If you’re reading this, the world didn’t end at the beginning of this infamous year. 2012 is a date shrouded in mystery, controversy and—some say—doooom. Here's a primer on the whole 2012 issue and its connection to the Mayan calendar, from the Weekly Alibi. You can...
Folklore
Discovery News: Unexplained Mysteries of 2011 and 2012
As we head inexorably toward 2012, I wrote a piece for Discovery News looking back at some of the strangest mysteries of this past year, and some of the mysteries that remain with us as we enter the new year. What's behind, and what's ahead? You can read the story...
My Interview on The Bigfoot Forums
I was recently interviewed for the Bigfoot Forums, one of the main online forums for all things Bigfoot. I discuss a wide range of issues related to the investigation of Bigfoot. You can read it HERE.
Demonstrating the “Power Bands” Fraud
At the CSICON conference recently, my colleague Richard Saunders gave a presentation on his investigation of the "Power Bands" scam. He asked my assistance on the stage to demonstrate how the supposed methods by which the bands show their efficacy are merely simple...
Salon.com References My Work on Sex Offender Panic
In a Halloween article on Salon.com, writer Tracy Clark-Florey wrote a very good piece on the panic over sex offenders at Halloween (coincidentally, the subject of Chapter 29 in my new book The Martians Have Landed!). In it she referenced some of my work on the topic;...
My New Book ‘The Martians Have Landed!’ Now Released
I'm pleased to announce that my sixth book, The Martians Have Landed! A History of Media-Driven Panics and Hoaxes, is now available. The book is co-authored with sociologist Robert Bartholomew (who also co-authored my first book back in 2003, Hoaxes Myths, and Manias:...
World To End Tomorrow (Again)
Harold Camping, the leader of the ministry Family Radio Worldwide, who concluded after careful study of the Bible that the world would end (or begin to end) on May 21, 2011, says the world will end in the next few days... While End Times believers scour the Bible for...
European ‘Wild Child’ Mystery Grows
Last month a teenager walked into the City Hall in Berlin, Germany, and told office workers, "I'm all alone in the world, I don't know who I am. Please help me.” Those words launched an international investigation and mystery that continues to this day.... Read the...
Catch My “Folklore of the Chupacabra” Presentation Online 10/14
In case people are interested, my presentation at the American Folklore Society on Friday Oct. 14 will be available to the public. A number of sessions, including all the plenary addresses and my presentation “Folklore of the Chupacabra,” part of the “Fairy Animals,...
Did UFOs Visit the Mayans?
According to film producer Raul Julia-Levy, extraterrestrials contacted the Mayan civilization in Mexico thousands of years ago — and he claims he'll prove it in an upcoming film, "Revelations of the Mayans 2012 and Beyond." Unproven claims of ancient astronauts in...