Ben has been on a cruise, and brings back an interesting story on how quickly rumors and conspiracy theories can form in that environment. We pay tribute to Joe Nickell, a truly versatile skeptic and investigator, and go over the Stand Up for Science marches that took place last week. Then we turn to current events wrought by the Trump administration: the kerfuffle over "transgender mice" is more complicated than you think; RFK's faint praise of the MMR vaccine; and the CDC's planned study on va...
Mar 14, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep 249•Transcript available on Metacast First, Ben and Celestia discuss an angler fish and a kayak-curious humpback whale in the news, as well as the measles outbreak, some cryptid legislation in California, and an update on the drone panic. Our main segment guest is Gail De Vos, who discusses the world of furries. Far older than most realize (around for 50 years now!), furries have been built into a political boogeyman and garnered a reputation of sexual degeneracy that is hard to shake. With similarities to both masquerade balls and...
Mar 01, 2025•1 hr 19 min•Ep 248•Transcript available on Metacast First Ben and Celestia discuss the unending slew of bad news for skeptics, and our hopes that science and public health can survive this onslaught. And, do we all have a spoonful of plastic in our brains? Then we tackle love fortune telling, love languages, and aphrodisiacs. From apple peels to blood type, people just love prognosticating about love. And what is the allure of an aphrodisiac? The notion of a forbidden (or just expensive) food or spice that puts people in the mood is so common tha...
Feb 14, 2025•2 hr 41 min•Ep 247•Transcript available on Metacast We start with some observations (ok, rants) about the press conference on the recent aircraft collision in D.C., the hearings to confirm RFK Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the silencing of vital science and health institutions. Then we talk to eminent psychologist Stuart Vyse about his career and a handful of pop psychology topics. He weighs in on the Telepathy Tapes podcast and facilitated communication, the notorious Milgram experiment, and why baseball is rife with luck ri...
Jan 31, 2025•2 hr 36 min•Ep 246•Transcript available on Metacast First Ben and Celestia discuss the LA fires (and a few of the many, many conspiracy theories already cropping up), and remember Jimmy Carter's clear-headed skepticism and humanitarianism. Then, since it's January and we're all trying to work on self-improvement, we talk about BMI -- which happens to be in the news this week for what turns out to be not really news. The Body Mass Index began almost two hundred years ago as a pet project by a Belgian statistician, but has evolved into one of the m...
Jan 18, 2025•1 hr 18 min•Ep 245•Transcript available on Metacast For the first show of 2025, Ben and Celestia go over some of their favorite shows, the highlights and lowlights of the past year, and some stories we never got a chance to tell. Ben discusses the men who recently lost their lives on a Bigfoot hunt, and Celestia goes down a rabbit hole about children supposedly getting sex change operations and how different outlets report on that issue. But first, we kick off with a tour of new year rituals--most of which have to do with food (and we don't mean ...
Jan 04, 2025•1 hr 12 min•Ep 244•Transcript available on Metacast We recap some news items, including Kreskin passing away, a witchcraft-motivated massacre in Haiti, and of course the Drone panic (?) over the Eastern U.S. Then Ben and Celestia dive into tales and urban legends with a Christmas theme. From playful punisher characters who will gleefully slit open German children's bellies to more modern urban legends about Nativity plays gone wrong or a deadly Dad prank. How did the storied Christmas truce of 1914 really play out? And what mysterious things do c...
Dec 21, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Ep 243•Transcript available on Metacast Ben recounts his adventures in Australia at Skepticon, and then Celestia brings up bird flu-infected raw milk, a closing Bigfoot museum, and ghosts that pay rent. Our main guest is esteemed cybersecurity expert, deceptionologist, folklorist, magician, and author Perry Carpenter. He discusses topics from his new book FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation and AI-Generated Deceptions. We talk deepfakes versus cheapfakes and how AI is similar to cold reading. We l...
Dec 07, 2024•2 hr 41 min•Ep 242•Transcript available on Metacast This week Pascual is back, talking to Celestia about the Onion's purchase of Info Wars, shady testosterone offers, and a list of things we maybe should be worried about as Trump rounds out cabinet picks. Then Ben welcomes Gail de Vos, author of the just-released Watkins Book of Urban Legends, to talk about wildfire conspiracy theories in Canada. The politically charged stories that spring up in her home of Alberta, Canada resemble conspiracies that have followed wildfires everywhere -- Texas, Ca...
Nov 22, 2024•2 hr 37 min•Ep 241•Transcript available on Metacast This is sort of a rush episode, in the wake of this week's election results. While we don't like mixing our skepticism with partisan politics, Trump has been such a unique outlier in the realm of science denial, conspiracy theories, folklore, panics and rumor-mongering that it warrants an episode. Early indications that Robert Kennedy Jr. might be in charge of public health could mean an unthinkable turn against vaccinations and other clearly proven, routine measures. Ben and Celestia give their...
