MonsterTalk

This week we're seeking the truth about the strange but pervasive idea that people can use sticks or rods to mysteriously locate things. Water is often the target, but certainly isn't the only one. It might be considered aqueous yet innocuous when the quest is just for a new well, but what if the seeker is being paid to find treasure? Or oil? Or cancer? Knowing how this stuff works (and doesn't) is a fascinating gateway into understanding the human brain and the tools we can use to test this are a great entrance to the methodologies of Scientific Skepticism. Our guest for this episode is Jonathan Jarry with the McGill University's Office for Science and Society. Jarry's article about Dowsing Uri Gellar's side-hustle as an oil & mineral dowser  Gilligan's Island dowsing episode In reSearch of... Water Seekers Skeptoid's coverage of Dowsing Dowsing for explosives (VERY BAD IDEA)

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Chris Woodyard returns to tell us all about the strange and mysterious phenomenon of The Women in Black that erupted in the United States at the end of the 1800s. Patrons can read a selection of contemporary news stories about this outbreak at patreon.com/monstertalk. LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE: Ghost & Witch Panics Victorian Mourning Clothes Whitby Goth Weekend Ohio Cryptid - The Crosswick Monster Gossamer (Looney Tunes) More by Chris Woodyard: Chris' Amazon Author Page (affiliate Link) Victorian Book of the Dead blog Haunted Ohio books blog --------------- Extra:  Kickstarter for amazing monster book

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For the next two episodes we'll be in conversation with Chris Woodyard, an author and researcher whose work will likely be of interest to many of our listeners. This week we're discussing omens and it turns omens can be almost anything we find symbolic or evocative - and they're not all bad. Have a listen! Links for this episode (Omens): Black Dogs as Victorian slang for Depression Telling the bees Psychopomps Colony Collapse Disorder Chris' Amazon Author Page (affiliate Link) From the music box insert: The George Hotel Henry Clay Work History of the Tick Tock Music Box Clock Fisher Price Clock Music (YouTube)

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We welcome back Dr. Brian Sharpless to discuss his exciting new book (due in October) called Monsters on the Couch. The book looks at some of our most common monster types and discusses the real psychological conditions that can appear quite similar to these creatures. In this episode we'll be talking about the sensitive topic of necrophilia - and because this is the practice of having sexual relations with a corpse, the episode gets an explicit tag and the Patreon edition includes quite a few extra moments that were excised from the free feed. Brian's previous MonsterTalk episode Brian appeared on our video series MonsterTalk Live! Pre-Order Brian's Book  Brian's website

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Part two of our look at time travel stories involving old computers covers the strange and twisted tale of John Titor - aka TimeTravel_0 - a self-described time warrior from the 2030s who has come back to the early 2000s to get an old computer and save the world. Hilarity ensues. Part 2 links: The Hoax Hunter reveals his candidate. Reddit discussion of the Haber identity Rochester Magazine coverage - has interesting counterpoints on Haber identity Old posts about the civil war of 2005 from Titor's perspective The operation manual for Titor's "time machine." Stephen Hawking's Time Travel Party John Titor's final post What is 16-bit computing?

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In 1984 a group of people living in Dodleston, England, began to receive strange messages on a BBC Micro personal computer. Then things got weird... Part 1 of our 2-part coverage of time-travel and vintage computers! Links: Pathological Punning - Witzelsucht  A detailed review of The Vertical Plane Where is Dodleston? The book (reprinted recently) The Vertical Plane  by Ken Webster (affiliate link) A segment on this topic from the TV show From Out of this World (1996) A more detailed dive into the topic with some with notes about textual analysis Some lengthy podcasts doing a longer-take: The Dark Histories Podcast Astonishing Legends (Part 1, Part 2)

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Richard Sugg joins us again to discuss the weird story of Bobbie the Wonder Dog (aka Silverton Bobbie) - a dog that took a trip of more than 2500 miles to return to its family. The centenary of this event is almost on us - and this is our 300th episode of the show. Lots to think about in this episode and I hope you'll share your own thoughts about what mechanisms might be at play behind the phenomenon of animals that manage to find their way home. Bobbie the Wonder Dog (wiki) News coverage of Bobbie's legend Oregon Encyclopedia coverage Story of homing cats A Singing Mouse at Buckingham Palace: and other amazing animal stories from the nineteenth century Mummies Vampires Fairies Richard's Amazon page Pop Culture: HOMEWARD BOUND THE CALL OF THE WEST 1924 (Partial - via YouTube) Richard's previous visits: #83 - Cures of the Mummy's Tomb  #92 - Fangs that go bump in the night

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A discussion with artist and author Florian Schafer on his newest book about German house spirits. Links for this episode: Hausgeister: Household Spirits of German Folklore - pre-Order now (affiliate link) Fiction that inspired D&D: APPENDIX N (affiliate link)

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Richard Estep is a paramedic by day, paranormal investigator by night. Author of Grifters, Frauds, and Crooks: True Stories of American Corruption, he’s written more than 30 books on topics as diverse as serial killers, demons, UFOs, and haunted hospitals. Richard Estep (Amazon Author's Page) Haunted Hospitals (Amazon Streaming) Haunted Case FIles (Amazon Streaming)

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We're delighted to talk today with Professor Jack Longino of the University of Utah as he discusses ants! Can you help Karen & Matt out of a tough financial situation? There's a fundraiser here and they really appreciate any assist you can provide! https://bit.ly/helpkarenandmatt DISCUSSED IN THIS INTERVIEW: "Fringes of Reason" book link (Ted Schultz) Walter Tschinkel -molten metal ant nests   Are invasive N. American fire ants moving north due to climate change? Other MonsterHouse Media that covers this topic: In Research of Deadly Ants Monsters in Media - Ants: THEM! Empire of the Ants Phase IV The Naked Jungle (based on Leiningen vs the Ants) It Came from the Desert

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