Cambridge Skeptics
@cambskeptics.bsky.social
Promoting science, positive skepticism and critical thinking skills via public engagement. We also host monthly Skeptics in the Pub and social events.
President Trump's changing messaging, Congress' unprecedented demands and the Justice Department's piecemeal release of information haven't quieted the questions. Here's what we know — and don't, writes Stephen Fowler. www.npr.org/2026/01/02/n...
With few Epstein files released, conspiracy theories flourish and questions remain
President Trump's changing messaging, Congress' unprecedented demands and the Justice Department's piecemeal release of information haven't quieted the questions. Here's what we know — and don't.
www.npr.org
January 5, 2026 at 6:03 PM
President Trump's changing messaging, Congress' unprecedented demands and the Justice Department's piecemeal release of information haven't quieted the questions. Here's what we know — and don't, writes Stephen Fowler. www.npr.org/2026/01/02/n...
Grok is generating sexualized images of women and minors. Politicians in France ask prosecutors to investigate; India demands answers. Experts have long warned Grok owner xAI about potential misuses of AI-generated content, report A.J. Vicens and Raphael Satter. www.reuters.com/legal/litiga...
www.reuters.com
January 5, 2026 at 3:00 PM
Grok is generating sexualized images of women and minors. Politicians in France ask prosecutors to investigate; India demands answers. Experts have long warned Grok owner xAI about potential misuses of AI-generated content, report A.J. Vicens and Raphael Satter. www.reuters.com/legal/litiga...
From flat Earth to UFOs, a hollow Moon and the Black Knight spacecraft, the biggest space conspiracy theories and how to defeat them, writes Alastair Gunn. www.skyatnightmagazine.com/space-scienc...
10 of the biggest conspiracy theories in space and astronomy, and how to defeat them | BBC Sky at Night Magazine
From flat Earth to UFOs, a hollow Moon and the Black Knight spacecraft, the biggest space conspiracy theories and how to defeat them.
www.skyatnightmagazine.com
January 5, 2026 at 12:00 PM
From flat Earth to UFOs, a hollow Moon and the Black Knight spacecraft, the biggest space conspiracy theories and how to defeat them, writes Alastair Gunn. www.skyatnightmagazine.com/space-scienc...
In an exclusive P&J interview, Loch Ness Project founder Adrian Shine has reflected on his more than half a century of research at the shores of Scotland’s most famous Loch. www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/high...
‘I moved to Loch Ness in 1973 to search for Nessie, in 1975 I realised she didn't exist. This is why I am still here 50 years later'
In an exclusive P&J interview, Loch Ness Project founder Adrian Shine has reflected on his more than half a century of research at the shores of Scotland’s most famous Loch.
www.pressandjournal.co.uk
January 5, 2026 at 9:00 AM
In an exclusive P&J interview, Loch Ness Project founder Adrian Shine has reflected on his more than half a century of research at the shores of Scotland’s most famous Loch. www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/high...
A man in Cornwall was left shocked after he spotted what seemed to look like a UFO while driving back home on Christmas Day, with a similar incident in 2024, reports Zesha Saleem. archive.ph/txCr8 www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-...
‘Mysterious’ glowing spiral appears in sky – near possible UFO in 2024
A man in Cornwall was left shocked after he spotted what seemed to look like a UFO while driving back home on Christmas Day, with a similar incident in 2024
www.dailystar.co.uk
January 5, 2026 at 6:00 AM
A man in Cornwall was left shocked after he spotted what seemed to look like a UFO while driving back home on Christmas Day, with a similar incident in 2024, reports Zesha Saleem. archive.ph/txCr8 www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-...
President Donald Trump has said the US will ‘run’ Venezuela until a ‘safe, proper and judicious transition’ can take place. But that still leaves many options, writes Robert Muggah. theconversation.com/5-scenarios-...
