The Phantom Clown Panic 12:33

5M ago12:33

12:33

Clowns have a habit of terrifying many of us. So why shouldn't we be surprised to see mass clown panics? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Ben Radford

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Skeptoid #1000: Candle on the Water 15:56

5M ago15:56

15:56

Today marks the 1000th Skeptoid episode. And it's time to raise the question: What are you going to do for it? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Brian Dunning

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Skeptoid #999: Day of the Medieval Dead 16:54

5M ago16:54

16:54

Medieval tales of walking corpses reflect common misunderstandings of death and the era's blurred line between myth and reality. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Deborah Hyde

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Skeptoid #998: The Manifestation Trap: OCD and the Law of Attraction 15:58

5M ago15:58

15:58

What began as 19th-century mind-cure mysticism has morphed into a billion-dollar culture that may be hurting more minds than it helps. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Adrienne Hill

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Skeptoid #997: Sounds of the Aurora 15:46

6M ago15:46

15:46

Using real science to investigate the question of whether some people can "hear" the aurora. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Brian Dunning

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Skeptoid #996: Murder in Hex Hollow 15:48

6M ago15:48

15:48

The 1928 murder of a folk healer ignited a media frenzy and moral panic, revealing how superstition and magical thinking can fuel real-world tragedy. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Blake Smith

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Preview — Douglas Adams: The Ends of the Earth on The Internet We Didn’t Get 49:23

6M ago49:23

49:23

We’re sharing a preview of a new audiobook, Douglas Adams: The Ends of the Earth, which celebrates the wit and wisdom of the legendary science fiction author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency. Douglas Adams was someone who thought deeply about the biggest problems in the world, from the internet, to…

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Skeptoid #995: The Eugenic History of the Body Type Diet 14:35

6M ago14:35

14:35

Is there good science backing up the idea that you should eat based upon which of three body types you have? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Ashley Hamer

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Skeptoid #994: Making AI Environmentally Friendly 17:07

6M ago17:07

17:07

Will our improvements to AI's voracious appetite for electricity keep pace with the exploding demand? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Brian Dunning

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Skeptoid #993: How to Decide What to Eat 17:11

6M ago17:11

17:11

Do you really need to pay quite so much attention to which foods you eat, and which you avoid? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Craig Good

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Ep 152: Kim Novak in Bell Book and Candle (1958) 38:42

7M ago38:42

38:42

After struggling for years under the controlling grip of Harry Cohn, Kim Novak was finally able to relax once the Columbia boss had a heart attack and turned up his toes three weeks into production of Bell Book and Candle. In a few months, she would also be free of Muriel Roberts, the studio publicist who had pretended to be a close friend, when sh…

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Skeptoid #992: The Case of the Missing Beaumont Children 17:59

7M ago17:59

17:59

Since psychic abilities do not exist outside the delusions of true believers, involving psychics in searches for missing persons is worse than useless. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Richard Saunders

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Skeptoid #991: Real Sea Monsters 19:30

7M ago19:30

19:30

A roundup of all the biggest and scariest real sea monsters — from today and from prehistoric times. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Brian Dunning

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Skeptoid #990: Rethinking Science Education 16:25

7M ago16:25

16:25

How one special moment redefined how a science teacher does her job. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Melanie Trecek-King

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Skeptoid #989: Are $1,000,000 Paranormal Challenges Effective? 15:46

7M ago15:46

15:46

Their exciting nature, combined with the fact nobody's ever won one, make paranormal challenge prizes important educational tools. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Jeff Wagg

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Skeptoid #988: Chocolate Myths 14:16

8M ago14:16

14:16

Here are many popular myths about chocolate. How many can you tell are true or not? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Brian Dunning

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Skeptoid #987: More than a Magician's Assistant 15:01

8M ago15:01

15:01

She may have gotten her start as Houdini's sidekick, but Rose Mackenberg became a giant of unmasking fraudulent mediums. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Kat McLeod

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A Brief Shake-Up at Skeptoid 1:46

8M ago1:46

1:46

You're going to get to enjoy some new guest hosts for a month or two on Skeptoid. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Brian Dunning

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Ep 151: Joan Crawford in Johnny Guitar (1954) 36:11

8M ago36:11

36:11

During production of Johnny Guitar, Joan Crawford wrangled a lacklustre script, a mercurial director, a chaos agent, and columnists who put a bounty on her head. Johnny Guitar is a parable about the persecutions of McCarthyism, but it's also about the perils in store for an aging film star.By Sass Mouth Dames

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Skeptoid #986: Do Functional Mushrooms Function? 15:53

8M ago15:53

15:53

Super mushrooms are claimed by some to provide vague health benefits beyond their known nutritional values. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Brian Dunning

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Skeptoid #985: Supervolcanoes and Super Earthquakes 16:28

8M ago16:28

16:28

A roundup of the world's riskiest volcanoes and fault zones — and they're not necessarily the most hazardous. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesBy Brian Dunning

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Space to Grieve – A Conversation with Ben Ries 43:51

9M ago43:51

43:51

“[Grief] is going to stay there whether we want it to orrecognize it or not. Grief finds its way into our bones and if we don’t address it, if we don’t hold it, if we don’t find ways to metabolize it, it’ll remain and more times than not it comes out sideways.” Grief is a part of life, but too often, we don’t make space for it—especially in the chu…

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SHAZAM! (w/ Martin Solveig & Dragonette, Fugazi, X, and Peaches) 51:45

9M ago51:45

51:45

That slick hook and spot-on beat playing over the PA in Target, at Cumberland Farms, in the venue before the headliner takes the stage: WHO IS THAT? WHAT'S THAT SONG? We all have the Shazam app loaded on our phones, and it's wild to think that for more than half our lives (speaking for the Diarists), we did without it. Here are four songs Bob, Brad…