Author Archives: Sharon A. Hill

About Sharon A. Hill

Strange Claims Adjuster and Spooky Geologist On Mastodon at @idoubtit@mstdn.social

Cryptozoology and Myth, Part 4: Crypto-zoologizing the natives’ magic monster

By | September 16, 2015
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This is the fourth post in a series examining cryptids (“hidden” animals said to exist based on local testimony), namely lake monsters, in terms of the folklore, tradition, and native tales of these creatures. Previous parts: Cryptozoology and Myth, Part 1: The Illusion of Facticity in Unknown Animal Reports Cryptozoology and Myth, Part 2: Lake Monster Tropes… Read More: Cryptozoology and Myth, Part 4: Crypto-zoologizing the natives’ magic monster »

Cryptozoology and Myth, Part 3: Hiding in the cold, dark water until Judgment Day

By | September 8, 2015
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This is the third in a series of posts examining cryptids (“hidden” animals said to exist based on local testimony), namely lake monsters, in terms of the folklore, tradition, and native tales of these creatures. The first part is here: Cryptozoology and Myth, Part 1: The Illusion of Facticity in Unknown Animal Reports The second part… Read More: Cryptozoology and Myth, Part 3: Hiding in the cold, dark… »

Sciencey: People get it

By | September 7, 2015
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In the course of writing, there are times when you have to either create a new word because there isn’t just the right one coined yet or you adopt a word, use it three times, and make it your own. My research and writing for the public has often been about how activities, advertisements, and… Read More: Sciencey: People get it »

100 Things Popular Science Thinks Science Got Wrong, but Didn’t Quite

By | September 5, 2015
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I was in the grocery checkout line a few weeks ago. I sometimes scan the magazine rack impulse grabs but never buy them. This week, the crop circle cover photo of a special edition of Popular Science caught my attention: Mistakes and Hoaxes – 100 Things Science Got Wrong What did science get wrong about… Read More: 100 Things Popular Science Thinks Science Got Wrong, but Didn’t… »

Cryptozoology and Myth, Part 2: Lake Monster Tropes

By | August 31, 2015
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This is the second in a series of posts examining cryptids (“hidden” animals said to exist based on local testimony), namely lake monsters, in terms of the folklore, tradition, and native tales of these creatures. The first part is here: Cryptozoology and Myth, Part 1: The Illusion of Facticity in Unknown Animal Reports What can… Read More: Cryptozoology and Myth, Part 2: Lake Monster Tropes »

Cryptozoology and Myth, Part 1: The Illusion of Facticity in Unknown Animal Reports

By | August 19, 2015
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What can we make of folklore tales that cryptozoologists use to support claims that an unknown animal has been historically reported and remains to be identified? Cryptid researchers say that modern reports of Bigfoot-Sasquatch, lake monster, sea serpents, giant flying animals, and elusive land creatures are supported by the stories of native people, legends or… Read More: Cryptozoology and Myth, Part 1: The Illusion of Facticity in… »

Is the snowflake to blame for the avalanche? (Book review)

By | June 23, 2015
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Jon Ronson is someone with whom you could sit down and just start up a conversation like you have known him for years. In fact that happened to me a few years back when Jon sat down beside me at a conference, I introduced myself and we started chatting. I feel I could always just… Read More: Is the snowflake to blame for the avalanche? (Book review) »

Believe nothing you hear, and only one half that you see – Book review

By | June 16, 2015
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Broadcast Hysteria: Orson Welles’s War of the Worlds and the Art of Fake News by A. Brad Schwartz, 2015 “Believe nothing you hear, and only one half that you see.” – Poe This quote is the frontispiece to this book. Hits me right in my skeptical soul. I run Doubtful News, a site that deals daily… Read More: Believe nothing you hear, and only one half that you… »

Stone-throwing wall-thumpers: Review of Australian Poltergeists

By | April 14, 2015
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Paul Cropper sent me a copy of his new book with co-author Tony Healy, Australian Poltergeist: The Stone-throwing Spook of Humpty Doo and Many Other Cases. He must have known how much I love this topic and was eager to learn about various cases around the world. I learned about the concept of poltergeists before… Read More: Stone-throwing wall-thumpers: Review of Australian Poltergeists »

