Squaring The Strange

This week, our crew talks about the ins and outs of how our senses fail us. First, they delve into a highly appropriate internet phenomenon regarding how we hear the word "Laurel" in a recording. With technical breakdowns and inquiry as to how our hearing may have failed us, the Strangers reach a strong conclusion about this mystery. Then, they expand the topic by talking about how senses and memory are not all they seem. Nobody can be too sure of what they see, hear, feel, taste, or smell and our intrepid crew digs deep into why that is.

This week, our crew dives into a curious case of a teenager being hypnotized and not remembering the night. Then, we dig up zombies. Not just the Hollywood zombie we've grown to love, but the real root of our horror staple, the Hatian zombie. Ben brings folklore and research into real-life details that have helped form our idea of these movie monsters. 

First, Ben looks at some opinions passing for news about the Cosby verdict, then Pascual schools us on the real history behind Cinco de Mayo. For our main topic, the whole gang pitches in for a talk about research: what IS research, what ISN’T research, and helpful hints that will benefit everyone from the laziest Googler to the most intrepid of investigators. Wikipedia, Snopes, and your local library all have a role to play, as do real live experts.

First we say a mixed farewell to Art Bell, radio host and conspiracy monger. Then we discuss the Near-Death Experience phenomenon, or NDEs. We go from Hollywood fan theories to real medical history and fear of premature burial. We touch on how children’s NDEs are shaped and exploited by adults. Then our special guest, Margaret Downey, discusses her non-religious journey of understanding her NDE. To wrap up, Celestia examines a UK nurse's “experiment” to find evidence that patients really do sometimes float above their own bodies.

This week, Ben unpacks a particularly curious moment in a Herzog documentary, and then we get to our main topic. Our trio dives deep into the world of school shooting conspiracies, especially around Sandy Hook. Ben uses real information to battle the wild rumors that many people seem to believe about the nature of these events and the roles of the people involved. Just as the episode was finished, BREAKING NEWS about Sandy Hook came to light and Pascual was able to punch a quick update in before air.

QUICK NOTE: The online recording software we used for Matt's interview did something wonky to our audio for a moment. Pascual spent the last few hours making it sound better (believe us, it sounded worse) and we think it's good enough for the few short questions that it affects. Thank you for bearing with us on this. This week, the boys bring Susan Gerbic in to chat about all things skeptical, but most importantly, her organization "Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia", a great group of people whose mission is to improve skeptical content on Wikipedia. But first, we have a fun conversation about "The Condom Challenge" with friend of the show Matt "The Tube" Crowley. You may know him from the Jim Rose Circus and might have caught him on Lollapalooza in the early 90s (as one of our hosts may or may not have). Matt Crowley with Jim Rose: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6Pt3eaRusA Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia: https://www.facebook.com/GSoWproject/

This week, Pascual brings in some information on California’s Prop 65 and what it really means to say that coffee causes cancer. Does a proliferation of warning signs do the opposite of what lawmakers intended, and is there a better way? We read some listener emails and answer questions, reflecting on the evolution of the show after one year. We chat about topics that made us proud, made us nervous, or made us giggle like little schoolgirls—as well as some potential future topics, like the royal family being coelacanths (or is it lizard people?).

We start with Mad Mike Hughes and his flat-earth-funded rocket. Then we talk treasures: hiding them, hunting them, and passing along rumors of them! Treasure hunting is rife with folklore and sometimes danger. People seeking riches have trespassed, committed crimes, and even died. Celestia talks about murdered casino magnate Ted Binion’s buried vault and rumors of more treasure. Then Pascual and Ben discuss Santa Fe eccentric Forrest Fenn, who claims he hid a treasure you can find with clues in a poem. Finally, we dig into Arizona’s legendary Lost Dutchman Mine.

First, Pascual is skeptical of mutating astronaut DNA, and looks closely at the media misinterpretation of a recent NASA press release. Then the gang discusses various ways that folklore is used to control behavior—a trick used on children and sometimes on the general public, too. We look closely at the Hispanic ghost La Llorona, a frightening tale that keeps children away from flood-prone river banks in New Mexico, and then some of her even scarier cousins, the Japanese kappa, who seem to have a fixation on human butts and cucumbers. Then all the way up in Iceland we meet the Yule cat, who eats children that don’t wear their new Christmas sweaters—but also teaches a host of other lessons.

