A dowser I was testing once proudly noted (partway through the trials) that so far he had successfully found water at a significantly higher rate than would be expected by random chance (20% instead of 5%). I pointed out that performing better than random chance was a...
Research
Reply to a Theory of Everything
About three or four times each year I get an e-mail (or, more rarely, a phone call or handwritten letter in block writing) from someone who wants me to read and carefully evaluate their amazing manifesto, usually involving some quasi-mystical "scientific" theory...
Lauded in ‘New York Times Magazine’ for My Research
I'm mentioned, flatteringly, in a recent "New York Times Magazine" for an investigation and article I wrote. You can read it HERE. "But when it investigates the paranormal, Fortean Times brings painstaking research and analysis to bear on topics that most sensible...
“Bad Clowns” on Wikipedia!
Looks like my new book "Bad Clowns" even made it to the Wikipedia page on clowns. Very cool! If you haven't read it yet, there's still a few copies left at your local independent bookstore, or at Amazon.com! You can find more on me and my...
Sharon Hill’s Blog: A Skeptic Explores the Extraordinary
Here's an insightful piece by Sharon Hill from 2014 about attending a paranormal-themed conference; it mirrors my own experiences in many ways. You can read it HERE. You can find more on me and my work with a search for "Benjamin Radford" (not "Ben Radford") on Vimeo.
Yahoo’s Algorithm Fail
WTF, Yahoo? People who search for me also search for... Hitler, Bill Clinton, Orson Welles, Edward Herrmann and Joseph Stalin? I hope this is some sort of algorithm fail... You can find more on me and my work with a search for "Benjamin Radford" (not "Ben...
Blood Donation Rumors Circulate Following Tragedy
It turns out that the widely-shared claims that gays couldn't donate badly-needed blood for victims of the Orlando shootings was wrong, on at least two key points. Rumors and misinformation always circulate soon after tragedies, and it's unfortunate. People need...
Interview in ‘Santa Fe New Mexican’ on Bad Clowns
From Steve Terrell at The Santa Fe New Mexican: He’s written factual studies about the mythical chupacabra, about spooky New Mexico folklore like the tales of La Llorona, of monsters who live in lakes. But in his latest book, New Mexico author Benjamin Radford turns...
Solving a Ghost Photo Mystery- Queen Isabella, Is that You?
For those who didn't see it last month, I'm quoted in a news article explaining a new viral "ghost photo," supposedly of Queen Isabella in a castle... You can read it HERE. Ghost hunters at a 12th-century English castle snapped a photo of a milky white image of...
A Look at Friday the 13th and Superstitions
This past Friday the 13th, and I was once again interviewed on the subject of superstitions, magical thinking, and luck lore. I appeared on 770 AM in Calgary on the Rob Breakenridge show. You can listen at the link HERE, where I discuss the psychological value of...