Squaring The Strange

    Ben and Celestia discuss a few topics in the world of pregnancy that are best viewed through a skeptical lens. Ben touches on some folkloric warnings for expectant mothers. Celestia takes us on a tour of “baby brain,” the idea that women lose cognitive ability while pregnant, and looks at self-reported studies versus objective tests and imaging. Then we move on to CAM in popular pregnancy books, and (just to make Ben squirm) we look at the recent trend of women eating their placentas.

This week Ben and Celestia start by looking at a recent active shooter scare created by a psychic premoniton. Then we dive into a challenge that led Ben into a 9-month investigation into a decades-old murder case and the psychic detective who claimed she knew a list of details about the killer. But did she?

This week we all look at some timey-wimey stuff that paranormal researcher Joshua P. Warren claims to have discovered near Vegas. Then it’s all about founding father Ben Franklin! He was a legendary science enthusiast, polymath, inventor, philosopher, satirist, hoaxer, extreme kite-flyer, printer, ladies’ man, and skeptic. He was also an early proponent of inoculation and inadvertently provided a backstory for a well-known cryptid! Oh, and he helped found our country or something too.

This week, Ben and Celestia chat with Erik Kristopher Myers, writer, director, and actor in the new found-footage horror movie "Butterfly Kisses," featuring Ben and Pascual on the Blu-Ray audio commentary! 

A grab-bag of mini topics for your skeptical digestion.

First, Celestia is skeptical of a certain effect we've all been privy to in the internet age. Then, our team dives into the world of film legends and myths. Everything from time traveling silent film extras to Elvis sightings, our crew takes a lighthearted and skeptical look at some fun stories.

First we look back at an alien theory of the 90s, then we revisit our old pal Alex Jones’s legal troubles. Then we carefully peel back some layers on the tragedy that occurred two years ago at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando. At the time, it was the worst mass shooting in modern American history, and it seemed self-evidently driven by hate, targeting the LGBTQ community. Yet, the FBI and terrorism experts have reached different conclusions than the public and the media, and Ben brings his research expertise to illuminate the situation.  

After a quick revisit to the History Channel’s sidestepping, the gang dives into pseudo-experiments. We see them almost every day, often aimed at making a social point or sometimes carefully contrived in order to sell us something. From the Pepsi Challenge to the Dove ad to reality TV, we pull up some examples to help familiarize you with the lure of these demonstrations. The results always seem to speak for themselves--but it’s never quite so simple.

This week, our crew is joined by Pascual's good friend Kyle Konkiel of the band Bad Wolves, the heavy metal band currently topping the charts with their cover of the Cranberries classic "Zombie". Kyle steps in to help us break down famous (and infamous) music myths that you may or may not have heard of. We also discuss Kyle's band and their new record as well as touch in on their releasing of the song "Zombie" in the wake of the untimely death of Cranberries' vocalist Dolores O'Riordan, who was slated to perform on the Bad Wolves version.

This week, our crew talks about the ins and outs of how our senses fail us. First, they delve into a highly appropriate internet phenomenon regarding how we hear the word "Laurel" in a recording. With technical breakdowns and inquiry as to how our hearing may have failed us, the Strangers reach a strong conclusion about this mystery. Then, they expand the topic by talking about how senses and memory are not all they seem. Nobody can be too sure of what they see, hear, feel, taste, or smell and our intrepid crew digs deep into why that is.

This week, our crew dives into a curious case of a teenager being hypnotized and not remembering the night. Then, we dig up zombies. Not just the Hollywood zombie we've grown to love, but the real root of our horror staple, the Hatian zombie. Ben brings folklore and research into real-life details that have helped form our idea of these movie monsters. 

First, Ben looks at some opinions passing for news about the Cosby verdict, then Pascual schools us on the real history behind Cinco de Mayo. For our main topic, the whole gang pitches in for a talk about research: what IS research, what ISN’T research, and helpful hints that will benefit everyone from the laziest Googler to the most intrepid of investigators. Wikipedia, Snopes, and your local library all have a role to play, as do real live experts.

