by Admin | Aug 29, 2020 | Benjamin Radford, Chupacabra, Conspiracy theories, Cryptozoology, Investigation, Skepticism, Squaring the Strange, Squaring the Strange
New episode of Squaring the Strange! This month is the 25th anniversary of the emergence of our favorite beastie, the chupacabra! We discuss the past, present, and future of this little vampiric critter . . . as well as disappearing mailboxes and what the...
by Admin | Aug 27, 2020 | Bad Clowns, Benjamin Radford, Folklore, Media Appearances, News, Urban legends
Hey everyone! On September 5 I’ll be giving a live presentation on Phantom Clown Panics for Mark Norman and his delightful Folklore Podcast. It’s at 8 PM–if you’re in London, otherwise it’s early afternoon in the States. Cost is a...
by Admin | Aug 18, 2020 | Benjamin Radford, Folklore, Investigation, Media Literacy, Psychology, Skepticism
Across America—and indeed across the world—curious designs are appearing on the landscape. The patterns have spread from back yards to churches, public parks, and even medical centers. Thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of people have created and used the...
by Admin | Aug 15, 2020 | Benjamin Radford, Conspiracy theories, Folklore, Media Literacy, Skepticism, Urban legends
For those who didn’t see my previous posts on so-called “cover parties,” here’s an overview: Recent rumors and news reports have circulated claiming that COVID-19 is being spread intentionally in clandestine “covid parties.” In...
by Admin | Aug 10, 2020 | Benjamin Radford, Conspiracy theories, Folklore, Hoaxes, Media Literacy, Skepticism, Squaring the Strange, Squaring the Strange
A folklore colleague sent me a news story about the sinister-yet-fictional Blue Whale Game rumor, which is once again circulating after I and others debunked it back in 2017… I’m not going to link to it, to avoid rewarding poor journalism with clicks, but...
