Hey folks! After co-founding and co-hosting the Parsec-winning "MonsterTalk" podcast, I'm returning with co-host Pascual Romero for "Squaring the Strange." The show brings evidence-based analysis and commentary to a wide variety of topics, ranging from the paranormal...
Psychology
My Work Included in ‘Abnormal Psychology’ Text
My work has been included in the new edition of a university textbook on Abnormal Psychology. (No, I'm not a case study.) Cool! You can find more on me and my work with a search for "Benjamin Radford" (not "Ben Radford") on Vimeo.
A Lesson in Stereotypes… Or Something?
"This photo of Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg has one convicted felon; if you immediately assumed it was Stewart, you should think again!" This meme is a wonderful lesson in prejudice and stereotypes--or at least it would be if they weren't both convicted felons......
Cancer Survivor/Activist’s Claims Questioned
An inspirational cancer survivor widely honored (and featured in Beyoncé's "Lemonade" video) turns out to have made up or changed important parts of her past. Now many of her supporters are feeling betrayed, accusing her of theft, faking illness, and worse. It's a...
From the Archives: An Article I Wrote on Crop Circles
A mysterious 310-foot-diameter crop circle that appeared in a farmer's barley field in Chualar, Calif., as 2013 ended puzzled the public for more than a week. Echoing the sentiments of many, the field's owner told CNN, "To be that intricate in design, it kind of...
Interviewed by VICE Media on my ‘Pokemon Panic’ Investigation
I was recently interviewed by Vice media about my investigation into the 1997 Pokemon Seizure case. I think the girl who got me a latte at my favorite coffee shop wasn't even born when I solved that mystery... You can find more on me and my work with a search for...
How Trump Uses Conspiracy Theories
While there are many factors in Trump’s rise, one of the most bizarre is his use of conspiracies. Whether the topic is voter fraud, Obama wiretapping Trump Towers, or anti-vaccination arguments, no modern politician has so successfully and routinely employed...
How False Reports Target Muslims and Minorities
My recent blog on how a faked abduction may have contributed to the mosque shooting in Quebec, and why false crime reports often target minorities... Skeptics and skeptical researchers routinely encounter and investigate a wide variety false reports: False...
Fortean Times Correction on My Book ‘Bad Clowns’
A nice correction/acknowledgement from Fortean Times magazine for having quoted from my Bad Clowns book without attribution. Classy, and appreciated!
My Research Quoted in “Witchcraft as a Social Diagnosis”
I got a Google Scholar alerting me that my research on African witchcraft and superstition belief is cited in a new academic book, "Witchcraft as a Social Diagnosis." Glad my work is helping to bring attention to the dangers and injustice of modern-day witch hunts!