5 scenarios for a post-Maduro Venezuela — and what they could signal to the wider region
President Donald Trump has said the US will ‘run’ Venezuela until a ‘safe, proper and judicious transition’ can take place. But that still leaves many options.
theconversation.com
January 5, 2026 at 3:00 AM
President Donald Trump has said the US will ‘run’ Venezuela until a ‘safe, proper and judicious transition’ can take place. But that still leaves many options, writes Robert Muggah. theconversation.com/5-scenarios-...
The US capture of Nicolás Maduro opens a new era in international relations, writes Juan Luis Manfredi. theconversation.com/trumps-new-w...
Trump’s new world order is taking shape in Venezuela. Five keys to understanding the US military attacks
The US capture of Nicolás Maduro opens a new era in international relations.
theconversation.com
January 5, 2026 at 12:00 AM
The US capture of Nicolás Maduro opens a new era in international relations, writes Juan Luis Manfredi. theconversation.com/trumps-new-w...
Scholar of international law Oona Hathaway on the implications of the U.S. arrest of President Nicolás Maduro, writes Isaac Chotiner. archive.ph/Gmwfn www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a...
The Brazen Illegality of Trump’s Venezuela Operation
A scholar of international law on the implications of the U.S. arrest of President Nicolás Maduro.
www.newyorker.com
January 4, 2026 at 10:30 PM
Scholar of international law Oona Hathaway on the implications of the U.S. arrest of President Nicolás Maduro, writes Isaac Chotiner. archive.ph/Gmwfn www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a...
People are being put at risk of harm by false and misleading health information in Google’s artificial intelligence summaries, a Guardian investigation has found, reports Andrew Gregory. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Google AI Overviews put people at risk of harm with misleading health advice
Exclusive: Inaccurate information presented in summaries, Guardian investigation finds
www.theguardian.com
January 4, 2026 at 9:00 PM
People are being put at risk of harm by false and misleading health information in Google’s artificial intelligence summaries, a Guardian investigation has found, reports Andrew Gregory. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Elon Musk’s chatbot Grok posted on Friday that lapses in safeguards had led it to generate “images depicting minors in minimal clothing” on social media platform X, reports Nick Robins-Early. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Elon Musk’s Grok AI generates images of ‘minors in minimal clothing’
Lapses in safeguards led to wave of sexualized images this week as xAI says it is working to improve systems
www.theguardian.com
January 4, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Elon Musk’s chatbot Grok posted on Friday that lapses in safeguards had led it to generate “images depicting minors in minimal clothing” on social media platform X, reports Nick Robins-Early. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
New year plant hunt shows rising temperatures are shifting natural cycles of wildflowers such as daisies, reports Ajit Niranjan. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Winter blooming of hundreds of plants in UK ‘visible signal’ of climate breakdown
New year plant hunt shows rising temperatures are shifting natural cycles of wildflowers such as daisies
www.theguardian.com
January 4, 2026 at 6:00 PM
New year plant hunt shows rising temperatures are shifting natural cycles of wildflowers such as daisies, reports Ajit Niranjan. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Fake videos of political leaders often go viral online. Alima de Graaf analyzes how content farms use algorithm-driven formats, and what narratives they reinforce. www.dw.com/en/fact-chec...
Fact check: Content farm videos on Merz, Starmer and Trump – DW – 12/31/2025
Fake videos of political leaders often go viral online. DW's Fact check department analyzes how content farms use algorithm-driven formats, and what narratives they reinforce.
www.dw.com
January 4, 2026 at 4:30 PM
Fake videos of political leaders often go viral online. Alima de Graaf analyzes how content farms use algorithm-driven formats, and what narratives they reinforce. www.dw.com/en/fact-chec...
Actress and anti-Scientology activist Leah Remini is sounding the alarm about the religion’s growing proximity to the Trump administration, reports Adam Downer. archive.ph/fewct www.thedailybeast.com/leah-remini-...
