Late-night talk shows are better known for topical comedy and celebrities plugging their new movie or CD than they are for science education. However, talk show host Jimmy Kimmel of ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” recently gave the pro-science, pro-vaccination effort a...
Media Literacy
Montel Williams-Promoted Payday Loan Company Busted for Illegal Trade
Perpetual fraud promoter and talk show shill Montel Williams in trouble as celebrity endorser of MoneyMutual after the company was found guilty of providing illegal sky-high payday loans that exploited poor New Yorkers. Too bad his psychic friend and convicted felon...
Did a Guardian Angel Help Save a ‘Miracle Baby’?
Utah police who rescued a "miracle baby" from a car in a river last weekend claim that a mysterious voice called to them. Many are suggesting it was a guardian angel, but in my new piece for Discovery News I offer another explanation, you can read it HERE.
Brian Williams and the Psychology of False Memory
Last month NBC News anchor Brian Williams was suspended for six months for fabricating or exaggerating an event that happened during the Iraq war. Was it all a lie, or an honest mistake? HERE's a look at the issue of false memories.
The Toronto Star Lambasted for Anti-Vaccination Article
Last month the respected Toronto Star published a prominent and alarmist piece questioning the safety of the HPV vaccine Gardasil, which can help prevent cancer in girls. It didn't sit well with scientists, as my article for Discovery News notes; you can read it...
Eating Disorder Misinformation in the PBS series ‘Nova’
The respected PBS television series "Nova" has won multiple Peabody and Emmy awards. So how did it manage to so badly bungle an episode on anorexia, spreading myths and misinformation about the dangerous disease? Here's a piece of investigative journalism I did,...
‘Witchcraft’ Used to Fight Sex Trafficking in Africa
My article for Discovery News on how the U.K. is using belief in black magic to stem sex trafficking in Africa is now up! I hope you find it as interesting as I do... It's good to see this sort of bottom-up culture-specific effort to end this scourge. You can read it...
New Skeptical Inquiree column: “The Skepticism of Clara Peller”
In the next issue of Skeptical Inquirer I name one of the most under-appreciated or unrecognized skeptics of the past few decades... There were many I could go with, but I thought I'd choose a woman who popularized one of the best-known skeptical quotes in history:...
Anna Maltese Debunks “Ace Archer” Lars Andersen
There's a recent and brilliant skeptical debunking by Anna Maltese and John Rael of claims made by Danish "extreme archer" Lars Andersen... Check it out HERE.
The Boy Who Faked Going to Heaven
A new article quoted my Discovery News story and analysis of the boy who claimed he went to heaven, then admitted he didn't... you can read it HERE.