I'm quoted in a recent piece on The Daily Beast, talking about government (sorry, gubmint) mind control conspiracies. You can read it HERE! “They’re looking for shielding materials, garments, fabrics, metals, paints, and meters for measuring, but oftentimes...
Books
Why Are People Afraid of Clowns?
I'm quoted in a new LiveScience.com piece on clown scares! "But the humor of these characters wasn't always harmless. Secure in their status as jokers, royal jesters could direct amusingly insulting potshots at even the king himself, said Ben Radford, author of "Bad...
Unco Junto: Offense by Proxy and the Moral Right to Indignation
My new CFI blog examines the issue of taking offense, and taking offense on behalf of others. I'm joined by Celestia N. Ward and Ian Harris in examining where we draw the line and why. Check it out HERE! It's no secret that (potentially) offensive things are...
‘Utne Reader’ Publishes My History of Evil Clowns
Bad Clowns, by Benjamin Radford, blends humor, investigation, and scholarship to reveal what is behind the clown’s dark smile. This book describes the history of bad clowns, why clowns go bad, and why many people fear them. Going beyond familiar clowns such as the...
My Original Sketch for “Tracking the Chupacabra”
I recently found my original idea for the cover art for my book "Tracking the Chupacabra: The Vampire Beast in Fact, Fiction, and Folklore." I wanted something interesting and evocative, and my publisher UNM Press did a great job on it. Below is my original sketch,...
My Work Cited in Research Paper on Human Error in Nuclear Accidents
I got a Google Scholar alert telling me that my work has been cited in a research paper titled "Human Error: Crucial Failure in Nuclear Accidents." As an undergraduate in UNM's General Honors program, I wrote an award-winning essay analyzing the role of human error in...
Meeting Sci-Fi Legend Ben Bova at Bubonicon
I was a guest last month at New Mexico's premiere science fiction and fantasy convention, Bubonicon. I gave a talk titled Contacting the Dead: Séances From the Victorian Era To Modern Times, described below Though TV shows like Ghost Hunters have raised the profile of...
Phantom Clown Reports: Real or Rumor?
Creepy clowns have recently been reported in Greenville, S.C., allegedly luring children into the woods behind a block of apartments. It's scary and alarming -- but whether they're real is another matter. Most of the handful of reports are from children, though a few...
Nice Review of “Bad Clowns” in the Times Literary Supplement
My book "Bad Clowns" got a nice review in the "Times Literary Supplement"! You can find more on me and my work with a search for "Benjamin Radford" (not "Ben Radford") on Vimeo.
Excerpt From My Upcoming Book on Ghost Investigation
An excerpt from my upcoming book on ghost investigation: "The quantity and variety of alleged spirit images has exploded over the years, but the quality of the evidence remains as disappointingly ambiguous as ever. Some are shadowy, human-like figures; others are...