Leah Remini Warns Scientology Is Infiltrating Trump Administration
The ex-Scientologist said the religion’s influence over the administration is “very scary.”
www.thedailybeast.com
January 4, 2026 at 3:01 PM
Actress and anti-Scientology activist Leah Remini is sounding the alarm about the religion’s growing proximity to the Trump administration, reports Adam Downer. archive.ph/fewct www.thedailybeast.com/leah-remini-...
UK ecosystems continue to deteriorate or show no change, rather than improvement, the latest data from the biodiversity indicators show, reports Galya Dimitrova. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
UK biodiversity continues to decline, 2025 bioindicators show
Wallingford scientists contributed to the 2025 indicators with analysis of animal and plant trends.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 4, 2026 at 1:30 PM
UK ecosystems continue to deteriorate or show no change, rather than improvement, the latest data from the biodiversity indicators show, reports Galya Dimitrova. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Measles may have been spread at a Noah’s Ark-themed creationist museum in Kentucky earlier this week, the state’s health authority said, reports William Vaillancourt. archive.ph/MPXop www.thedailybeast.com/health-autho...
Health Authorities Issue Measles Alert at Creationist Museum
In 2025, the U.S. experienced the highest number of measles cases since 1992.
www.thedailybeast.com
January 4, 2026 at 12:00 PM
Measles may have been spread at a Noah’s Ark-themed creationist museum in Kentucky earlier this week, the state’s health authority said, reports William Vaillancourt. archive.ph/MPXop www.thedailybeast.com/health-autho...
Several people living in a campsite close to the community of Empire, Alabama, as part of a religious cult, who believe their leader is the incarnation of Jesus Christ, have been arrested, reports Erin Keller. www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
Alabama cult members arrested, leader claims to be reincarnation of Jesus
The group leader ‘Reverand Lamp’ claimed DHS agents questioned members about their US citizenship
www.independent.co.uk
January 4, 2026 at 9:00 AM
Several people living in a campsite close to the community of Empire, Alabama, as part of a religious cult, who believe their leader is the incarnation of Jesus Christ, have been arrested, reports Erin Keller. www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
A British filmmaker says the Vatican may be preparing for the possibility of an alien invasion – and the Pope might address "first contact" with extraterrestrials in the new year, reports Ashley Pemberton. www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-...
Pope 'might address first contact with aliens' as Vatican will feel 'reaction'
Ufo expert Mark Christopher Lee says he has been given "rare access" to the Vatican's secret archives and is probing historical references that could shed light on human contact with alien life
www.dailystar.co.uk
January 4, 2026 at 6:00 AM
A British filmmaker says the Vatican may be preparing for the possibility of an alien invasion – and the Pope might address "first contact" with extraterrestrials in the new year, reports Ashley Pemberton. www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-...
Being “the reasonable one” is socially rewarded, but it can hide chronic emotional labor and self-silencing. Learning to be less “reasonable” can be an important step toward healthier boundaries and mental well-being, writes Karen Stollznow. www-psychologytoday-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.psyc...
The Burden of Being 'The Reasonable One'
Always being "the reasonable one" may keep the peace, but it can quietly undermine our mental health and well-being.
www-psychologytoday-com.cdn.ampproject.org
January 4, 2026 at 3:00 AM
Being “the reasonable one” is socially rewarded, but it can hide chronic emotional labor and self-silencing. Learning to be less “reasonable” can be an important step toward healthier boundaries and mental well-being, writes Karen Stollznow. www-psychologytoday-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.psyc...
There will always be "wolf-criers" whose claims wither under scrutiny. But aliens are certainly out there, if science dares to find them, writes Ethan Siegel. bigthink.com/starts-with-...
Why scientists can't stop searching for alien life
There will always be "wolf-criers" whose claims wither under scrutiny. But aliens are certainly out there, if science dares to find them.
bigthink.com
January 4, 2026 at 12:00 AM
There will always be "wolf-criers" whose claims wither under scrutiny. But aliens are certainly out there, if science dares to find them, writes Ethan Siegel. bigthink.com/starts-with-...
