I recently gave a talk on Conspiracies 101: "Benjamin Radford discusses conspiracy theories, including the psychology of conspiracies, types of conspiracies, the history of conspiracy theories, and much more." You can watch it HERE.
Skepticism
Guest on The Paracast Show!
I was recently a guest on the Paracast paranormal radio, talking about skepticism, some of my best-known investigations, and having a fun, respectful exchange with "believer" co-hosts Gene and Randall. Check it out HERE!
Squaring the Strange # 124: Antifa as Emergent Panic
In the new episode of Squaring the Strange, we take a look at Antifa this week, or rather--we take a look at HOW people are LOOKING at Antifa. Are we witnessing the birth of a modern social panic? How is Antifa used for political and social purposes? What are the...
Squaring the Strange #122: Plant Folklore
If you need a break from the cornucopia of bad news, check out Squaring the Strange!. We chat about the passing of a physicist who explored popular sports illusions, and attempting to get answers from the "Plandemic" filmmaker. Then we cover a veritable salad of flora...
‘Extra Ordinary’: Fantastic Phantasm Fun
Extra Ordinary, a gloriously amusing Irish romantic comedy about the supernatural, begins with the obligatory, winking tagline “Based on a true story.” The ghost hunting genre is both ripe for satire and difficult to satirize effectively because it’s so self-evidently...
Where Racism, Anti-Vaccination, And COVID-19 Conspiracy Meet
The twin plagues of COVID-19 and racism have come to the fore globally over the past few months, and as with any such afflictions there’s a social desire to scapegoat, finding someone (or some group) to blame. Parallels between the pandemic and racism are not hard to...
Squaring the Strange # 123: Truth and Myths of Snuff Films
In the new episode of Squaring the Strange, we are joined by filmmaker and encyclopedia of weird film knowledge Erik Kristopher Myers. The notion of a "snuff film" is a strange convergence of conspiracy thinking, urban legend, moral panic, and actual film trivia,...
Squaring the Strange #121: Noah Nez, Native Skeptic
We talk "Murder Hornets" with invasive species expert Heidi Noora McMaster, then Noah Nez, who blogs as the Native Skeptic, brings a variety of Native American themes: crown dancers and clown / trickster figures, the noble savage trope and the myth of native...
‘Plandemic’ Asks Questions—But Won’t Answer Them
Last month, a YouTube video for an (apparently) upcoming documentary titled Plandemic was released by Mikki Willis (credited onscreen as “father/filmaker” [sic]). The video features a lengthy interview with virologist Judy Mikovits, who offers scattershot...
“I Don’t Like Your Maple!” (?)Questioning a Viral Outrage Meme
Saw this circulating, and I’m a bit skeptical.... I read “I don't like your maple” but I guess “mask” is possible. It seems to end with an ‘e’ and there may be an ‘i’ in there somewhere. If it was accompanied by a quote that would help. If it does say “mask,”...