What’s new? This whole website is new! The talented Claus Larsen has redesigned and updated the site, so poke around and check out all the information offered herein. You’ll find tips on scientific ghost hunting, a guide to identifying chupacabras, links to dozens of...
News
Revisiting Period Tracking App Fears
In the wake of the leaked Supreme Court draft decision suggesting that Roe v. Wade is imperiled, many took to social media encouraging women to delete apps that help them track their menstrual cycles. Countless messages and memes circulated on social media telling...
‘Primum Non Nocere’ in Skepticism
About two years ago, around the start of the COVID pandemic, I was looking at a friend’s Facebook page answering her question about how best to protect herself. At the time, masking was just coming to the fore but social distancing was advised and hand sanitizers were...
Bob Bartholomew on a Phantom Cat Killer in New Zealand
Interesting article in Psychology Today by my colleague and co-author Bob Bartholomew, about the strange case of a phantom cat killer in New Zealand... One feature of human psychology is that people tend to see what they expect to see. As meaning-oriented...
America the Fearful: Parsing America’s Ubiquitous Referenda
In the wake of the July 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 but...
False Abuse Claims Used in Politics
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....
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!
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 as Lab Mice!
A lovely 5th anniversary podcast gift from Celestia Ward of the Squaring the Strange crew by the ridiculously talented Lar de Souza!