On a recent episode of Squaring the Strange, we start with a discussion of assumptions about media stories you may have heard. Then we move on to miracle oils and ointments, including snake oil, witch ointment, essential oils, Lorenzo's oil, and CBD oil. What's the...
Media Literacy
Co-Opting Black History Month With Conspiracy
My recent blog examines a popular meme about the "true" inspiration for the Lone Ranger, an amazing lawman named Bass Reeves. I looked into it, curious to see if it was true, but soon found myself in a rabbit hole of conspiracy theories--and examining why skeptics...
The Tragedy Of Jazmine Barnes: Phantom Serial Killers And Eyewitness Errors
My recent blog is about the tragic shooting of Jazmine Barnes days before New Years, and how mistaken eyewitnesses and mistaken assumptions led to the search for a non-existent racist serial killer in Houston.... On December 30, 2018, a seven-year-old Houston girl...
Holocaust Denial Headlines: Hatred, Ignorance, Or Innumeracy?
Last week during Holocaust Remembrance Day, many memes circulated claiming that a significant number of Americans, Canadians, and Britons are Holocaust deniers, or support white supremacy. In the wake of racial incidents such as the shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue...
Q&A About ‘Investigating Ghosts” and Writing
I recently was interviewed about my latest book, and my writing process. Here's part one of the interview: What is your elevator pitch for Investigating Ghosts: The Scientific Search for Spirits? Investigating Ghostsis an in-depth look at the scientific attempts to...
Stonehenge Assumptions
In my years of media and science literacy I’ve repeatedly encountered cases where people have failed to question their premises and simply forged ahead without bothering to make sure that the assumptions were grounded in fact. Premises often seem self-evident—and who...
Still Waiting for History Channel Clarification on Earhart…
I wonder if 2019 will be the year that the History Channel finally completes its investigation into how its much-hyped 2017 special on Amelia Earhart got the story so spectacularly wrong that a half-hour Google search debunked its crack team of experts and their bogus...
How False Reports Target Muslims And Minorities
From the archives: Skeptics and skeptical researchers routinely encounter and investigate a wide variety false reports: False reports of Bigfoot, UFOs, miracle healings, alien abductions, psychics, illnesses, and so on. I’ve personally investigated many such reports,...
My Appearance on The Supernatural Symposium (Ep #3: A Haunting)
I was recently a guest on #TheSupernaturalSymposium, Justin Brown interviewed me, psychic Tiffaney Mason and paranormal investigator Mike Ricksecker in an effort to create a panel of experienced individuals in their field of work to discuss the origins of a haunting....
Holocaust Denial Headlines: Hatred, Ignorance, Or Innumeracy?
In the wake of racial incidents such as the shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue in October 2018, it’s natural for the public and pundits to wonder just how common anti-Semitism is. Deadly attacks on Jewish houses of worship are thankfully rare, but what about...