Why would someone purposely set himself on fire? It happened earlier this week in Colorado. My new article on the reasons for self-immolation is now out, you can read it HERE.
Mass Hysteria
Lessons From The Central Park Five: The Tragedy of False Accusations
Ken Burns's recent documentary The Central Park Five tells the story of five Black and Latino teenagers arrested in 1989 for the brutal rape and assault of a white jogger in New York's Central Park. The teens were widely portrayed in the press as part of a "wolf pack"...
Radio Show Appearance: Edge of the Unknown Radio Show
Last month I appeared on the Edge of the Unknown Radio on the All 1 Broadcast Network, and talked about a wide variety of weird and non-weird things. It was a fun show, and you can listen to it HERE.
Top Myths Busted in 2013: Discovery News
My Discovery News article on the top myths busted this past year is now up! This past year was a strange one, with a variety of popular beliefs being busted. Some were welcome news: Other myths left a funk like a fart-filled balloon when they burst.... You can read it...
Skeptical Cinema: ‘Bug’ and folie a deux
The first installment of my occasional series of columns on "Skeptical Cinema" is now up, featuring a horror film by the great William Friedkin... You can read it HERE.
Who’s Afraid of Bloody Mary?
I wrote this for Halloween, but it's a classic urban legend year-round: The history and mystery of Bloody Mary! You can read my Discovery News piece on it HERE.
The ‘Eyeball Licking’ Fad and other Media Scares
A “weird news” story circulated in June about a trend among Japanese schoolchildren licking each other’s eyeballs and supposedly spreading the highly contagious disease pink eye. But was it too good to be true? Find out HERE.
How I Covered the Bangladesh Toilet Ghost Hysteria Story
I'm sometimes asked for insight into how my articles and columns come about, what the process is for assembling them. HERE's one recent example....
New Review of ‘The Martians Have Landed: A History of Media-Driven Panics & Hoaxes’
Sharon Hill of Doubtful News reviews my latest book (with Robert Bartholomew), The Martians Have Landed, for eSkeptic! You can read it HERE.
My article on Fatima Miracles and Virgin Mary Sightings
The story of a famous miracle in Fátima, Portugal, began in May 1917, when three children claimed to have encountered the Virgin Mary on their way home from tending a flock of sheep. The oldest girl, Lucia, was the only one to speak to her, and Mary told the children...