Storm and the devil: Book review

By | April 3, 2015
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I like reading historical books when the narrative flows and the information is new and intriguing. I really liked A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience by Emerson W. Baker, a professor at Salem State College. I’ve read some about the Salem witch trials but this book was from another angle.… Read More: Storm and the devil: Book review »

I know, not just believe, this book is nonsense: Book Review

By | March 14, 2015
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Sometimes publishers and authors send me stuff. I’m not sure why they think I’ll suddenly be open to unscientific, fringe ideas about how the world works and overthrow what we know via just one book. Yes, that’s right, KNOW. This book, Paradigm Busters, from the Atlantis Rising magazine library, starts off by confusing conditional scientific… Read More: I know, not just believe, this book is nonsense: Book… »

Neutrality and the wood ape report

By | March 12, 2015
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It’s very difficult to be truly neutral. In most situations, you can only get somewhere by taking a side and exploring it. Last week’s hubbub regarding the Wood Ape report that I posted on Doubtful News was illustrative of a number of different issues that arise when attempting to learn more about and assess an… Read More: Neutrality and the wood ape report »

A Paranormal National disaster: Book review

By | March 3, 2015
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I had such high hopes for Paranormal Nation: Why America Needs Ghosts, UFOs and Bigfoot, by Marc E. Fitch (2013). I found it in an academic library, it was hefty, and the topics covered were ripe for exploring: paranormal culture in America, tourism, television, popularity. Alas, it turned out to be a bloated, credulous, rambling… Read More: A Paranormal National disaster: Book review »

The 1988 US Army commissioned report on Enhancing Human Performance

By | February 6, 2015
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mystery booms

It was news to me that back in 1985, the US Army commissioned an analysis of certain techniques that were proposed to enhance human performance. The Army Research Institute asked the National Academies to form a committee to examine these questionable strategies. The report is available here where you can read it for free. Enhancing… Read More: The 1988 US Army commissioned report on Enhancing Human Performance »

Deliver me from another ridiculous “demons everywhere” story – Book Review

By | January 23, 2015
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A review of Deliver Us from Evil, R. Sarchie with L.C. Cool I shall cut to the main point. I didn’t set out to read this one. I saw it in the library and it looked like a fast read. It’s important to understand what’s being put out there as “true” stories. As usual, it… Read More: Deliver me from another ridiculous “demons everywhere” story – Book… »

Rock and roll and the occult – A Book Review

By | January 20, 2015
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Season of the Witch: How the Occult Saved Rock and Roll by Peter Berbegal (2014) Saved it from what? I’m not clear. From “sugary teenybopper purgatory”? Meh. I don’t think the “occult” interest was the key aspect. Culture was changing and music reflected this. Pressing our conscious bounds outside the norm is the way of… Read More: Rock and roll and the occult – A Book Review »

America’s most hyped haunts – Book Review

By | October 21, 2014
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America’s Most Haunted: The Secrets of Famous Paranormal Places By Theresa Argie and Eric Olsen (2014) There are books that people will love that others will hate for entirely distinct reasons. This is one of those books. I categorize America’s Most Haunted as a paranormal true believer’s travel guide to “must see” places that are… Read More: America’s most hyped haunts – Book Review »

Sykes paper is a clarion call for higher standards for cryptozoology

By | July 2, 2014
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The highly anticipated paper from B. Skyes regarding DNA testing of anomalous primates has been published and is, thankfully, freely accessible. In 2012, the team from University of Oxford and the Museum of Zoology, Lausanne, put out a call for samples of suspected anomalous primates – Yeti, Bigfoot/Sasquatch, Almasty, orang pendek. The samples, if accepted,… Read More: Sykes paper is a clarion call for higher standards for… »

Beware the prowling ghost (Book Review)

By | June 15, 2014
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Regarding paranormal research, there is no comparison between the work that comes out in print (paper or digital) and the mostly crap posted online from paranormal groups or the media. You are hard-pressed to find anyone online who knows what they are talking about when it comes to solid paranormal scholarship and writes well. Here’s… Read More: Beware the prowling ghost (Book Review) »