Ben Radford
Benjamin Radford is a scientific paranormal investigator, a research fellow at the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, deputy editor of the Skeptical Inquirer, and author or co-author of five books and hundreds of articles on skepticism, critical thinking, and science literacy. His newest book is Tracking the Chupacabra: The Vampire Beast in Fact, Fiction, and Folklore. Radford is also a columnist for Discovery News and LiveScience.com.
The Woman in Black: A Classic Ghost Story
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
February 6, 2012
In the new horror/thriller The Woman in Black, Arthur Kipps, a lawyer whose grief over his dead wife has put his career in jeopardy, is sent to a remote English village to sort out the affairs of a recently deceased woman. Upon his arrival, he learns that everyone in the town is keeping a deadly secret: the woman’s house is haunted by a ghost-the titular woman in black. Much of the film is classic ghostlore, and scenarios I have seen enacted during real-life ghost hunts by psychics and ghost hunters.
The Mayan Calendar, 2012, and Doomsday: A Primer
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
January 25, 2012
It’s no secret that the ancient Mayans (as opposed to the modern ones, some of whom work in offices and use cell phones) had a famous calendar that “runs out” in December of this year. Just what that means—if anything—is the question. Does it hold any particular significance for Doomday, the Apocalpyse, or Armageddon? Here’s a (very) short primer on the Mayan calendar.
RileyGate: Lessons Learned
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
January 11, 2012
A recent blog I wrote about a viral video featuring a “pint-sized pundit” ranting about gender stereotypes was flawed in several ways, and deserved much of the criticism it got.
‘Expert Eyewitness’ Shoots Dog Walker: Skeptical Lessons from Tragedy
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
January 5, 2012
A woman was shot last week when a state trooper mistook her two retriever dogs for a deer; what does this say about expert eyewitness testimony?
Rebecca and Riley: Tempest in a Doll’s Tea Party
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
January 2, 2012
Skepchick blogger and skeptical colleague Rebecca Watson wrote a scathing blog about a column I wrote on a viral video starring a girl named Riley, and her rant about gender-stereotyped colors and toys. How valid are her criticisms? Decide for yourself.
Five Solved ‘Unexplained Mysteries’ of 2011
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
December 27, 2011
Each year brings new puzzles and mysteries to challenge skeptics and put our wits to the test. Sometimes mysteries take weeks, months, or even years or decades to solve, and while most of the public’s attention naturally focuses on the still-mysterious, it’s always worth reflecting on former mysteries. Here are five high-profile (temporarily) unexplained mysteries that were finally solved in 2011.
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Dowsing: Dubious, Discredited, and Dangerous
Skeptical Inquirer Volume 35.5, September/October 2011
Skeptical Inquiree
Poll Holds Surprises About Teen Self-Image, Reality TV Effects
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
December 8, 2011
A new survey from the Girl Scout Research Institute issued a report titled "Real to Me: Girls and Reality TV" which came to a variety of conclusions about the effects of reality TV on beliefs and attitudes of teen girls. One interesting result what was most girls reject the "beauty myth" idea that a girl's value is based on how she looks.Talking Lake Monsters for Canadian TV in the New Mexican Desert
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
November 25, 2011
New Mexico's Rio Grande river looks nothing like British Columbia's Lake Okanagan, but it was close enough for TV when I was interviewed on November 14 for a Canadian science show called Daily Planet.U.K. Ghost Group Concerned About Fake Ghost Photos
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
November 15, 2011
A U.K.-based paranormal research group is worried about the rise in faked ghost photos created by smartphone apps.Available in the Print Edition. Subscribe Here.
Dave Thomas vs. Jesse Ventura: The Skeptical Smackdown
Skeptical Inquirer Volume 35.4, July/August 2011
Feature
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Is There a 100C Grain of Truth to Homeopathy?
Skeptical Inquirer Volume 35.4, July/August 2011
Skeptical Inquiree
Heeding (Or Ignoring) Skeptical Investigation
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
October 22, 2011
One of the interesting things in skeptical research to see is how (or whether) skeptical investigations make it into the mainstream literature. After all, it's all well and good for skeptics to know that a case has been solved, but the real benefit is when the greater public realizes it.World To End—Again
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
October 18, 2011
It's almost that time again. No, I don't mean fall, or Halloween, nor (shudder) the holiday season.No, it's time for another doomsday.
The Journal of Folklore Research Reviews ‘Tracking the Chupacabra’
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
October 6, 2011
The Journal of Folklore Research, a peer-reviewed publication of the Folklore Institute at Indiana University, reviewed my recent book Tracking the Chupacabra: The Vampire Beast in Fact, Fiction, and Folklore.Available in the Print Edition. Subscribe Here.
Slaying the Vampire: Solving the Chupacabra Mystery
Skeptical Inquirer Volume 35.3, May/June 2011
Feature
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Anomaly Hunting
Skeptical Inquirer Volume 35.3, May/June 2011
Skeptical Inquiree
Alone on the Loch: One Man’s Search for Nessie
Skeptical Briefs Volume 20.3, September 2010
I found Feltham more or less by accident. I was at Scotland’s famous loch for about a week following a speaking engagement in London...
Reaction to Faster Than Light Claims Expose Anti-Skeptic Myth
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
September 23, 2011
The scientists and researchers who are skeptical of the new faster than light claims are not skeptical because accepting that Einstein was wrong about something would lead to a nervous breakdown, or that their whole worldview would crumble beneath them, or that they would have to accept that science doesn't know everything. The reason scientists are skeptical is because the new study contradicts all previous experiments.Skeptic Daniel Loxton’s Evolution Book Wins Canadian Award
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
September 17, 2011
“Contagion” Film Review—Now With 20% More Anti-Vaxx Conspiracy!
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
September 8, 2011
JREF $1 Million Challenge Delights and Amuses Psychic Carla Baron
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
August 29, 2011
Carla Baron, who claims to have psychic powers, is not interested in getting James Randi's $1 million prize for proving her abilities, but she does find it "endlessly amusing."False Rape Claim Sinks Real Rape Case
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
August 24, 2011
Rape charges against Dominique Strauss-Kahn were dropped yesterday; the wealthy French banker had been accused of raping a housekeeper, Nafissatou Diallo, in an upscale Manhattan hotel in May. The accused didn't even have to defend himself in this case; instead the accuser's lies caused her case to implode.Fright Night: The Vampire Genre That Won’t Die
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
August 13, 2011
A remake of the cult classic vampire film Fright Night comes to theaters.Amy Winehouse Finally in Rehab
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
July 29, 2011
Amy Winehouse, the London singer who died last week and famously sang that she wouldn't go to rehab, is finally in rehab. It's too late for Winehouse, of course, but her image has been in rehabilitation mode since news broke of her death.UFOs Videotaped Over London?
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
July 4, 2011
I recently provided an analysis of a UFO video that was allegedly shot in London, England. The piece appeared on CBS News, Fox News, Yahoo News, The Free Republic, and elsewhere. Reactions to my UFO video analysis were interesting: Many people thought I was obviously wrong; some thought I was obviously right, and a small handful gave compliments. Such is the life of a professional science-based investigator.Available in the Print Edition. Subscribe Here.
The Mysterious Morgellons Malady
Skeptical Inquirer Volume 35.2, March/April 2011
Skeptical Inquiree
Most doctors believe that Morgellons is a type of psychiatric disorder called delusional parasitosis, in which patients come to believe ...
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Debunking the Trauma Myth
Skeptical Inquirer Volume 35.2, March/April 2011
Book Review
A review of The Trauma Myth: The Truth About the Sexual Abuse of Children—and Its Aftermath by Susan A. Clancy.