Nov 08, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep 240•Transcript available on Metacast Happy Halloween! If we sound like we're on a submarine, apologies--we recorded part of this on a submarine. I mean a small hotel room. After a recap of Skeptoid's Death Valley adventure and CSI Con 2024, Ben and Celestia discuss "pink slime journalism" and phony Catholic newspapers. Then sociologist Joel Best discusses the Halloween sadism urban legend and how the idea that children are being poisoned with candy has stuck around through the ages. Folklorist and film buff Mikel Koven takes us on ...
Nov 01, 2024•2 hr 32 min•Ep 239•Transcript available on Metacast Fair warning: this episode contains too much Elon Musk, as Ben and Celestia discuss the Optimus mechanical Turk -- er, autonomous robot -- as well as the awesome chop-stick catch performed by SpaceX this past week. Ben also ruminates on eye-witness testimony and a wacky, weedy case being decided by the Supreme Court right now. Then Brian Dunning of Skeptoid fame joins us to talk electric vehicle myths and reality. Have you heard that EVs are bad for the environment, or that they will crash the g...
Oct 19, 2024•2 hr 33 min•Ep 238•Transcript available on Metacast First a few current events involving a Taylor Swift guitar (or not), the Nazca Lines, a giant naked Trump art piece, and banning solar geoengineering. Then we talk water. Is blood thicker than water -- and what does that even mean? Does water have memory (as homeopaths insist) or feelings (as Masaru Emoto stated)? From alkali water to Black Water to Smart Water, what are all these expensive designer bottled waters available, and are any worth it? Let's, well, dive in!
Oct 05, 2024•2 hr 39 min•Ep 237•Transcript available on Metacast We cannot let this week go by without talking about the xenophobic rumors that splashed across the national political stage this week about Haitians in Ohio allegedly eating cats and dogs. Folklorists definitely paid attention to this, and Ben also has vaccine rumor concerns from the Middle East. Then, on a lighter note, Kenny joins us and shares some of his recent adventures at a Bigfoot convention, his trip with Ben to the Spiritualist hamlet of Lily Dale, and recent CFI testing of a Canadian ...
Sep 21, 2024•2 hr 35 min•Ep 236•Transcript available on Metacast First, Celestia recounts the Skeptic Track at Dragon Con, and Ben discusses a rabbit hole he went down after receiving a press release on some alleged new Champ footage. Then we welcome back folklorist Mark Norman, who discusses black dog folklore (also the title of one of his books), specifically the Barguest or Shuck. Spectral canines can be hellhounds, guardians or neutral entities, and have a surprisingly long history -- as long as humans have been in the company of dogs, one might suppose. ...
Sep 09, 2024•2 hr 31 min•Ep 235•Transcript available on Metacast First we discuss RFK Jr.'s role in a decade-old cryptid mystery. Then Ben and Celestia recount the gory origin story of Pegasus, along with some other differences between Greek myth and My Little Pony. Ben goes into the economies of the very real trade in unicorn horns, which were a longtime pharmacist’s staple (despite being nonexistent). We look at mentions of unicorns from the Bible to Shakespeare, as well as “real” ones including modified goats, arctic narwhals and the mighty rhinoceros. Mov...
Aug 24, 2024•1 hr 28 min•Ep 234•Transcript available on Metacast Ben and Celestia have a lot of current events to discuss, from Olympic rumors about Satan and pregnant gymnasts to the real gender identity of an Algerian boxer and Hello Kitty. Then we dive into the "sensed presence" effect. This strange phenomenon can explain many things -- ghost encounters, mountain-top revelations, and hallucinations people experience during isolation in prisons, at sea or while lost in the wilderness. As social creatures, we simply aren't built for prolonged loneliness. Not...
Aug 09, 2024•1 hr 24 min•Ep 233•Transcript available on Metacast Need I even write a summary here? Maybe for listeners who have been in a coma for the past two weeks? Trump was shot at, and conspiracy theories surfaced faster than he could put on his shoes. What are Project 2025 and Agenda 47? What is Trump's appeal, really, and why is it so misunderstood by his opponents? And, with late-breaking news on Biden dropping out of the race, what have we seen on the memescape about Kamala Harris? There are media literacy lessons to review, and many opportunities to...
Jul 26, 2024•2 hr 43 min•Ep 232•Transcript available on Metacast First we discuss how the term “Gish gallop” has entered the common vernacular thanks to the recent Presidential debate. Then Ben ponders why conspiracy buffs don’t care about the admitted, real Boeing conspiracy, or why psychics can’t offer up explanations for the Rust killing. Celestia gets excited about folklore in pop culture: namely, “The Crooked Man” in a new Hellboy movie. For our main segment, we are rejoined by skeptical author and illustrator Daniel Loxton, to talk about MONSTER HUNTS!—...
Jul 13, 2024•2 hr 31 min•Ep 231•Transcript available on Metacast First, Ben and Celestia discuss the epidemiology of extreme heat, mysterious mololiths redux, the latest Real Water lawsuit, and the origins of a 50-year-old rumor about Mama Cass. Then Pascual joins us to interview Kurly Tlapoyawa -- stunt man, filmmaker, archaeologist, and cohost of "Tales from Azlantis." He tells us about cutting through jungles in Belize to do "ground-truthing" with LiDAR, the strange origin of the "Hunab Ku" image, tour guides, Olmec heads, and "The Four Disagreements." Kur...
