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 six books and over a thousand articles on skepticism, critical thinking, and science literacy. His newest book is The Martians Have Landed: A History of Media Panics and Hoaxes. Radford is also a columnist for Discovery News and LiveScience.com.
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.
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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.
Carla Baron Complains About Fake Psychics
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
June 11, 2011
A high-profile psychic failure last week has many psychics, including Carla Baron, complaining about the damage done by 'fake' psychics. Baron is also concerned that America is in the midst of a modern Salem Witch Trial.Urban Legend Come Alive: Mom Cooks Baby in Oven
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
May 19, 2011
Baby in Oven Urban Legend Comes True- Kind OfWeird Bogus UFO Videos—and Their Defenders
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
May 10, 2011
A curious exchange with a UFO believer who didn't like my skeptical analysis.Real-time, Real-Life Abduction Tests Psychics
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
April 15, 2011
A Tennessee woman was abducted yesterday, and dozens of psychics are on the case. How will they do?The Great Chupacabra Memory Experiment & Contest
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
March 23, 2011
Public Reactions to the Chupacabra Solution
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
March 22, 2011
New Skeptical Cryptozoology Books!
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
March 8, 2011
2011 and 2012 will bring more skeptical books on monsters than ever before....Infrared Cameras and Ghost Hunting
Skeptical Inquirer Volume 34.6, November/December 2010
Skeptical Inquiree
More often than not, infrared cameras create false-positive readings that amateur ghost hunters mistake for ghostly activity.
Ghost-Hunting Mistakes: Science and Pseudoscience in Ghost Investigations
Skeptical Inquirer Volume 34.6, November/December 2010
There are thousands of amateur ghost hunters around the world whose techniques are modeled after hit cable television shows such as Ghost Hunters, which...
‘Power Balance’ Bands Shown Worthless
Online Extras
February 4, 2011
Power Balance bracelets achieved global popularity, in part because they were embraced by a parade of celebrities.
A Closer Look at a Famous Study Linking TV Exposure to Eating Disorders
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
January 26, 2011
How the Media Mystify Tragedy
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
January 18, 2011
The press, politicians, and pundits needlessly mystify national tragedies like the Tucson shooting.Richard Saunders Helps Expose ‘Power Balance’ Bands
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
January 11, 2011
Australian skeptic Richard Saunders discusses his role in exposing the "Power Balance" bandsMass Media, Eating Disorders, and Research
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
December 28, 2010
Skepchick Rebecca Watson believes some eating disorder researchers were misquoted. Were they?Family of Missing Canadian Woman Seeks Help from Sylvia Browne
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
December 13, 2010
Another desperate family seeks help from a psychic; history suggests they will be disappointed.The Mysterious Invisible ‘Rods’
Skeptical Inquirer Volume 34.4, July / August 2010
Skeptical Inquiree
Q: I’ve been told there are small creatures called rods—which are shaped like, well, rods—that fly so fast they’re invisible. Is there any truth to this?
Investigating UFO Mysteries Not Without Risk
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
November 9, 2010
Solving a UFO Mystery Is Not Without RiskFilm Review of Hereafter: Ghosts, Mediums, and Near-Death Experience
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
October 19, 2010
Skeptical of ‘Secretariat’
Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)
September 20, 2010
Skeptracking at Dragon*Con 2010
September 17, 2010
Amid the bizarre costumes and assorted geekery, the skeptic’s track drew sizeable crowds...
