The latest health fad making the rounds is something called “oil pulling,” an ancient Indian practice in which people cleanse their mouths (and bodies) of toxins by swishing a vegetable oil (such as olive, coconut, or sunflower) in the mouth for 20 minutes and then...
Folklore
My Piece on Missing Flight 370 on Yahoo News!
As officials from several countries, and dozens of planes and boats, scour the South China Sea and the Bay of Bengal for the mysteriously missing China-bound Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 with 239 people aboard, some people are wondering if there might be some...
A Look at the Psychology of Astral Projection
I recently got the following email with the subject line, "Question of Astral Projection of Non-Believer." Due to my workload and the volume of e-mails I get I often can't address everyone who contacts me, but when possible I try to give a personal response,...
I’m Quoted in Kansas City Star on Death by Sunburst!
A huge solar flare belched a cloud of charged particles into Earth’s path. But other than frying telegraph lines, the electromagnetic collision caused little stir in the world. But how real is the danger of another massive sunburst? I add my two cents in this story,...
Should Organ Sales Be Legal?
In some countries selling one's organs is perfectly legal. In the United States, it is against the law, although many people have suggested that legalizing the trade would save lives and offer real social benefits. Others find it an ethically dubious proposition. You...
Great Pyramid at Giza Vandalized to ‘Prove’ Conspiracy Theory
My new article on two conspiracy theorists who vandalized an Egyptian pyramid, with a closer look at their nonsensical claims: "Suggesting that people from Plato's Atlantis built the pyramids is like saying people from Tolkien's Middle Earth built the pyramids, or...
My Loch Ness Monster Research Quoted in ‘USA Today’
My Loch Ness monster piece last week caused quite a stir, and I was even quoted in USA Today; you can read it HERE.
Synchronicity and “Meaningful Coincidences”
For those who didn't see it, my new column on synchronicity and finding hidden meanings in coincidence, is now up! And it's my first published use of the phrase "avian banshee"! You can read it HERE.
My article on the Loch Ness Monster, on NBC News!
It seems that the Loch Ness Monster(s) haven't been seen since 2012. Here's why this spells real trouble for Nessie(s)--assuming, of course, they exist... You can read the piece HERE.
Elves (Yes, Elves) Part of Road-Building Protest in Iceland
Over the past few months, dozens of environmentalists in Iceland have staged a high-profile protest against a road scheduled to cut through an area of volcanic rock on the Álftanes peninsula, not far from the capital of Reykjavik. It is only one of countless...