Jun 28, 2024•2 hr 39 min•Ep 230•Transcript available on Metacast We start with a recap of SkeptiCamp New Mexico, then move on to a laundry list of creepy, crawly creatures: Alex Jones, flying Joro spiders, bug zappers, opposite snakes and Sasquatch Sunset. Our main topic is an update to one of the cases in Ben's "Bad Clowns" book. The West Palm Beach Killer Clown case involves a love triangle, a clown costume, and a pile of circumstantial evidence. It sat with no arrests for nearly 30 years, until Sheila Keen-Warren was arrested in 2017. Among the development...
Jun 15, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Ep 229•Transcript available on Metacast Celestia and Ben have a lengthy A-segment, between discussing the almost-here SkeptiCamp, Ben's recent folklore convention, and what mischief TV psychic Allison DuBois has been up to. We have thoughts on the recently deceased Morgan Spurlock's legacy, and then talk about two interesting developments from the Catholic Church this week. Professor Chris French joins us to discuss his new book, "The Science of Weird Sh!t: Why Our Minds Conjure the Paranormal." Chris has a vast background in, well, w...
May 31, 2024•2 hr 44 min•Ep 228•Transcript available on Metacast Ben and Celestia roll out an abbreviated history of book bans and the psychology behind them. What sorts of fears manifest into the desire to keep information away from people? And which people? Is the current rash of book challenges a panic, or is the fear of such bans a panic? We start this episode with a solid opinion, then find ways to knock that opinion around a bit. Calls for book bans have come from the right and left, for different reasons. The freedom of speech gets complicated in matte...
May 17, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Ep 227•Transcript available on Metacast Can a human being be killed with one well-timed blow? Without question, yes. But is the secret to this fighting style held by ancient Chinese monks, or a flamboyant guy named Count Dante who advertises in the back of comic books? We look at real situations where one punch (or slap, or chiropractic adjustment) can kill a person, either immediately or after a delay. Then we bring in author, EMT and martial artist Peter Huston to discuss the legend of Dim Mak and how propaganda, marketing, Chinese ...
May 04, 2024•2 hr 47 min•Ep 226•Transcript available on Metacast We have a surprise visit from Scooby fan Kenny Biddle, then speak with Mark Norman, folklorist and author of the upcoming "Zoinks!: The Spooky Folklore of Scooby Doo." The show is beloved by skeptics, and for good reason. But did you know the show owes its existence to a panic in the 1960s about violence in kids' shows? Between guest stars like the Harlem Globetrotters and Vincent Price, Scooby Doo also introduced kids to a wide array of cryptids, ghosts, witches and folkloric concepts like curs...
Apr 19, 2024•2 hr 32 min•Ep 225•Transcript available on Metacast This freebie bonus is us shooting the breeze, thanking folks who deserve kudos, asking some questions about skepticism today, and generally having a good time.
Apr 15, 2024•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast We chat about several topics in the news recently, from a bright streak of burning space junk over Los Angeles to a very realistic crucifixion reenactment in the Philippines. Ben unravels a weeping Madonna story in the tabloids that also casts some shade on a prominent Italian skeptic, then he gives us his review of "Late Night with the Devil," set in the 1970s and complete with a nod to the late Amazing Randi. Pascual and Celestia talk about DEI's increasing role as a boogeyman, and try to figu...
Apr 05, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Ep 224•Transcript available on Metacast After some current events involving Brazilian ex-president Bolsonaro, a new study on Havana Syndrome, and migrants with measles in Chicago, we are joined by Curt Anderson. A career magician turned academic researcher, Curt tells us about his pivot to deception studies. Piggybacking on our recent episode about Truth Default Theory, we explore more about how well humans (think we can) detect lies. What can a scientific approach to deception tell us about human communication, and what practical app...
Mar 22, 2024•2 hr 41 min•Ep 223•Transcript available on Metacast First, Pascual and Celestia hit recent science news -- a sideways lunar landing, some male-on-male humpback whale action, and recent cell outages. Then Ben and Celestia look at weather modification, from prayer and superstition to very real cloud-seeding efforts. Though in practice almost everywhere for generations, this technology still surprises and confuses people, who lump it in with conspiracies about precise weather control by some all-powerful cabal . . . using a decommissioned array of a...
Mar 09, 2024•1 hr 21 min•Ep 222•Transcript available on Metacast First, Ben and Celestia have several tidbits to discuss, from Micheal Mann's court win to chemtrails popping up in social media. Ben is watching another cult docuseries, and we get into the unfortunate trend of obituary pirating. For our main segment, we are joined by the delightful Daniel Loxton, illustrator, author, editor and longtime skeptic luminary. He takes us on a tour of the long-debunked story about a 15-foot penguin in Florida. But a simple debunking is only the surface of this tale, ...
Feb 23, 2024•1 hr 29 min•Ep 221•Transcript available on Metacast 