This week, our crew digs into health panics and what's in our food. Focusing on the notorious "pink slime", the Strangers break down the history of the hysteria and talk about how bad it really is (or isn't). Also in this episode, Ben is skeptical of the tragic tale of a Tasmanian Devil named Jasper.

This week, our strangers start the episode with some listener mail about Ben's SWAYSO on Peter Rabbit. Our three amigos break down an article about it as well as debate the reality of how impressionable kids can really be. Then, our intrepid crew sets sail to the Indian Ocean to discover our once-extinct friend, the Coelacanth. They recall the story of the discovery of our fishy friend and also discuss the use of its story in certain cryptozoological arguments. Celestia delights us with a fun fortune cookie about a very creative individual.

This week, the Strange crew chats a bit about "crisis actors" and how far people will go to link tragic events to push conspiratorial ideas. Then, the boys are joined by Sharon A. Hill, geologist and skeptic author of the new book "Scientifical Americans" a look into the culture of amateur paranormal researchers. They talk a bit about the utility of the title "skeptic" and go into a discussion about her fascinating new book. Find Sharon and her book at: http://sharonahill.com

This week, Ben and Celestia dig into what makes bad documentaries bad.

This week, Ben and Pascual dig into the legend of Kuchisake-Onna, aka the Slit-mouthed Woman. From the origins of her terrifying story to the modern day pop culture references, the guys explore every creepy detail. Also in this episode, Ben is skeptical of what makes something fictional "problematic" and just how serious the implications are. Link: Pascual references a webcomic, which actually turned out to be a Korean one that has similarities but is not the slit-mouthed woman. Warning: Jump scares. http://comic.naver.com/webtoon/detail.nhn?titleId=350217&no=31

While Pascual recovers, Ben and Celestia discuss outrage over the hypothetical new product “Lady Doritos.” Then we go over Ben’s investigation of a staircase in Santa Fe said to have been built by Saint Joseph in answer to the prayers of the Sisters of Loretto. Lacking a central support, the stairs are the focus of several legends and are said to have no scientific explanation. Upon systematic examination, and with the help of dogged historian Mary Straw Cook, Ben unravels the mystery and gives credit to a long-dead carpenter.

This week we start with Celestia’s tale of having a “tongue analysis” while on a cruise, which amounted to an alt-med version of cold reading. Then we examine a critical but controversial topic: are accusers routinely disbelieved in sexual misconduct cases? Ben brings some statistics on the public’s view of high-profile accusations, and Celestia tackles data on police handling of rape reports. How true is this notion, and, more importantly, what harm does inflating such a notion cause?

This week, our hosts chat about Ben's new book, Investigating Ghosts.

First, Ben looks at current failures of intuition and psychics. Then we take a skeptical look at tour guides! Tours straddle a line between entertainment and education, and tour guides happily embellish local legends and lore as time goes on. We welcome special guest Cindy Boyer from the Landmark Society of Western New York and chat about ghost tours. Pascual confesses to teenaged transgressions, and Ben recounts an egg-balancing lesson with a tour guide in Ecuador.

This week, our boys look into the nature of curses and what it takes to break a curse. From the cultural aspects to the practical applications, Ben's expertise in curses takes the listener through a journey into the weird and scary world of superstition.

First we hear from photographic mystery investigator Kenny Biddle, who reveals how he solved the souvenir photo mystery Ben shared back in episode 37. Then, for the second part of our New Year’s resolution series, we dive into diet myths. Ben brings some surprising statistics that go against common assumptions about how diet-obsessed Americans are. Rather than being hyper-aware of every pound, it turns out we often don’t notice weight gain (on ourselves or our children), and we rarely put much effort into losing it. Celestia reflects on how fat people, like cancer patients, are hit with a ton of “miracle” fat cures from well-meaning friends and acquaintances; and she does a deep-dive into her diet Coke and whether it actually makes people gain weight.