There are many scientific and skeptical objections to astrology, including the fact that the constellations have shifted since astrology was devised, that many real-world tests have failed to find statistically meaningful patterns in the lives of people born under...
Skepticism
Squaring the Strange: (Real) Diseases and (Fake) Diplomas
The new episode of Squaring the Strange is out! First we talk with Dr. Hans House about infectious diseases (flu, ebola, measles, etc.), as well as how to deal with vaccine deniers. Then we're joined by Kenny Biddle to talk about faked credentials, and I...
Quoted in New Article on Ghost Hunting
I'm quoted in a new article on ghost investigation and different psychological explanations for ghostly experiences. Here's an excerpt: Despite decades of testing, there is no scientific proof of the existence of ghosts. Part of that is because no one can agree...
Peal To Panic: Analysis Of A False Abduction Rumor
How a fictional missing girl led to a massive police search that terrified a community. My recent article takes a closer look at a recent child abduction rumor and panic in England... A mother recently claimed in a Facebook post that an eight-year-old girl had...
Squaring the Strange: Bigfoot Conferences and Butt Prints
For those who didn't see it, a recent episode of Squaring the Strange featured special guest Matt Crowley and I talk about our experience at Bigfoot conferences, the rise and fall of "Bigfoot's Butt Print" evidence, and why Matt decided that the credibility of...
Squaring the Strange episode ‘Sin Numero’: Social Media Fallacies
Squaring the Strange time! This started off as a little bonus mini-episode where we have a little roundtable about some frustrating patterns of thought we have spotted on social media and other types of public discourse; some have actual fallacy names, some don't...
The Trump ‘Distraction’ Quasi-Conspiracy
One common claim about Donald Trump is that he often says and does things not only for effect, but with the specific goal of distracting the public and news media from something else he wants to keep hidden. The claims have circulated for years, especially on social...
Squaring the Strange #99: Movie Curses!
Squaring the Strange time! Join us for a deep dive into some popular movies of the past few decades and their associated curses . . . some that are due to genuinely tragic or strangely coincidental circumstances, others that have been a bit cultivated by those wishing...
A Note from Martin Gardner
In the process of much-needed paperwork sorting I found a note from the brilliant and beloved Martin Gardner kindly offering a blurb for one of my books. I was his editor for years but only met him once; we got his typed, hand-corrected columns in the mail. It was...
Squaring the Strange: The Chase Vault Mystery
Squaring the Strange is out! This episode is a walk-through of my investigation into the facts, theories, and folklore of a mysterious burial vault on Barbados. Due to strange natural phenomenon, ghosts, or a curse, the dead are said to not be able to rest within its...