Squaring the Strange
Ben and Celestia roll out an abbreviated history of book bans and the psychology behind them. What sorts of fears manifest into the desire to keep information away from people? And which people? Is the current rash of book challenges a panic, or is the fear of such bans a panic? We start this episode with a solid opinion, then find ways to knock that opinion around a bit. Calls for book bans have come from the right and left, for different reasons. The freedom of speech gets complicated in matters of obscenity, "dangerous knowledge" or children's books containing racial slurs. From "The...
info_outline Episode 226 - Dim Mak "the death touch" with Peter HustonSquaring the Strange
Can a human being be killed with one well-timed blow? Without question, yes. But is the secret to this fighting style held by ancient Chinese monks, or a flamboyant guy named Count Dante who advertises in the back of comic books? We look at real situations where one punch (or slap, or chiropractic adjustment) can kill a person, either immediately or after a delay. Then we bring in author, paramedic and martial artist Peter Huston to discuss the legend of Dim Mak and how propaganda, marketing, Chinese culture, the allure of the ancient, Kung Fu movies and suburban American kids fit into the...
info_outline Episode 225 - The folklore of Scooby Doo, with Mark NormanSquaring the Strange
We have a surprise visit from Scooby fan Kenny Biddle, then speak with Mark Norman, folklorist and author of the upcoming "Zoinks!: The Spooky Folklore of Scooby Doo." The show is beloved by skeptics, and for good reason. But did you know the show owes its existence to a panic in the 1960s about violence in kids' shows? Between guest stars like the Harlem Globetrotters and Vincent Price, Scooby Doo also introduced kids to a wide array of cryptids, ghosts, witches and folkloric concepts like curses, mysterious mirrors, and of course haunted houses. The show itself has also become the subject of...
info_outline Episode 224.5 - Bonus episode! Our 6th anniversary!Squaring the Strange
This freebie bonus is us shooting the breeze, thanking folks who deserve kudos, asking some questions about skepticism today, and generally having a good time.
info_outline Episode 224 - A Grab Bag of Springtime SkepticismSquaring the Strange
We chat about several topics in the news recently, from a bright streak of burning space junk over Los Angeles to a very realistic crucifixion reenactment in the Philippines. Ben unravels a weeping Madonna story in the tabloids that also casts some shade on a prominent Italian skeptic, then he gives us his review of "Late Night with the Devil," set in the 1970s and complete with a nod to the late Amazing Randi. Pascual and Celestia talk about DEI's increasing role as a boogeyman, and try to figure out how some legislators seem to believe it brought down the Francis Scott Key Bridge. And we...
info_outline Episode 223 - Deception Studies with Curt AndersonSquaring the Strange
After some current events involving Brazilian ex-president Bolsonaro, a new study on Havana Syndrome, and migrants with measles in Chicago, we are joined by Curt Anderson. A career magician turned academic researcher, Curt tells us about his pivot to deception studies. Piggybacking on our recent episode about Truth Default Theory, we explore more about how well humans (think we can) detect lies. What can a scientific approach to deception tell us about human communication, and what practical applications does the field have? We hit on many topics, from creating better magic shows to dissecting...
info_outline Episode 222 - Modifying the WeatherSquaring the Strange
First, Pascual and Celestia hit recent science news -- a sideways lunar landing, some male-on-male humpback whale action, and recent cell outages. Then Ben and Celestia look at weather modification, from prayer and superstition to very real cloud-seeding efforts. Though in practice almost everywhere for generations, this technology still surprises and confuses people, who lump it in with conspiracies about precise weather control by some all-powerful cabal . . . using a decommissioned array of antennas in Alaska?
info_outline Episode 221 - What Giant Penguins Can Teach Us, with Daniel LoxtonSquaring the Strange
First, Ben and Celestia have several tidbits to discuss, from Micheal Mann's court win to chemtrails popping up in social media. Ben is watching another cult docuseries, and we get into the unfortunate trend of obituary pirating. For our main segment, we are joined by the delightful Daniel Loxton, illustrator, author, editor and longtime skeptic luminary. He takes us on a tour of the long-debunked story about a 15-foot penguin in Florida. But a simple debunking is only the surface of this tale, which has much to teach us about modern popular paranormal culture, the mixing of sci-comm with...
info_outline Episode 220 - You are gonna believe this: Truth Default TheorySquaring the Strange
After some chit-chat about vaccine misinfo on X and "phrogging" on Netflix, the gang tackles truth default theory. Coined by researcher Timothy Levine, truth default theory explains that human beings generally believe what we're told. Why? This seemingly simple concept plays a part in anchoring bias, first impressions, stereotypes, confirmation bias, and why it's so difficult to change one's beliefs. The "truth bias" is a blind spot that we need to be aware of, especially as skeptics, because although people aren't great at figuring out when they're being lied to, people THINK they can spot a...
info_outline Episode 219 - Ai yie yie! AI Roundtable with Kyle PolichSquaring the Strange
We've had this scheduled for a while, but this week AI popped up in the news twice, impersonating George Carlin and Joe Biden, so what better time for a skeptical look at artificial intelligence! Kyle Polich of the long-running Data Skeptic Podcast joins Ben, Celestia and Pascual to talk about different sorts of AI. From generative AI threatening writers and artists to the kind of AI that can help scammers manipulate people -- or even put human lives in peril if it goes wrong. How much of an AI panic are we witnessing right now, and what sort of impact will it really have on our society, our...
info_outlineThis week we start with a quick look at a dog-buys-cookies story that took Celestia down a path of searching out pet videos and, finally, reading about whether or not monkeys can be taught to understand currency. Then Ben revisits an investigation he did on the Pokemon Panic, a wave of illness that struck Tokyo children in the 1990s during an episode of the incredibly popular show--a phenomenon that was referenced again this summer as journalists warned of the strobe effects in Incredibles 2. But what are the numbers, and how exactly does photosensitive epilepsy work? And what was to blame for the thousands of children falling ill that week in Tokyo?