Broadly speaking, there are three categories of the unknown: stuff we don’t know but should, stuff we don’t know but may know eventually, and stuff we will (almost certainly) never know. Topics examined in Big—If True: Adventures in Oddity by Benjamin Radford somehow fall within those three categories—even though most of them could safely be placed into category one. Casting serious doubts about established facts almost always stems from ignorance and denial.
Based on his popular “Skeptical Inquiree” columns in this magazine, Big—If True deals with a broad assortment of mysteries—at least as they are viewed by notable segments of the general public. These include Bigfoot (of course!), UFOs (of course!), mummies, ghosts, mystic lights, Icelandic elves, issues associated with homeopathy, and claims about the mysterious departure of Elvis Presley (or is he still around?). Furthermore, Radford also considers lesser-known mysteries such as the Texas Goat-Men and the Chupacabra.
Radford is an investigator, award-winning author, and research fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. Previously, he has authored, coauthored, or contributed to over twenty books and written many articles on a wide range of topics, including urban legends, unexplained mysteries, and media literacy. He also presents his work at universities and conferences on a regular basis and has appeared on many news outlets such as Good Morning America, CNN, The History Channel, BBC, ABC News, and the New York Times. Thus, Radford is a very active member of the skeptical movement and strongly committed to deciphering pseudoscience.
Big—If True is well written. It is organized into eight chapters, each devoted to a distinct topic: Legends, Monsters, Ghosts, Mysterious Powers and Places, UFOs, Health and Medicine, Conspiracies, and Skepticism. The text is enriched by many pictures and quotes, typically by those who have either added to the strange claims or were able to provide additional information or rumors. Based on my impression, each entry has been carefully researched and is backed up with detailed information that can be independently verified. A valuable feature of this book is that each chapter concludes with a list of references of considerable length; it adopts the same rigor as scientific research papers published in professional journals.
Big—If True faeatures many examples of debunking pseudoscience. Two examples in particular caught my attention: Radford’s discussion of crop circles and his piece about the dating service eHarmony. In modern times, crop circles were first found in Southern England and have attracted the attention of the general public, scientists, and fringe researchers alike ever since. Radford offers a detailed account of his work as a researcher and communicator. Today, there is overwhelming evidence that crop circles are attributable to humans—perhaps in rare cases assisted by wind and weather—and almost certainly not visiting aliens. The discussion about crop circles is especially timely considering the ongoing controversy about the nature of ‘Oumuamua, arguably the first known interstellar object detected passing through our solar system. It is noteworthy that at least one astronomer has argued that this object represents an example of alien space technology—although he contends that additional studies are required to substantiate this hypothesis.
The second example is Radford’s investigation into eHarmony, an online dating website launched in 2000 based in Los Angeles. Owned by a German media company, eHarmony argues that it uses scientific methods, including the concept of 29 Dimensions (a registered trademark by eHarmony), to predict great relationships and marriage success. This claim—if true—would give the company an edge over competitors in the online dating industry. Radford describes the many flaws in eHarmony’s advertised claims, including the relatively small number of eHarmony couples who have married (based on information provided by S. Carter, director of research at eHarmony) compared to the total number of eHarmony clients. Additionally, Radford carefully elaborates that the two professional research studies provided by eHarmony in support of their claims turned out to be not meaningful.
Finally, I wish to point out that Big—If True is very timely and appropriate. Unfortunately, there is a steadily increasing body of “fake news” in the public domain, heavily fostered by the wide-ranging capacity of the internet (and sometimes also assisted by image manipulation tools such as Photoshop). The approach and professionalism adopted in Big—If True would thus be highly useful in other contexts as well, including targeting hot-button issues encountered in the political arena.