Ben and Pascual kick off the 2017 New Mexico Podscape festival by musing on natural disasters and cryptids, for instance how Hurricaine Hugo in Puerto Rico helped spawned the chupacabra legend. Then, since a doomsday was recently predicted for the very day they...
Skepticism
Squaring the Strange Archives: Chupacabra Cha Cha
In the latest in a series highlighting past episodes and archives of Squaring the Strange, here's a look back at a show you might have missed: Ben and Pascual first touch on last week’s Vegas shooting, particularly the misinformation that was circulated afterward—not...
Squaring the Strange Archives: Episode 25: Conspiracy Theories THEY Don’t Want You to Know About
In the latest in a series highlighting past episodes and archives of Squaring the Strange, here's a look back at a show you might have missed: Ben ruminates on the blowup over Trump’s NFL tweets this week, wondering why so many people (especially Trump’s...
Friday the 13th Folklore
Here's a fun, folkloric piece I wrote a few years ago about Friday the 13th... "Speaking of weird fishermen's superstitions, there is one fish That Shall Not Be Named. Sometimes it was called "the beast," other times "the red fish," "the foul fish," or simply "the...
A Nice Thank You Note
I get plenty of hate mail (and the occasional death threat) so I wanted to share this nice e-mail from the grateful parent of a student whose email I responded to: "In February, my son, Braden emailed you with questions about the Chupracabra for his science research...
Squaring the Strange Archives: Stiffed Waitresses and John Edward
In the latest in a series highlighting past episodes and archives of Squaring the Strange, here's a look back at a show you might have missed: While Pascual tends to his offspring, Ben and Celestia discuss a recent story about a waitress being allegedly stiffed due to...
Squaring the Strange: School Shooting Conspiracies and the People Who Perpetuate Them
In the new episode of Squaring the Strange we examine school shooting conspiracy theories, particularly surrounding Sandy Hook. We begin by unpacking a moment in the Werner Herzog documentary "Grizzly Man" that offers insight into a common critical thinking mistake....
Squaring the Strange Archives: Bubonicon and Time Travel, Wherein We Make This Episode Not Late
In the latest in a series highlighting past episodes and archives of Squaring the Strange, here's a look back at a show you might have missed: This week is a departure from our typical format. Ben is busy giving a talk about UFO conspiracies at Bubonicon, the...
Squaring the Strange Archives: : Never Sleep Again
In the latest in a series highlighting past episodes and archives of Squaring the Strange, here's a look back at a show you might have missed... Ben and Pascual begin with a nod to the band Shriekback, who provided our podcast’s theme music—see them if you can,...
Squaring the Strange Archives: Deadly Urban Legends
In the latest in a series highlighting past episodes and archives of Squaring the Strange, here's a look back at a show you might have missed: Ben begins with a primer on what folklore is and how urban legends fit into that tradition. As apocryphal tales often...