2025 began with a bang. The pseudoscience of the enormously popular podcast The Telepathy Tapes inspired me to write my first column of the year for Skeptical Inquirer on the topic. The premise of the podcast is that many severely disabled people with autism have psychic abilities. The hitch is that their telepathy is revealed through the discredited communication technique known as spelling to communicate. The quality of investigation presented in the show is quite poor, but the podcast is likely to promote false and potentially dangerous methods of communication. Not a good beginning to the year.

Back in December, I wrote on a lighter topic, “Fear of Flying and the Search for Gate 13.” Of course, we know that many buildings skip the thirteenth floor due to superstition, but it is less well known that many airports also avoid Gate 13. Some people are nervous about flying, and it appears that the designers of many—though not all—airports have sought to reduce the fear of flying by skipping Gate 13. In the article, I interviewed a man who took it upon himself to identify all the airports in the United States that do and do not have a Gate 13. I also take the opportunity to make an enthusiastic airport hotdog recommendation.

Finally, if the horrendous fires allow, next month I will be coming to the western offices of the Center for Inquiry in Los Angeles to give a talk on, “The Latest in Autism Claptrap.” The event will be on Sunday, February 16 at 11:00 am PT. For anyone who is in the area and would like to attend, the details can be found here.

That’s all for now. Stay safe.

SV