Earlier this year a West Virginia mother called 911 to report that an Arab man tried to abduct her five-year-old daughter at a mall. Police and mall security arrested the man (an engineer from Egypt who spoke little English), but surveillance footage showed no...
Investigation
Rumors of Halloween THC Candy Threats
I'm quoted in a new Rolling Stone article on rumors of THC-laden candy threats this Halloween... You can read it HERE.
Why Old News is Often Fake News
We’ve all seen it on social media, especially Facebook. Some friend, or “friend,” or friend of a “friend,” posts a news story. Because it’s social media, the story is often selected (by human nature and algorithms) for its outrage factor. Amid the kitten videos and...
Joining Josh Gates For Chupacabra Research on ‘Expedition Unknown’
I was recently on “Expedition Unknown" with Josh Gates on the Discovery Channel, talking about my chupacabra research in Puerto Rico. Watch for dead fowl, vampire legends, and roaches! You can find it HERE! You can find more on me and my work with a search for...
Astrology and Racism
There are many scientific and skeptical objections to astrology, including the fact that the constellations have shifted since astrology was devised, that many real-world tests have failed to find statistically meaningful patterns in the lives of people born under...
‘A Study in Fear’ Hits London Theaters Soon!
There's a play being produced in London next month based (in some small part) on my book Investigating Ghosts! It's titled "A Study in Fear" and you...
Squaring the Strange: (Real) Diseases and (Fake) Diplomas
The new episode of Squaring the Strange is out! First we talk with Dr. Hans House about infectious diseases (flu, ebola, measles, etc.), as well as how to deal with vaccine deniers. Then we're joined by Kenny Biddle to talk about faked credentials, and I...
Peal To Panic: Analysis Of A False Abduction Rumor
How a fictional missing girl led to a massive police search that terrified a community. My recent article takes a closer look at a recent child abduction rumor and panic in England... A mother recently claimed in a Facebook post that an eight-year-old girl had...
Squaring the Strange: Bigfoot Conferences and Butt Prints
For those who didn't see it, a recent episode of Squaring the Strange featured special guest Matt Crowley and I talk about our experience at Bigfoot conferences, the rise and fall of "Bigfoot's Butt Print" evidence, and why Matt decided that the credibility of...
The Trump ‘Distraction’ Quasi-Conspiracy
One common claim about Donald Trump is that he often says and does things not only for effect, but with the specific goal of distracting the public and news media from something else he wants to keep hidden. The claims have circulated for years, especially on social...