Robert Bartholomew will discuss his investigation into ‘Havana Syndrome’ and the bad science behind it. He describes it as a myth that is a product of shoddy science, poor journalism and bad government. He will also examine the history of mass psychogenic illness (aka, ‘mass hysteria) from the strange case of the meowing nuns during the latter Middle Ages to more recent outbreaks involving hiccupping schoolgirls in Massachusetts to recent claims that Lucky Charms cereal is making people sick. Yes – mass psychogenic illness is alive and well, yet many people including medical professionals do not have an accurate understanding of the concept and incorrectly equate it with mental illness or psychological weakness.
Robert Bartholomew is an Honorary Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychological Medicine at the University of Auckland who has written extensively on mass psychogenic illness, hoaxes, popular delusions, and pseudoscience. He has also written extensively on topics on the margins of science including UFOs, ghosts, haunted houses, Bigfoot, and lake monsters, and describes himself as a sympathetic skeptic. He is also a certified middle and high school teacher who has taught History, Social Studies, English, and Global Studies in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. He is the author of Havana Syndrome: Mass Psychogenic Illness and the Real Story Behind the Embassy Mystery and Hysteria with UCLA Neurologist Robert Baloh.
This talk took place on July 21, 2022, at 7:00 pm EDT.