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Social Media Fitness Influencers: From Pseudoscience to Psychopathology
He is one of the most talented and recognizable athletes on earth. He is also one of the most well paid, earning £25 m ($30 m) per year playing soccer for Manchester United. Yet by endorsing an array of brands and businesses, including Coca-Cola, LiveScore, Free Fire, Nike, Herbalife Nutrition, and Tag Heuer, on his …
“Skepticism means being able to see past yourself” –Claire Kroulik-Klingenberg, bringing ECSO to new heights
Claire Kroulik-Klingenberg is a skeptical activist, a feminist, and a promoter of critical thinking. She got elected as president of the European Council of Skeptical Organizations in 2017 and is a frequent participant in podcasts and magazines such as the newly resurrected UK-based magazine Skeptic. Like me, she is excited to meet people at upcoming …
A Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing: Was Gilles de Rais One of History’s Worst Child Killers?
The lurid tales of witchcraft and child sacrifice that QAnon believers swallow wholesale are nothing new. For centuries, Christians accused the Jews of blood libel, an anti-Semitic canard in which the blood of virgin children was allegedly used in the preparation of matzos. However, no figure is more indelibly linked to the idea of ritualistic …
Selling the Paranormal: A Peek inside The Spirit University
The mission statement of The Spirit University (TSU) reads as follows: [It is a] “premier learning center, serving people in Sarasota, FL and the world as it provides healing, inspiration, and adventure. Its classes, events, and one on one opportunities are for beginners and experts of all ages for personal and spiritual transformation, guidance on …
Anticipating CSICon 2022: A Video Interview with Neil deGrasse Tyson
This is the first in a series of interviews I am conducting with the speakers appearing at CSICon 2022, the conference that will take place in Las Vegas in October. First up is none other than Neil deGrasse Tyson!
Georgia Guidestones and the Threat of Overpopulation
American conservatives have been rightly upset by the vandalizing of statues and monuments over the past couple of years. Make no mistake: Confederate generals and vile colonialists deserve no honor. But the way to remove those monuments is through proper legal action instead of mob violence. Yet some conservatives are thrilled by the recent vandalizing …
Kookcytus: Where Anti-Semites and Devil Worshippers Meet
Much has been written about the QAnon conspiracy theory and how believers have begun mingling with armed and dangerous extremist groups such as the Proud Boys. Since QAnon (and its core belief that Hollywood celebrities and political and financial elites are all part of a Satanic cabal that secretly rules the world while kidnapping and …
Making connections: Fiona Fox
The politicization of science looks different in the U.K.: fewer personal attacks and more government decisions based on inscrutable criteria. At the beginning of the pandemic, the government was so secretive about its scientific advice that a independent group formed to apply pressure and inform the public. One of the key moments in this long …
The Social Dynamics of Conspiracy Rumors: From Satanic Panic to QAnon
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 …
This article is available for free to all.The Telepathic Piddingtons: How Post-War Britain Came to Believe in Telepathy
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 …
This article is available for free to all.