I saw this meme recently, it’s a Cuban art project about exploited children. However one of the photos, bottom left, is based on an urban legend. The artist is trying to raise awareness of child organ trafficking, but it doesn’t actually happen. I’ve researched,...
Investigation
Squaring the Strange Archives: The Miracle Staircase
In the latest in a series highlighting past episodes and archives of Squaring the Strange, here's a look back at a show you might have missed... While Pascual recovers, Ben and Celestia discuss outrage over the hypothetical new product “Lady Doritos.” Then we go over...
Squaring the Strange Ep. 88: Bad Cryptozoology Arguments
On Squaring the Strange: Bad Cryptozoological Arguments! There's a lot of fertile ground here that can be tilled in the name of learning how to spot bad arguments in other walks of life. Let's look at how squatchers and lake-monster enthusiasts back up their claims...
Eleanor Sidgwick, the Original Badass Female Ghostbuster
Long before TV ghost-hunting dudebros terrified of their own shadows, there was Eleanor Sidgwick, the original badass female ghostbuster. My article for Discovery News (now Seeker) on her is here! You can find more on me and my work with a search for "Benjamin...
‘Why Aren’t ‘They’ Calling it ‘Terrorism’?
I'm seeing a lot of confusion on social media about definitions of "terrorism" and why certain people/groups are/are not labeled "terrorists." Simplistic memes aside, the topic is a bit nuanced but worth understanding. I wrote about it last year, for those who'd like...
The ‘Catnip Cocktail’ Panic
There’s a new drug panic in town, and it’s not crack or opioids. It’s catnip. Well, it’s called “Catnip Cocktail,” and it actually contains no catnip. It contains a non-FDA-approved blend of a variety of chemicals including caffeine and something called 1,4-BD,...
Quoted in ‘Rolling Stone’ on… ‘Catnip Cocktail’ Drug Panic!
There's a new drug craze going around, called Catnip Cocktail, allegedly the latest thing since jenkem and "bath salts." In fact I was recently interviewed by "Rolling Stone" magazine about it; you can read it HERE. You can find more on me and my work with a search...
Review of ‘Investigating Ghosts’ in the new issue of Skeptic magazine
Thanks to Daniel Loxton for his thorough, well-written, and fair review of my award-winning book "Investigating Ghosts" in the new issue (23)4 of Skeptic magazine! If you're interested in checking out my book, it's available on Amazon.com and elsewhere, including in...
‘Hyman’s Proper Criticism’- Squaring the Strange #84
This week on our show Squaring the Strange, we start by looking at a Newsweek headline that's been circulating again recently, implying that one-third of Americans doubt the death toll of the Holocaust. Then we devote our main segment to an important essay that has...
‘Edge of the Rabbit Hole’ Show: Skeptical Ghost Hunting
I was recently a guest on 'Edge of the Rabbit Hole' show, talking with Mike Ricksecker and Shana Wankel about ghost investigations. A fun and respectful discussion, check it out! You can watch the episode HERE. You can find more on me and my work with a search for...