Squaring The Strange

Ben and special guest Matt Crowley reminisce about their first encounter, at a Bigfoot conference in Idaho about a dozen years ago. We look at some cultural aspects of Bigfootery, and Matt walks us through his "I can't unsee this" moment involving the Skookum cast, which has been touted as the best piece of Bigfoot evidence since the Patterson-Gimlin film.

This episode is a walk-through of Ben's investigation into the facts, theories, and folklore of a mysterious burial vault on Barbados. Due to strange natural phenomenon, ghosts, or a curse, the dead are said to not be able to rest within its walls. In the 1800s, stories emerged of the vaults contents being strewn about, inexplicably, while it was sealed. There's a lot to unpack, and Ben takes us through explanations, supposed eye-witness accounts, and folkloric roots.

Richard Saunders of The Skeptic Zone joins us to discuss organ theft tales! The notion of waking up one day without a few organs, the biological equivalent of being pick-pocketed, has been a pernicious and persistent rumor. In the 1990s, the idea of waking up in a bathtub full of ice with an ominous note did not seem so far-fetched, and notions of rich Westerners kidnapping children from developing countries to harvest them for spare parts fuels fear and hatred to this day. Ben brings his folklore knowledge to the topic and we discuss some pop culture and news stories that have to do with organ theft. We also look at some biological and medical limitations and examine how these theft legends differ from actual organ trafficking, which is a whole different can of kidneys. 

Ben and Celestia are joined by the SciBabe, Yvette d'Entremont, to discuss the scourge of MLMs (Multilevel Marketing) companies. These organizations, some of the bordering on pyramid schemes, have a long and storied history in America. Many target women, often seeming like a good option to stay-at-home mothers eager for income and independence. But the math doesn't tell such an optimistic story, nor does the trail of shamed failed distributors, online rants, and FTC prosecutions.

We begin with Ben's breakdown of the just-released documents that show FBI involvement with Bigfoot. Then Celestia examines an "uncanny" drawing of a child that didn't exist yet. Our main topic is a deep dive into Ben's real-time analysis of psychic predictions about the Holly Bobo murder. An assortment of predictions followed predictable social scripts and serve as a good example of the vast stream-of-consciousness non-information generated whenever a widely publicized crime is unsolved. 

We have several short topics this week, starting with a few news items of interest. Pascual brings us a reasoned look at 5G network coverage and how it will (and won't) impact us once mobile carriers switch over. Ben looks at one of the few "scientific" reviews of ghost EVP, and what could have improved the quality of the study. Then Celestia talks about cat folklore and a mishmosh of cat-related woo that's been peddled by well-meaning shelters who want to help get cats adopted. To round up our satchel of skepticism, Ben investigates a tangential miracle that may or may not have occurred in Fatima back in 1917 while the sun was dancing.

This episode is an on-the-road recording, with the welcome addition of an old friend. We discuss a favorite topic of Ben's, fabled creatures we Westerners know as genies and many Muslim believers call djinn. Are the original djinn really lamp-dwelling, wish-granting, half-smoke floating torsos with wicked senses of humor? Maybe a little. From parallels to demons to Aladdin to modern off-color jokes, we sample the folklore from roots to stem and hear Ben's personal experiences with those who have real fears of djinn and the harm they are reputed to cause.

This week we look at a few things going on, from Ben's recent jaunt to Puerto Rico to a new Conjuring movie to beards vs. dogs to chocolate milk and brown cows. Then we dig into our main topic, the so-called science behind the online matchmaking giant eHarmony. Some years ago Ben went through a bit of trouble to learn what he could about the science-backed effectiveness touted by the company. And from the looks of things, not much has changed since his initial queries, but we can examine the case as a good example of what to look for as red flags when discerning whether a business is seriously scientific or just sciencey enough to pass as such to a few industry journalists and marketing teams.

First Ben and Celestia talk about a disturbing modern case of false abduction rumors. Then we get into doppelgangers, a topic with (not surprisingly) multiple angles. What are the odds of randomly finding someone who looks remarkably like you, and what sort of factors increase those odds? Then we look into the darker side of doppelgangers, the harbingers of doom or even a malevolent entity bent on stealing your identity. From Percy Shelley to Jordan Peele, storytellers seem fascinated with these dastardly doubles. 

First Ben and Celestia look at a couple concoctions that have their skeptical senses buzzing this week. Then we pick three personality assessment tests from psychology's past and present, doing a deep dive into their origins, what drove their popularity, and consumer's reluctance to give them up even after serious flaws emerged. Looking at phrenology, the Rorschach test, and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a fascinating tour of how consumerism can leapfrog skepticism when it comes to a topic we all love--ourselves!

