Category: Feature Article

Almost all past interpretations of conspiracy stories focus on the psychology of personality, emphasizing personal beliefs, motives, and preconceptions while ignoring their social constructions in groups. This article instead takes an alternative sociological approach, one that focuses on the influences of history, culture, and political organization. The difference between focusing on a conspiracy “theory” and …

If a Mr. J.H. Davidson, assistant head of variety (music) at the BBC, had had his way in 1948, the British public would never have experienced a two-year media frenzy—as it wasn’t called in those days—over the mind-reading abilities of a personable young couple whose deeds baffled everyone who tried to explain them. Davidson had …

After my diagnosis with breast cancer in 2003, I saw firsthand my fellow cancer patients being targeted by alternative medicine practitioners. These poorly trained people claimed that they knew the secrets of preventing cancer, had a cure for it, and had a product that would prevent our cancers from returning. My local support group would …

The legend of the Mothman has pervaded modern cryptozoological lore since the late twentieth century, when the creature was first spotted near Point Pleasant, West Virginia, on November 15, 1966 (“Couples See Man-Sized Bird …” 1966). It was then reported by various witnesses for the next thirteen successive months (Monstrum 2019). The creature was originally …

It is close to impossible for anyone to intuitively understand the complex and surprising process of human vision. As a result, most people do not have a fundamental grasp of how they see. This is an odd state of affairs, considering how much we rely on vision. Although the science is not complete, enough is …

Mathematics has long had a place in the arsenal of anti-evolutionism, but in recent years it has become especially prominent. This is understandable because mathematics affords the possibility of an “in-principle” argument against evolution. If you can carry out a calculation to show that evolution is impossible or can appeal to an abstract mathematical principle …

On Sunday, July 7, 1996, what has been called “one of the most complex and spectacular crop circle designs ever seen” (Andrews 2009) appeared in England. It was an astonishing fractal pattern called a Julia Set, which clearly demonstrates some sort of intelligence. It is unique in crop circle history for several reasons, including the …

There is a traditional belief that moonlight can be used to bleach laundry linen. Because of the low intensity of moonlight compared to that of sunlight, this appears implausible in light of current scientific understanding. However, J.P. Parisot (1986) suggested that the bleaching effect is real and is caused by the presence of hydrogen peroxide …

In India, astrological matchmaking is invariably the very first filter applied in the selection process of arranged marriages. Close to 90 percent of marriages in India are arranged, so clearly astrology is very popular. This popularity warrants scientific and transparent testing of Indian astrology, but, perhaps surprisingly, to date no astrologers have aggressively sought to …

My goals as a science educator are to teach students the essential skills of science literacy and critical thinking. Helping them understand the process of science and how to draw reasonable conclusions from the available evidence can empower them to make better decisions and protect them from being fooled or harmed. Yet while educators agree …

In a recent issue of the Skeptical Inquirer, Editor Kendrick Frazier (July/August 2021) noted that UFOs, and the space aliens who putatively drive them, are actually being taken seriously by current mainstream media. This is happening in outlets we would normally expect to showcase scientific thinking rather than UFO promotion and publicity. Paranormal beliefs are …

Miracle claims abound, not only at any of various holy shrines but indeed anywhere a religious issue may arise. Here we consider such claims as they apply specifically to photographs and offer a Miracle Photograph Identification Chart. What Is a Miracle? Before turning to the subject of miracle photos, we must first consider the meaning …

The early twentieth century in Russia was a tumultuous time. The October Revolution of 1917 saw revolutionary Bolshevik forces establish the world’s first communist nation. This huge transition created political vacuums, eagerly filled by power-hungry and often unscrupulous men. Joseph Stalin is doubtlessly the most infamous occupant of this rogues’ gallery. His vaulting ambition was …

The moment is burned into my brain like a flashbulb memory: I was teaching Introduction to Biology, a general education class for students not majoring in science. It was near the end of the semester, and, having just covered basic genetics, I was lecturing on the stages of mitosis. My students looked completely deflated. I …

In early March 2020, when the United States was just recognizing the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic, I got a text from my college-aged son late one night. At its core was a rumor that America was about to undergo martial law, thus allowing military decisions to take the place of existing laws. My son …

In 1971, the magazine Man, Myth and Magic reported sightings of the ghost of an eighteenth-century vicar on the docks of Wapping in east London (Smyth [anonymously] 1971). The article quoted several witnesses to a sinister vicar whose ghostliness was revealed by his tendency to suddenly disappear. Historically, there had been a local vicar who …

For a number of years, I’ve been teaching a graduate seminar at the University of California, Irvine, titled Memory and the Law. The course has a strong focus on the repressed memory controversy. In the 1990s, thousands of individuals claimed to have recovered repressed memories of extensive brutalization, often after suggestive psychotherapy. Sometimes they claimed …

I realize that the title of this article is a bit confrontational. To be very clear, I’m going to be explicit in a few things that I might be able to take for granted: First, when I use the term skepticism, it refers to the positions taken by Martin Gardner, Ray Hyman, and James Randi …

Many conservatives, including religious conservatives, believe there is no such thing as climate change, despite the fact that there is immense evidence that demonstrates it—evidence far beyond the scope of this article to summarize. They simply ignore the evidence and assume climate change must not be real. Perhaps the most astonishing example of this rejection …

Just north of Columbia, South Carolina, lies the little-known town of Winnsboro. Often called the “Charleston of the Upcountry,” this quaint small town is rich in historical tradition. Victorian buildings are scattered throughout the city, and much of the business district is listed in the National Historic Register. One can view the town clock, visit …

Vaccination confers almost total protection to all adults fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. Because over 650,000 persons have died in the United States alone from this pandemic, it becomes vital to fully understand the phenomenon of vaccine refusal. Recent news sources reported that COVID-19 cases are rising in almost every state, resulting in increasing …

You may bend over backward to defend your pet “alternative” remedy—herbal medicines, acupuncture, Chinese traditional medicine, tribal witchdoctor cures—whatever it is. If the evidence supports it, your pet remedy deserves to be embraced by orthodox medicine. But homeopathy is in a class of its own. Not only does it not work, but—with a reservation to …

Since the 1960s, relativism about natural science has been a major trend in parts of the social sciences. Proponents of social constructivism, the strong program, deconstructionism, and postmodernism describe results from natural science as power-based social constructions rather than the currently best knowledge about the natural world. Critics have accused them of contributing to the …

Organized skepticism has a reputation for attracting physicists and psychologists. To test that notion, I grabbed the March/April 2021 Skeptical Inquirer and looked at the affiliations of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) Fellows and its Scientific and Technical Consultants listed on the inside covers. According to my count, about 20 percent of the total …

Pastor Jeremiah Johnson had three prophetic visions on October 20, 2020 (The Altar Global 2021a). The first was of the Los Angeles Dodgers winning the World Series that began on that day. The second was of Amy Coney Barrett’s appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court. The third was of Donald Trump winning reelection. When the …