Skeptical Inquirer facts for kids
Skeptical Inquirer logo
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| Editor-in-Chief | Kendrick Frazier |
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| Frequency | Bi-monthly |
| Circulation | 50,000 (within the U.S.) |
| Publisher | Committee for Skeptical Inquiry |
| First issue | 1976 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Website | www.csicop.org/si/ |
| ISSN | 0194-6730 |
The Skeptical Inquirer is a science magazine from the United States. A group called the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) publishes it every two months. The magazine's subtitle is "The magazine for science and reason." It features articles about real science and also about pseudoscience. Pseudoscience means ideas that seem scientific but are not based on facts or proof.
CSI's main goal is to encourage scientific thinking. They want people to carefully check unusual or surprising claims. They use reason and investigation to understand these claims. The Skeptical Inquirer is not a formal science paper.
What the Magazine Covers
The Skeptical Inquirer looks closely at many different topics. It often questions things like homeopathy, which is a type of alternative medicine. It also examines astrology, which claims stars can predict the future. The magazine discusses topics like the search for alien life (SETI).
It also covers the debate between creationism and evolution. The magazine writes about global warming and whether legendary figures like King Arthur were real. Besides these topics, it includes general science articles that are interesting to read.
Goals of the Skeptical Inquirer
Paul Kurtz started CSICOP, which is now called CSI. In 2006, he listed four main goals for the group and the magazine:
- To check and question claims about the paranormal. This includes things like ghosts or psychic powers. They also look at pseudoscience, which pretends to be science.
- To show how real science works. They want to explain the scientific way of thinking.
- To help the mass media (like TV and newspapers) show a fair view of science.
- To help schools teach critical thinking. This means teaching students how to think clearly and evaluate information.
Images for kids
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Kendrick Frazier in his office, 2018
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Barry Karr reading Skeptical Inquirer at Amherst headquarters, 2014
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See also
In Spanish: Skeptical Inquirer para niños