We take a long walk through a dozen or so arguments put forth by cryptid advocates, and see which ones (if any) make reasonable points. If you want a primer on how squatchers and lake-monster-hunters think, this is the episode. But beyond that, these ideas can be a jumping point into many other realms where skepticism should be applied, as we look at how eye-witness reliability, false dichotomies, cherry-picking, and other logic traps come into play. Special guests Sharon Hill and Erik Kristopher Myers.

This week we take a quick look at the Momo challenge's resurgence and surprisingly mainstream fall; then for our main segment we dive back into the strange, sketchy world of Ed & Lorraine Warren. These opportunistic and not-exactly-truthful storytellers are a big reason the modern horror genre looks the way it does. Erik Kristopher Myers joins us once more to go through some of their biggest "cases": The Demon Murder Case, Amityville, and the hauntings behind the more recent Conjuring movies. We look at what writers and other investigators who have worked with the Warrens had to say, and we examine the fallout that real-life people end up having to deal with as a result of the sensationalized tales of hauntings.

First we chat with Susan Gerbic about the recent buzz surrounding her soon-to-be published expose in the New York Times Magazine, describing the undercover stings she and Mark Edwards have pulled on several prominent psychics, cleverly showing their use of social media in hot readings. Then for our main topic we are joined by filmmaker Erik Kristopher Myers to discuss those original gangsters of ghosthunting, Ed and Lorraine Warren. In this first part (1 of 2), we talk about several of their prominent cases and discuss some background info and their modus operandi. 

This week we start with a discussion of assumptions, as Ben brings two outrage-provoking news stories that turned out to not be what was originally assumed. Then we slide through many variations of oily miraculous substances, some folkloric and some that are available from your local PTA mom: the original old-timey snake oil, early modern Europe's witch ointment, and then, more recently, essential oils, Lorenzo's oil, and CBD oil. What's the lure behind easy, supposed panaceas in the form of some kind of concentrated oil that are rumored to cure everything? Has the medical community found any of them measurably useful for any conditions? 

This week Ben and Celestia start by looking at a Newsweek headline that's been circulating again recently, implying that one-third of Americans doubt the death toll of the Holocaust. Then we devote our main segment to an important essay that has become both style guide and etiquette manual to skeptical writers and critics. Ray Hyman, one of the original founders of CSICOP, outlined eight principles to follow when engaging in "proper criticism" of paranormal claims. "Hyman's Proper Criticism," as it is known, applies more broadly to any topic, really, and becoming familiar with these eight lessons will make you a better human being.  

First, Ben brings us an interesting dustup from the BFRO involving some paranormal researcher snubbing. Then we do a deep, murky, cold-water dive into Ogopogo. This mysterious Canadian lake monster has a few incarnations, including a bloodthirsty one that demands sacrifices! We hear about Ben's hunt for the creature at Lake Okanagan, courtesy of National Geographic. Spoiler alert: he didn't find any monsters, but we learn about all the evidence and how to decipher it.

Ben, Celestia, and Pascual take a romp through a bunch of 2018's more memorable skeptical moments. From a new iteration of the Mechanical Turk to deadly rumors in India to a resurgence of Geocentrism, there's plenty to go around. We go over some of the more notable passings, and Ben lists some of his favorite episodes from the past year.

This episode deals with various aspects of kids and woo . . . First, a look at that jolly old "identified flying object" often seen on Christmas eve, Santa himself. What skeptical benefits might be lurking in the whole Santa charade? Then we examine some harm done by serious, life-threatening woo that well-meaning parents inflict upon their children as part of a family belief system, as well as the lesser forms of uncritical thinking that can seep into a child's mental environment. 

Pascual is back, and we discuss a free-roaming placenta found in the Canadian woods last week. Then we bring in award-winning filmmaker Erik Kristopher Myers to discuss one of his favorite doom-sayers, Harold Camping. What convinced so many followers that End Times were upon us back in 2011? Erik discusses Camping's similarities to a cult leader as well as his business model, both of which contributed to his surprising reach. Ben entertains us with a few other apocalyptic prophesies from earlier days, and we examine the psychology of what happens to believers and prophets alike after these predictions fail.   

First, Ben and Celestia discuss an interesting bit of fan base fakery with a surprise guest. Then we are joined by the Skeptic Zone's Richard Saunders for a conversation on Randi's Million Dollar Challenge. A longstanding offer to purported psychics and other claimants to supernatural powers, the JREF prize set the bar as the ultimate dare for purveyors of the paranormal. Now there are dozens of other offers around the world that, like the JREF money, still remain unclaimed. Richard has been on the front lines of the MDC, as well as other challenges, and he chats with us about the history of the prize as well as the goals and dangers of offering such tests to the many dowsers, aura-readers, psychic healers, and others who apply.