Distorted attacks by the populist right are really about demography, writes Robert Shrimsley. archive.ph/OJp24 www.ft.com/content/8d1f...
The plot against London
Distorted attacks by the populist right are really about demography
www.ft.com
January 3, 2026 at 10:30 PM
Distorted attacks by the populist right are really about demography, writes Robert Shrimsley. archive.ph/OJp24 www.ft.com/content/8d1f...
A childhood chickenpox infection — once a British rite of passage — is poised to become a thing of the past, as experts believe the country may reach herd immunity within a decade, reports Poppy Koronka. archive.ph/RpgwT www.thetimes.com/uk/healthcar...
Chickenpox vaccine could give UK herd immunity in a decade
A new programme will offer the vaccine alongside the MMR jab, with the goal of creating herd immunity
www.thetimes.com
January 3, 2026 at 9:00 PM
A childhood chickenpox infection — once a British rite of passage — is poised to become a thing of the past, as experts believe the country may reach herd immunity within a decade, reports Poppy Koronka. archive.ph/RpgwT www.thetimes.com/uk/healthcar...
From seemingly AI-generated videos to repurposed old footage, TikTok, Instagram, and X did little to stop the onslaught of misleading posts in the wake of the US invasion of Venezuela, reports David Gilbery. www.wired.com/story/disinf...
Disinformation Floods Social Media After Nicolás Maduro's Capture
From seemingly AI-generated videos to repurposed old footage, TikTok, Instagram, and X did little to stop the onslaught of misleading posts in the wake of the US invasion of Venezuela.
www.wired.com
January 3, 2026 at 7:31 PM
From seemingly AI-generated videos to repurposed old footage, TikTok, Instagram, and X did little to stop the onslaught of misleading posts in the wake of the US invasion of Venezuela, reports David Gilbery. www.wired.com/story/disinf...
The real threat to public trust isn’t fake news scandals, but the spread of low-grade misinformation, says Kenny Campbell. And once people stop caring what’s true, trust becomes almost impossible to rebuild. archive.ph/IoXCC www.independent.co.uk/voices/disin...
Why 2025 was the year trust died
The real threat to public trust isn’t fake news scandals, but the spread of low-grade misinformation, says Kenny Campbell. And once people stop caring what’s true, trust becomes almost impossible to…
www.independent.co.uk
January 3, 2026 at 6:00 PM
The real threat to public trust isn’t fake news scandals, but the spread of low-grade misinformation, says Kenny Campbell. And once people stop caring what’s true, trust becomes almost impossible to rebuild. archive.ph/IoXCC www.independent.co.uk/voices/disin...
Russia’s claims of a drone attack on its president’s residence are a clear lie with obvious motives, reports The Times. archive.ph/L17Ub www.thetimes.com/comment/the-...
Fake news can’t disguise Putin’s hypocrisy over peace in Ukraine
Russia’s claims of a drone attack on its president’s residence are a clear lie with obvious motives
www.thetimes.com
January 3, 2026 at 3:01 PM
Russia’s claims of a drone attack on its president’s residence are a clear lie with obvious motives, reports The Times. archive.ph/L17Ub www.thetimes.com/comment/the-...
Euro adoption vilified by Moscow-leaning politicians and social media campaigns, reports Marton Dunai. archive.ph/yA7ik www.ft.com/content/fa89...
Bulgaria joins Eurozone despite pro-Russian disinformation
Euro adoption vilified by Moscow-leaning politicians and social media campaigns
www.ft.com
January 3, 2026 at 12:00 PM
Euro adoption vilified by Moscow-leaning politicians and social media campaigns, reports Marton Dunai. archive.ph/yA7ik www.ft.com/content/fa89...