Recent news reports claimed that most people intentionally disrespect transgendered individuals by calling them by something other than their preferred gender pronoun. For example one piece began: “Three in five people internationally report that they would...
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Squaring the Strange Ep. 89: Some Sketchy Psychological Tests
On the new episode of Squaring the Strange, Celestia and I pick three personality assessment tests from psychology's past and present, doing a deep dive into their origins, what drove their popularity, and consumer's reluctance to give them up even after serious flaws...
‘Why Aren’t ‘They’ Calling it ‘Terrorism’?
I'm seeing a lot of confusion on social media about definitions of "terrorism" and why certain people/groups are/are not labeled "terrorists." Simplistic memes aside, the topic is a bit nuanced but worth understanding. I wrote about it last year, for those who'd like...
The ‘Catnip Cocktail’ Panic
There’s a new drug panic in town, and it’s not crack or opioids. It’s catnip. Well, it’s called “Catnip Cocktail,” and it actually contains no catnip. It contains a non-FDA-approved blend of a variety of chemicals including caffeine and something called 1,4-BD,...
Quoted in ‘Rolling Stone’ on… ‘Catnip Cocktail’ Drug Panic!
There's a new drug craze going around, called Catnip Cocktail, allegedly the latest thing since jenkem and "bath salts." In fact I was recently interviewed by "Rolling Stone" magazine about it; you can read it HERE. You can find more on me and my work with a search...
New Skeptical Inquiree Column: ‘Bailing In the Mummies’
In the new issue of Skeptical Inquirer magazine I investigate the legend that Egyptian mummies were used as fuel in locomotives, with an illustration by Celestia Ward! Q: Today I heard a speaker repeat the story that mummies were used as fuel in British trains. I...
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...
Adventures in Poor Taste Reviews ‘Investigating Ghosts’
A nice review of my book "Investigating Ghosts: The Scientific Search for Spirits" (now available on audiobook by the way) is now out, by Marcus Seda, and can be read on "Adventures in Poor Taste"! Ghost and paranormal investigations were considered a “mainstream...
The Prodigy: A Skeptical Film Review
The new horror film The Prodigy is about an evil child, and therefore follows a fairly predictable formula. The kid starts as a bundle of joy, then bad things happen but no one wants to believe the child did them, then the terror escalates as a parent or...
Interview with Celestia Ward: ‘Squaring the Skeptic with Celestia Ward’ (Part 1)
Rob Palmer, aka "The Well-Known Skeptic" recently interviewed my Squaring the Strange co-host Celestia Ward for a Special Article on the CSICOP Website. Here's the intro: In May 2018, Susan Gerbic published an article about her trip to New Mexico to speak about...