Category Archives: Science and Nature

Chupacabra gets a necropsy: Ben Radford’s new book does the dirty work

By | April 28, 2011

We were given a teaser of the stunning new findings about the chupacabra in Ben Radford’s preceding book Scientific Paranormal Investigation, which I reviewed here. I was excited to dig into the entire story in Tracking The Chupacabra: The Vampire Beast in Fact, Fiction and Folklore. The book has high praise and positive reviews already.… Read More »

Paranormal-themed nonfiction TV: A list

By | April 24, 2011

I was writing an article when I realized I needed a clear idea about when this whole amateur investigation reality-television thing became popular. So, I started a list. (I’m a good Googler.) Here is a list of TV shows (series) that portray the paranormal as real or examine it as possibly real. Some are reality-type… Read More »

The big difference between earthquake prediction and forecasting

By | March 26, 2011

If you are a geologist bound by a professional code that includes using the best scientific procedures and evidence, then it’s unethical to promote dowsing. Condoning a process which is scientifically questionable or invalid is a breach of this code. A similar argument can be made for earthquake prediction. There have been several instances where… Read More »

It “appears as if” the world is ending

By | March 11, 2011

Remember that the year began with mass animal deaths? It continued with revolution in the Middle East. And, poor Australia was hit with the wrath of the gods. (What did you guys do? Just kidding.) Now, we have catastrophic earthquakes – one after another – and a wicked tsunami. With all the political turmoil and… Read More »

The art of scaring you over nothing: aquifers cause cancer

By | February 3, 2011

There are some ideas that are so silly that one REALLY wishes they didn’t have to be addressed at all. An article appearing here was my introduction to a new, very confused and counterintutive concept: aquifers cause cancer and health problems for humans. Mr. David Reecher, who runs the website “Aquifers and Health Institute,” has… Read More »

Dead Birds. “They” did it.

By | January 20, 2011

As a followup to my post Everyone Panic. Or Not., I have an update. The story of mass animal deaths has quelled but not died off completely because people keep finding dead animals. News outlets are reporting that the USDA is responsible for poisoning the birds because they were being a nuisance. The best article,… Read More »

Everyone panic. Or not.

By | January 7, 2011

A few weeks ago, I moved my desk next to an upstairs window overlooking a Bradford pear tree. For the past 3 weeks, when I sat at the desk during the day, periodically, a flock of about 50 starlings would swoop in and land on the tree,  devouring the shriveled fruits up like grapes. Then,… Read More »

Studying modern day amateur scientists and researchers or “What the hell was that?”

By | August 10, 2010

I’m off inside my own head these days… My main project is my Masters’ thesis in Science and the Public. I started gathering data this summer; fall will be consumed with crunching data, making sense of it and writing it up. I’ll graduate in February, barring any unforeseen disasters. The hardest part about a thesis… Read More »

The Decade in Cryptozoology: fun, frivolity and frustration

By | January 13, 2010

The 21st century in cryptozoology began with promise of scientific investigation and attention. Available technology and dedicated researchers came together over the internet to share ideas and data. Their goal was to amass a body of evidence compelling to the scientific community and the greater public. They sought biological evidence and, as always, credibility and… Read More »

The emotionally and cognitively satisfying anecdote

By | December 16, 2009

I used to have a cat. That cat was pretty mean. He hated other people and animals. He messed up my house. I’ll never have another cat because they don’t make good house pets. The little story above is an anecdote. It has characters, reflects a real-life experience in a narrative form and is intended… Read More »

The red herring

By | May 24, 2009

Conclusion to “Sham Inquiry” The coelacanth is a red herring Mainstream science, which is respected and functions very well with its current methodology, excludes those fields who don’t pass muster. For a theory to be considered as an explanation for observations of the natural world, even the public realizes it ought to be scientific. Using… Read More »

Elbowing in

By | May 24, 2009

Continuing with “Sham Inquiry” Elbowing in on good science The Journal of Scientific Exploration is the published by the Society for Scientific Exploration which describes itself as “a professional organization of scientists and other scholars committed to studying phenomena that cross or are outside the traditional boundaries of science and…are ignored or studied inadequately…” Many… Read More »

Ghost Hunting – Sham Inquiry

By | May 18, 2009

Thousands of eyewitnesses report ghostly encounters from ancient history to modern times. Contact with the dead is very much part of our modern culture. With the expansion of television content and the internet, stories about hauntings have surged in popularity. Ghost hunting is a popular hobby for thrill seekers. It’s fun to be scared. The… Read More »

Cryptozoology – Sham Inquiry

By | May 18, 2009

Cryptozoology is “the study of hidden animals” (called ‘cryptids’). More precisely, it is the pursuit of animals that science does not recognize as existing and, in some situations, be considered ‘monster hunting’ in comparison to the ghost hunters in a forthcoming discussion. Like the closely related field of UFOlogy, cryptozoology can accurately be described as… Read More »

Pretend science

By | May 18, 2009

Playing Pretend Science In order to be technical, like science, pseudoscientists engage in a method of data gathering that is not haphazard or lazy. Intricate collection and analysis is often a part of pseudoscientific activity. They may produce enormous bodies of work. Commitment to a cause can prompt “energetic intellectual effort” [1]. The motives and… Read More »

Weak evidence

By | May 16, 2009

Quality of evidence A frequent complaint from the fringe is that the scientific community is dismissive of the actual evidence for their extraordinary claim. Proponents of psi or UFOs will cite reams of evidence. The scientific community’s standard response is “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence”. That is, the evidence must be high quality, obtained through… Read More »

Irrefutable

By | May 16, 2009

Science doesn’t work by beginning with the premise and searching for evidence to support it or, holding onto the premise no matter what evidence contradicts it. This is true close-mindedness. A theory can be worded in such a way that it can never be shown to be false. This is made very easy by incorporating… Read More »

Immutable

By | May 15, 2009

Immutable and Closed to Criticism A half-century makes a huge difference in science these days. Consider physics, astronomy and medicine from just 50 years ago. Today’s great pseudosciences are ancient arts – astrology, traditional medicines, dowsing, divination. Apart from incorporating some new technology into their practice, like computers and electronic gadgets, the explanatory basis for… Read More »