Squaring the Strange

We start with a recap of SkeptiCamp New Mexico, then move on to a laundry list of creepy, crawly creatures: Alex Jones, flying Joro spiders, bug zappers, opposite snakes and Sasquatch Sunset. Our main topic is an update to one of the cases in Ben's "Bad Clowns" book. The West Palm Beach Killer Clown case involves a love triangle, a clown costume, and a pile of circumstantial evidence. It sat with no arrests for nearly 30 years, until Sheila Keen-Warren was arrested in 2017. Among the developments as prosecutors and defense lawyers prepared for trial was a so-called "clown sighting file," with some 25 pages of clowns that came to the attention of law enforcement -- no doubt many such sightings took place during the infamous "clown panic" that occurred around the time of Keen-Warren's arrest. Whether the choice to don a clown suit and makeup to commit murder stemmed from practical advice from a lawyer, or malicious ostension, the sensational news coverage and public's continual interest in this "killer clown" case likely is the reason Keen-Warren was finally brought to justice.

Celestia and Ben have a lengthy A-segment, between discussing the almost-here SkeptiCamp, Ben's recent folklore convention, and what mischief TV psychic Allison DuBois has been up to. We have thoughts on the recently deceased Morgan Spurlock's legacy, and then talk about two interesting developments from the Catholic Church this week. Professor Chris French joins us to discuss his new book, "The Science of Weird Sh!t: Why Our Minds Conjure the Paranormal." Chris has a vast background in, well, weird sh!t, and shares his thoughts on how it has gained legitimacy in the academic world -- as well as the nature of skepticism today.

Ben and Celestia roll out an abbreviated history of book bans and the psychology behind them. What sorts of fears manifest into the desire to keep information away from people? And which people? Is the current rash of book challenges a panic, or is the fear of such bans a panic? We start this episode with a solid opinion, then find ways to knock that opinion around a bit. Calls for book bans have come from the right and left, for different reasons. The freedom of speech gets complicated in matters of obscenity, "dangerous knowledge" or children's books containing racial slurs. From "The Anarchist Cookbook" to critical race theory, we look at some individual cases as well as how effective book banning attempts are today.

Can a human being be killed with one well-timed blow? Without question, yes. But is the secret to this fighting style held by ancient Chinese monks, or a flamboyant guy named Count Dante who advertises in the back of comic books? We look at real situations where one punch (or slap, or chiropractic adjustment) can kill a person, either immediately or after a delay. Then we bring in author, EMT and martial artist Peter Huston to discuss the legend of Dim Mak and how propaganda, marketing, Chinese culture, the allure of the ancient, Kung Fu movies and suburban American kids fit into the creation of this idea.

We have a surprise visit from Scooby fan Kenny Biddle, then speak with Mark Norman, folklorist and author of the upcoming "Zoinks!: The Spooky Folklore of Scooby Doo." The show is beloved by skeptics, and for good reason. But did you know the show owes its existence to a panic in the 1960s about violence in kids' shows? Between guest stars like the Harlem Globetrotters and Vincent Price, Scooby Doo also introduced kids to a wide array of cryptids, ghosts, witches and folkloric concepts like curses, mysterious mirrors, and of course haunted houses. The show itself has also become the subject of a few urban legends and modern myths, from Shaggy's alleged drug use to the characters representing Massachusetts colleges.

This freebie bonus is us shooting the breeze, thanking folks who deserve kudos, asking some questions about skepticism today, and generally having a good time.

We chat about several topics in the news recently, from a bright streak of burning space junk over Los Angeles to a very realistic crucifixion reenactment in the Philippines. Ben unravels a weeping Madonna story in the tabloids that also casts some shade on a prominent Italian skeptic, then he gives us his review of "Late Night with the Devil," set in the 1970s and complete with a nod to the late Amazing Randi. Pascual and Celestia talk about DEI's increasing role as a boogeyman, and try to figure out how some legislators seem to believe it brought down the Francis Scott Key Bridge. And we can't ignore the skeptical holiday of April Fools' Day, a day everyone practices more skepticism and when some creative people unveil some clever hoaxes.

After some current events involving Brazilian ex-president Bolsonaro, a new study on Havana Syndrome, and migrants with measles in Chicago, we are joined by Curt Anderson. A career magician turned academic researcher, Curt tells us about his pivot to deception studies. Piggybacking on our recent episode about Truth Default Theory, we explore more about how well humans (think we can) detect lies. What can a scientific approach to deception tell us about human communication, and what practical applications does the field have? We hit on many topics, from creating better magic shows to dissecting poker strategies, as well as -- of course -- what it all means for skepticism.

First, Pascual and Celestia hit recent science news -- a sideways lunar landing, some male-on-male humpback whale action, and recent cell outages. Then Ben and Celestia look at weather modification, from prayer and superstition to very real cloud-seeding efforts. Though in practice almost everywhere for generations, this technology still surprises and confuses people, who lump it in with conspiracies about precise weather control by some all-powerful cabal . . . using a decommissioned array of antennas in Alaska?

First, Ben and Celestia have several tidbits to discuss, from Micheal Mann's court win to chemtrails popping up in social media. Ben is watching another cult docuseries, and we get into the unfortunate trend of obituary pirating. For our main segment, we are joined by the delightful Daniel Loxton, illustrator, author, editor and longtime skeptic luminary. He takes us on a tour of the long-debunked story about a 15-foot penguin in Florida. But a simple debunking is only the surface of this tale, which has much to teach us about modern popular paranormal culture, the mixing of sci-comm with mystery-mongering, and the different levels of investigation. This leads us into a conversation on the nature of skepticism itself, and where our future lies.