False abuse claims are, sadly, being used to settle grudges: "The partner of Vanessa Wilson, the former Aurora, Colorado police chief, was charged with filing a fabricated child sex abuse report. Robin Niceta anonymously called Arapahoe County social services on Jan....
Media Literacy
Guest on ‘New Mexico Living’ for ‘America the Fearful’
For those who didn't see it: I was a recent guest on 'New Mexico Living', talking about my new book 'America the Fearful: Media and the Marketing of National Panics.' You can watch the short interview HERE!
Squaring the Strange # 178: You Don’t Know Jack (alopes)! Michael Branch and the Art of the Hoax
For the recent episode of Squaring the Strange we are joined by Professor Michael Branch, who has just released his new book On the Trail of the Jackalope. What began as an idea for a taxidermy correspondence course 90 years ago has blossomed into a cultural...
Parsing America’s Ubiquitous Referenda
In the wake of the recent verdict in the dueling defamation lawsuits between actors Amber Heard and Johnny Depp, there was of course much punditry, commentary, and crystal gazing. It was seen not merely as an outcome of one trial between two often-toxic celebrities...
Guest on ‘New Mexico Living’ Talking on ‘America the Fearful’
I'm a guest on 'New Mexico Living', talking about my new book America the Fearful: Media and the Marketing of National Panics. You can watch the short interview HERE!
Squaring the Strange #173: Alien Implants!
For those who missed it, on the episode of Squaring the Strange we discuss implants--of the alien kind! Advanced tracking technology? Splinters? Or something more sinister? Check it out!
What’s ‘Problematic,’ When, and Why
In my previous blog I discussed the (real and performative) outrage over Will Smith attacking Chris Rock at the Oscars, and the curious lack of outrage over co-host Amy Schumer’s long history of (alleged) racism. From racist jokes to behavior,...
Investigating the ‘Stonehenge Surprise’ Crop Circle
The new issue of Skeptical Inquirer magazine features my investigation into the amazing crop circle that appeared near Stonehenge in 1996. It's unique in its complexity and that it's said to have been created in under an hour during daytime. I offer a different...
TV Shoot Sneak Preview
I can't reveal any details but I was recently in a secret Los Angeles location filming a popular TV show. More later! I feel like I'm being watched...
‘Science Friction’ Documentary Now Out!
The long-awaited documentary SCIENCE FRICTION, which is pretty good despite my involvement, is now available on Prime Video! It's about how scientists are deceptively edited on TV, and available now on Amazon Prime and Tubi, find it at...