I once went to a presentation by the Paranormal Research Society, held at a local Pennsylvania State University campus. It was not sponsored (nor endorsed) by the university but by a student activities group. I chuckled softly to myself when Ryan Buell flubbed information about some very famous “ghost” photographs. His background on parapsychological history… Read More: Buell and PRS to offer classes for the credulous »
Story from The Onion: ‘Ghost Hunters’ Enjoys Surprising 100% Success Rate “What can I say? We’re just really good researchers, I guess.” At press time, despite having repeatedly resolved the most central question of human existence, the program is somehow not on the cover of every major newspaper, magazine, and scientific journal in the world. Sure,… Read More: Ghost hunters as “really good researchers, I guess” »
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: It “appears as if” the world is ending »
Pennsylvania is the locale for oodles of strange stories, from the ghosts of Gettysburg to Thunderbirds of the northern forests, from the Jersey Devil sightings along the Delaware to UFOs in Kecksburg (and all across the state). A 135-page book by Patty A. Wilson chronicles, specifically, Monsters in Pennsylvania: Mysterious Creatures in the Keystone State.… Read More: Monster Stories from Pennsylvania »
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: The art of scaring you over nothing: aquifers cause cancer »
There are so many ghost hunting groups wandering around in the dark that they trip over each other. I attempted to count paranormal investigation groups and gave up at around 1500 without even searching Facebook. We all have our opinions about what they try to do – find evidence of life after death. Those of us… Read More: Paranormal investigators doing good, but going wrong »
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: Studying modern day amateur scientists and researchers or “What the… »
This past March, I registered for a seminar on Scientific Paranormal Investigation at CFI – Washington, DC. Ben Radford was presenting and the event description mentioned his upcoming book of the same name. This was fortuitous since I was working on developing a thesis project about the prevalence of sham inquiry, focusing on amateur investigation… Read More: Solving Unexplained Mysteries: A review of “Scientific Paranormal Investigation” by… »
I will attempt to post this response to Cryptomundo later today regarding Loren Coleman’s commentary on my previous blog post. We shall see if it appears uncensored: Mr. Coleman: I’m disappointed in your response to my post but I thank you for paying it some attention. I understand that you have taken personally my thoughts… Read More: Response to Cryptomundo from Ms. Idoubtit »
Where can you learn Photoshop, CPR and Civil War history all in one place at a reasonable price? Continuing education offerings at local community colleges include useful courses in computer and technology fields, healthcare and safety occupations, business management and languages. General interest courses are offered in history, gardening, hobbies and include local trips and tours.… Read More: Continuing miseducation classes »
Cryptozoological websites continue to promote the coelacanth as the icon of cryptozoology. I heartily disagree. You can see my post about it here: The coelacanth is a red herring. This fish was not “ethno-known” in the same sense as the Yeti, Bigfoot and sea serpents, etc. No one was LOOKING for the fish. Sure, it… Read More: Coelacanth not a cryptid »
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 emotionally and cognitively satisfying anecdote »
Oh, dear. Out of the news loop for a day or two and another Bigfoot sighting comes along. This time, it was reported very close to me. I don’t know exactly where because the location is not revealed except to generally say “Appalachian Trail”. The Appalachian Trail cuts through the center of Dauphin County along… Read More: New PA bigfoot sighting? Set your skeptical flags flying. »
Penn State’s Harrisburg campus hosted a presentation by Paranormal State’s Ryan Buell (with Sergey along) on October 2. The event attracted over 60 people of all ages. Primarily, the crowd was students, some with their parents. There were obviously several fans of the show. I have never seen the show. I can’t be bothered with… Read More: Ghost hunting entertainment – Paranormal State lecture »
Cryptomundo is reporting a bigfoot (or dogman-type creature) sighting the occurred in western Pennsylvania on July 10. The report should say “Jumonville” not Jammonville. This area east of Uniontown is rugged and heavily wooded. I won’t bother commenting on Cryptomundo anymore because my words get edited or might not even appear. But, I noticed, as… Read More: Pennsylvania bigfoot sighting – just a story? »
The Othersiders is a new show on Cartoon Network where teen friends visit alleged haunted locations and perform so-called investigations, similar to the Ghost Hunters and Ghost Trackers. It’s fun to be scared and to imagine ghosts exists and places are haunted. I love all things paranormal and really wish these supernatural concepts were supported… Read More: Will The Othersiders just scare themselves? »
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: The red herring »
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: Ghost Hunting – Sham Inquiry »
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: Cryptozoology – Sham Inquiry »
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: Immutable »