We’re joined by Matt Baxter to watch and discuss another vintage BBC look at the paranormal – this time in the form of an allegedly haunted chest of drawers. Check the links and watch it yourself if you’ve got 12 mins to spare. What do you think of our takes? Additional Links: BBC Archive Clip – A Haunted Chest of […]
We’re joined by host of the Conspiracy Skeptic Podcast, Karl Mamer. Karl’s working on a new book in his series of skeptically themed books of lists (The Skeptic’s Book of Lists, The Conspiracy Skeptic’s Book of Lists) and has been looking into the origins of demons & devils in Dungeons & Dragons. Further Reading: Deities & DemigodsBBC: The Great 1980s […]
In this episode, I talk about why I don’t believe in Bigfoot and the core of my basis of doubt. This is part of a new intermittent series wherein we’ll be looking at why a lot of monster stories fall apart when you attack them with Occam’s Razor and other similarly sharp tools. The clip in the intro is from […]
This week on MonsterTalk, Blake and Karen are joined by Matthew Baxter to revisit Karen’s classic investigation book Haunting America — newly re-released in paperback just in time for Halloween 🎃. Together they discuss how the book began as a project for the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF), the fieldwork behind its famous cases, and the updated edition’s new conclusion and color photos.👻 Topics discussed: […]
UAPs, “Disclosure,” and the Influence Machine 🔦🛰️This episode looks at the latest UAP theater around Rep. Eric Burlison’s congressional presentation of the “Hellfire vs. orb” video, how it intersects with long-running media and funding networks (Skinwalker Ranch/NIDS/Las Vegas circle), and why skepticism and provenance still matter. We discuss the hearing, witness line-up, and the ecosystem that amplifies these claims—along with […]
This week Blake Smith and Karen Stollznow are joined by clinical psychologist Dr. Brian A. Sharpless, author of Monsters on the Couch, to discuss cannibalism—what it is, why humans have done it, and how the taboo shows up in archaeology, medicine, psychology, and horror cinema. They cover definitions (endocannibalism vs. survival cannibalism), prion diseases such as Kuru, criminal and paraphilic […]
🎙 MonsterTalk — The Cult of Moloch Show Notes · Hosts: Blake Smith & Karen Stollznow In this episode, Blake Smith and Karen Stollznow explore the history, mythology, and propaganda surrounding the idea of the Cult of Moloch—a figure long associated with child sacrifice and moral panic. They trace Moloch’s biblical origins in Leviticus and Kings, the contested archaeological claims […]
We finish up Season 4 of MonsterTalk, not with a bang – but a chuckle, as we welcome Science Comedian Brian Malow to talk about using humor and science to entertain.
We discuss the sketchy “science by press release” of Colossal Biosciences and the controversies lurking in the history of its lead scientist. Have they resurrected dire wolves? No. Definitely not. If only overblown celebrity endorsed hype was the only problem…Did they make a Dire Wolf? (Spoiler: NOT EVEN REMOTELY CLOSE)George Church’s explanation of Epstein tiesJames Arthur Ray – Guru of […]
We take a look at a fascinating slice of paranormal history in the form of a 1975 BBC documentary The Ghost Hunters. How much has changed in paranormal research since 1975? Not much, after a fashion… Anybody know something about these plastic pub barrels from the 1970s? Show Notes: Benson Herbert – ghost hunter Andrew Green – the Spectre Inspector […]