10 to 15 million people per year turn to acupuncture — the insertion of thin needles through the skin at strategic points on the body — for relieving what ails them. But is there any evidence that it actually works? Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and fact-checker, comedian, and podcast host David C. Smalley break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. On This Week's Skeptical Sunday, We Discuss: The origins of acupuncture are unclear, and the claim that it started in China approximately 3,000 years ago is debated. Peer-reviewed journal Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health claims that acupuncture is one of the most utilized forms of complementary integrative medicine interventions in the US and can help strengthen the immune system and reduce side effects of chemotherapy. Studies on acupuncture's effectiveness in reducing cancer pain have mixed results due to small sample sizes and design problems. One study showed acupuncture helps deactivate brain areas associated with processing pain, but it only involved 17 people. Many doctors are privately skeptical about acupuncture and say there's no real science to support the practice, but they often do not speak out against it publicly as they do not see it as particularly harmful. Acupuncture can actually be a risky treatment, and 86 people have died from improperly placed needles — with the most common cause of death being a condition called pneumothorax. And much more... Connect with Jordan on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have something you'd like us to tackle here on Skeptical Sunday, drop Jordan a line at [email protected] and let him know! Connect with David at his website, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, and make sure to check out The David C. Smalley Podcast here or wherever you enjoy listening to fine podcasts! If you like to get out of your house and catch live comedy, keep an eye on David's tour dates here and text David directly at (424) 306-0798 for tickets when he comes to your town! Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/817 This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine...

Sharing child custody with an ex can be an exercise in trust, patience, and compromise. But what happens when that ex decides to remarry and now your kids have a stepdad who has pled guilty to two felony charges of sexual exploitation of a minor? How can you ensure their safety when they're around their pedophile stepdad, and how do you explain what's going on without traumatizing them? We'll try to find answers to these questions and more here on Feedback Friday! And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at [email protected] Now let's dive in! On This Week's Feedback Friday, We Discuss: How do you protect your kids from their pedophile stepfather and explain the situation without traumatizing them? [Once again, clinical psychologist Dr. Erin Margolis saves the day!] Your wife's Chinese family is immersed in CCP propaganda, despite living in the US for over 40 years. Now that your father-in-law has passed, your wife wants her mother to move in — but you're concerned about her influence on your children and the risk of being monitored by the CCP for listening to its media. What should you do? You and your partner moved in together before really knowing each other's darker sides. Although you've turned your own life around, your partner is struggling with mental health and substance abuse issues and exhibits emotionally destructive behavior. You plan to move out and find a new place to live with a friend, but how do you delicately navigate the situation? You're 28 years old, working for your 73-year-old father in the family business. You want to modernize the company's procedures and processes, but your father resists change and is beginning to display signs of cognitive decline. Can you find a way to take charge of the business while still showing your father you value his advice? You've been running your own business as a side project for years, but you're ready to bring it to the forefront. Even though it's been demonstrated time and again that you know your stuff, imposter syndrome and a beginner's mindset keep you from being self-confident enough to charge clients an expert rate. How do you make the transition? Have any questions, comments, or stories you'd like to share with us? Drop us a line at [email protected]! Connect with Jordan on Twitter at @JordanHarbinger and Instagram at @jordanharbinger. Connect with Gabriel on Twitter at @GabeMizrahi.

3/24/2023

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Dr. James Cantor (@jamescantorphd) is a clinical psychologist and sexologist whose research centers on the development of sexual interests, including sexual orientation and paraphilias. He maintains the Sexology Today blog, which focuses on the current state of sex research. What We Discuss with James Cantor: What makes people gay? The differences between gay men and gay women. What should society do about pedophiles who choose to live lives of celibacy rather than act on their urges? Is there a link between autism and gender dysphoria? What's the deal with asexuality, paraphilia, vorarephilia, and that thing you think about when nobody else is around? And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/815 This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: jordanharbinger.com/deals Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course! Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!

Matt Frederick & Ben Bowlin (@ConspiracyStuff) are the conspiratorial masterminds behind the Stuff They Don't Want You to Know podcast and co-authors of a book that, to avoid any confusion, goes by the same name. What We Discuss with Matt Frederick & Ben Bowlin: Why people believe conspiracy theories. Popular conspiracy theories and why they persist. Conspiracy theories that turned out to be real. Telling the difference between true believers and opportunistic grifters. How we can avoid going down rabbit holes that foment conspiracy theories. And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/814 This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: jordanharbinger.com/deals Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course! Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!

What makes the annual pageantry of The Academy Awards (aka The Oscars) so alluring to millions of everyday folks? Are we transfixed by the film industry's recognition of its worthiest, or are we just voyeurs glimpsing a glamorous world a scant few of us will ever experience? Award-winning journalist and podcaster Andrew Gold joins us for this Skeptical Sunday to demystify the mystique and break the spell behind one of the world’s most celebrated events. (And don't worry, David C. Smalley fans! David will return soon for future installments of Skeptical Sunday!) On This Week's Skeptical Sunday, We Discuss: Who decides who's worthy of winning an Oscar? How does someone become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences? Were Will Smith and Chris Rock paid big money to stage that infamous slap in 2022? Why is the number of people tuning in to the annual ceremony dwindling compared to its heyday? Why would anyone object to shortening the length of the ceremony to suit the attention span of a modern audience? Connect with Jordan on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have something you'd like us to tackle here on Skeptical Sunday, drop Jordan a line at [email protected] and let him know! Connect with Andrew on Twitter and Instagram, and check out On the Edge with Andrew Gold here or wherever you enjoy listening to fine podcasts! Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider leaving your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally! Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/813 This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: jordanharbinger.com/deals Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course! Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!