First we say a mixed farewell to Art Bell, radio host and conspiracy monger. Then we discuss the Near-Death Experience phenomenon, or NDEs. We go from Hollywood fan theories to real medical history and fear of premature burial. We touch on how children’s NDEs are shaped and exploited by adults. Then our special guest, Margaret Downey, discusses her non-religious journey of understanding her NDE. To wrap up, Celestia examines a UK nurse's “experiment” to find evidence that patients really do sometimes float above their own bodies.

This week, Ben unpacks a particularly curious moment in a Herzog documentary, and then we get to our main topic. Our trio dives deep into the world of school shooting conspiracies, especially around Sandy Hook. Ben uses real information to battle the wild rumors that many people seem to believe about the nature of these events and the roles of the people involved. Just as the episode was finished, BREAKING NEWS about Sandy Hook came to light and Pascual was able to punch a quick update in before air.

QUICK NOTE: The online recording software we used for Matt's interview did something wonky to our audio for a moment. Pascual spent the last few hours making it sound better (believe us, it sounded worse) and we think it's good enough for the few short questions that it affects. Thank you for bearing with us on this. This week, the boys bring Susan Gerbic in to chat about all things skeptical, but most importantly, her organization "Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia", a great group of people whose mission is to improve skeptical content on Wikipedia. But first, we have a fun conversation about "The Condom Challenge" with friend of the show Matt "The Tube" Crowley. You may know him from the Jim Rose Circus and might have caught him on Lollapalooza in the early 90s (as one of our hosts may or may not have). Matt Crowley with Jim Rose: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6Pt3eaRusA Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia: https://www.facebook.com/GSoWproject/

This week, Pascual brings in some information on California’s Prop 65 and what it really means to say that coffee causes cancer. Does a proliferation of warning signs do the opposite of what lawmakers intended, and is there a better way? We read some listener emails and answer questions, reflecting on the evolution of the show after one year. We chat about topics that made us proud, made us nervous, or made us giggle like little schoolgirls—as well as some potential future topics, like the royal family being coelacanths (or is it lizard people?).

We start with Mad Mike Hughes and his flat-earth-funded rocket. Then we talk treasures: hiding them, hunting them, and passing along rumors of them! Treasure hunting is rife with folklore and sometimes danger. People seeking riches have trespassed, committed crimes, and even died. Celestia talks about murdered casino magnate Ted Binion’s buried vault and rumors of more treasure. Then Pascual and Ben discuss Santa Fe eccentric Forrest Fenn, who claims he hid a treasure you can find with clues in a poem. Finally, we dig into Arizona’s legendary Lost Dutchman Mine.

First, Pascual is skeptical of mutating astronaut DNA, and looks closely at the media misinterpretation of a recent NASA press release. Then the gang discusses various ways that folklore is used to control behavior—a trick used on children and sometimes on the general public, too. We look closely at the Hispanic ghost La Llorona, a frightening tale that keeps children away from flood-prone river banks in New Mexico, and then some of her even scarier cousins, the Japanese kappa, who seem to have a fixation on human butts and cucumbers. Then all the way up in Iceland we meet the Yule cat, who eats children that don’t wear their new Christmas sweaters—but also teaches a host of other lessons.

This week, our crew digs into health panics and what's in our food. Focusing on the notorious "pink slime", the Strangers break down the history of the hysteria and talk about how bad it really is (or isn't). Also in this episode, Ben is skeptical of the tragic tale of a Tasmanian Devil named Jasper.

This week, our strangers start the episode with some listener mail about Ben's SWAYSO on Peter Rabbit. Our three amigos break down an article about it as well as debate the reality of how impressionable kids can really be. Then, our intrepid crew sets sail to the Indian Ocean to discover our once-extinct friend, the Coelacanth. They recall the story of the discovery of our fishy friend and also discuss the use of its story in certain cryptozoological arguments. Celestia delights us with a fun fortune cookie about a very creative individual.