This week on our show Squaring the Strange, we start by looking at a Newsweek headline that's been circulating again recently, implying that one-third of Americans doubt the death toll of the Holocaust. Then we devote our main segment to an important essay that has...
Skepticism
New Skeptical Inquiree Column: ‘Bailing In the Mummies’
In the new issue of Skeptical Inquirer magazine I investigate the legend that Egyptian mummies were used as fuel in locomotives, with an illustration by Celestia Ward! Q: Today I heard a speaker repeat the story that mummies were used as fuel in British trains. I...
Co-Opting Black History Month With Conspiracy
My recent blog examines a popular meme about the "true" inspiration for the Lone Ranger, an amazing lawman named Bass Reeves. I looked into it, curious to see if it was true, but soon found myself in a rabbit hole of conspiracy theories--and examining why skeptics...
Interview with Celestia Ward: ‘Squaring the Skeptic with Celestia Ward’ (Part 2)
Rob Palmer, aka "The Well-Known Skeptic" recently interviewed my Squaring the Strange co-host Celestia Ward for a Special Article on the CSICOP Website. Here's the intro: In May 2018, Susan Gerbic published an article about her trip to New Mexico to speak about...
Squaring the Strange: Searching for Ogopogo!
In case you missed it, episode 84 of "Squaring the Strange" begins with a look at (non)investigation by an unnamed Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization, then dive into the murky waters of Lake Okanagan in search of Canada's most famous lake monster, Ogopogo! Please...
‘Radio Wasteland’ Interview on Bad Clowns
I was recently interviewed on "Radio Wasteland" talking about evil and scary clowns, based on my award-winning book "Bad Clowns." Stop clowning around and give it a listen! You can find more on me and my work with a search for "Benjamin Radford" (not "Ben Radford")...
Stonehenge Assumptions
In my years of media and science literacy I’ve repeatedly encountered cases where people have failed to question their premises and simply forged ahead without bothering to make sure that the assumptions were grounded in fact. Premises often seem self-evident—and who...
Still Waiting for History Channel Clarification on Earhart…
I wonder if 2019 will be the year that the History Channel finally completes its investigation into how its much-hyped 2017 special on Amelia Earhart got the story so spectacularly wrong that a half-hour Google search debunked its crack team of experts and their bogus...
My Appearance on The Supernatural Symposium (Ep #3: A Haunting)
I was recently a guest on #TheSupernaturalSymposium, Justin Brown interviewed me, psychic Tiffaney Mason and paranormal investigator Mike Ricksecker in an effort to create a panel of experienced individuals in their field of work to discuss the origins of a haunting....
Holocaust Denial Headlines: Hatred, Ignorance, Or Innumeracy?
In the wake of racial incidents such as the shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue in October 2018, it’s natural for the public and pundits to wonder just how common anti-Semitism is. Deadly attacks on Jewish houses of worship are thankfully rare, but what about...