I and three other experts including Susan Gerbic are extensively quoted in a new story about internet hoaxes: "In today’s fast-paced news culture, misinformation and disinformation are spread with a click, often before authenticity and credibility are verified....
Psychology
Psychic “Sorcerer” Condemned to Death
From the Radford Files archives: Ali Sabat was condemned to die in early April. Sabat, the Lebanese host of a popular TV show, for years gave his viewers psychic advice and predictions. This may cost him his life. Many people around the world claim to foretell...
Losing Weight With the Placebo Effect?
From the Radford Files archives: There’s an interesting new twist in the quest to lose weight: fake gastric banding surgery. These patients want the benefit of the surgery—in which a band is placed around the stomach to prevent overeating—but don’t want...
Vatican Investigates Virgin Mary Miracle
From the Radford Files archives: In March, the Vatican began an investigation into miracles and appearances of the Virgin Mary at the famous Medjugorje shrine in Bosnia. According to an Associated Press report, “An international commission of inquiry headed by...
Obama the Muslim Antichrist?
From the Radford Files archives: A recent poll by Harris interactive found that 14 percent of Americans suspect that President Barack Obama may be the Antichrist. Nearly a quarter of Republicans, and 16 percent of Democrats, responded this way. Forty percent...
Reality Check: Is America ‘Numb’ to Mass Shootings?
In the wake of a shooting at Oregon’s Umpqua Community College that left at least ten people dead, last week President Obama held a press conference in which he stated that “Somehow, this has become routine. The reporting is routine. My response here at this podium...
Stonehenge Myths and Conspiracies
With the news last month about the discovery of a “super-Stonehenge” circling one of the world’s most famous monuments, attention has once again focused on the Wiltshire marvel. There are thousands of ancient stone circles across Europe, of which Stonehenge is...
Conspiracy-Riddled Jade Helm Operation Ends
The conspiracy-ridden Jade Helm 15 operation that conspiracy theorists said was preparation for Obama's establishing a New World Order ended this week with no guns being taken and, really, nothing happening. Here's my article for Discovery News on the topic, and why...
A Cross-Cultural Note about Possession and Exoricism
In a recent interview about exorcism and spiritual possession I had to keep reminding the interviewer that in many cases possession is a welcome experience done under the supervision of a witch doctor or houngan (in the case of voodoo). When Americans think of...
Paranormal Kool-Aid Interview: What’s the Harm in Magical Thinking?
I was interviewed on the harm in magical thinking, including discussing my research into muti murders in Africa, in which albinos have been persecuted, attacked, and murdered because of the belief that their body parts are magical. It’s a topic I’ve written about and...