MonsterTalk
MonsterTalk: The Science Show About Monsters is a free audio podcast that critically examines the science behind cryptozoological (and legendary) creatures, such as Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, or werewolves.
Episodes
April 29, 2024 • 53 mins
In this episode we talk with professor Jason Josephson-Storm about the concept of Disenchantment, why it's an important and influential concept, and why it is also a pervasive myth.
The Dialectic of Enlightenment by Max Horkheimer and Theodor W. Adorno
Max Weber
The Golden Bough by James Frazer
Deadly Words by by Jeanne Favret-Saada
Our coverage of the homunculus - way back in episode 53!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...
Mark as Played
April 22, 2024 • 41 mins
Is Bigfoot making peculiar stacks of bones in the forests of Mt. St. Helens? Archaeologist Andy White joins us to discuss the hypothesis that was the topic of a research paper by a Bigfoot proponent Mitchell Townsend.
Andy's website (and response to Townsend's claims)
Andy also has a YOUTUBE CHANNEL.
Taphonomy
Bigfoot proponent Townsend has been on Coast-to-Coast-AM more than once, where he also promoted his ideas about hidden imag...
Mark as Played
April 15, 2024 • 41 mins
Karen and Blake discuss three little mysteries they've run across while doing research that didn't quite warrant an individual episode, and which might benefit from some crowd-sourcing.
Examples of "Bigfoot Tree Forts"
Colorado Site discussing
Tik-Tok Bigfoot Structures
Fairy-Braids:
This is a real phenomenon - example article with photos
Loren Coleman discussing MK Davis discussing Bigfoot braids (Cryptomundo)
Some examples of alg...
Mark as Played
April 8, 2024 • 33 mins
Matt and Karen report back from their trip to Devil's Tower, Wyoming.
reuters debunk traced to Facebook Satirical Post
Watch CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND via Amazon affiliate link
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mark as Played
April 1, 2024 • 35 mins
[This episode contains some adult language.]
This is the story of the search for Bigfoot as conducted by the NORTH AMERICAN WILDLIFE RESEARCH CENTER. (Which sounds a lot like the real Bigfoot research group North American Wildlife Research Team that famously setup the only permanent Bigfoot trap maintained by the national park service.) But while a lot of the stuff in this film sounds real - the whole thing is made up. The IMDB pag...
Mark as Played
March 25, 2024 • 47 mins
We're excited to have Professor Chris French back to introduce his brand new book, The Science of Weird Shit: Why Our Minds Conjure The Paranormal (Affiliate Link).
Links:
Wilson & Barber and the "fantasy prone personality"
Richard Wiseman appearances on MonsterTalk
Susan Blackmore (wikipedia)
Anomalistic Psychology
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mark as Played
March 18, 2024 • 52 mins
We catch up with Richard Estep and Bil Bungay, co-authors of The Black Monk of Pontefract: The World's Most Violent and Relentless Poltergeist to talk about the history and strange happenings alleged to take place in the village of Pontefract in Yorkshire.
Website of the house (for bookings and photos)
You can rent Bil's movie When The Lights Went Out on Vimeo for a small fee.
And here is Bil's Parapod movie on Apple's platform....
Mark as Played
March 11, 2024 • 47 mins
This week Blake, Karen and Matt Baxter discuss celebrity UFO encounters. Why are they so popular? Why do we care?
Some examples:
John Lennon
Olivia Newton John
Elvis
Russell Crowe
Mick Jagger
David Bowie
Kesha
Demi Lovato
Jimmy Carter (see The UFO Movie They Don't Want You To See)
Heck - YouTube is just full of these stories.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mark as Played
March 4, 2024 • 36 mins
Blake and Karen discuss The Secret History of Bigfoot by John O'Connor.
The Secret History of Bigfoot (affiliate link)
NYT Book Review
Trey the Explainer on Bigfoot and Indigenous Culture (YouTube)
Michael Barkun's Culture of Conspiracy (affiliate link)
Spokane Washington Public Library reading by O'Connor (YouTube)
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mark as Played
February 26, 2024 • 47 mins
There are lots of things to read about this on the Internet and you will not find a definitive answer, I'm afraid. My conclusions are based on parsimony not on explicit proof. Besides, we all know how hard it is to prove a negative. It's a complex topic with many black-box elements and those tend to lend themselves to conspiratorial thinking.
If you have things to say on the topic, come comment on the episode on our Patreon.
Some...
Mark as Played
February 19, 2024 • 43 mins
A lighthearted discussion of the cryptids of Connecticut with the author and illustrator of
Connecticut Cryptids: A Field Guide to the Weird & Wonderful Creatures of the Nutmeg State, Patrick Scalisi and Valerie Ruby-Omen.
Patrick's Amazon Author's Page (affiliate link)
Valerie's facebook page
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mark as Played
February 12, 2024 • 38 mins
We conclude our two-part look at Boleskine House, on the shores of Loch Ness. Matt Baxter joins Karen and Blake to wrap up this investigation.
Links for Part 2:
Article about sale of Boleskine
Report of death of Major Grant (1960)
A Dark Song (movie loosely based on Crowley/Abramelin working) (affiliate link)
The Cadco Affair - or the great sausage scandal
Pre-fire article (2015) about Boleskine after Page sale
Current owners hope ...
Mark as Played
February 5, 2024 • 44 mins
Part 1 of a 2-part look at Boleskine House, the little house on the shores of Loch Ness that allegedly once hosted an infamous ceremony attempt by Mr. Aleister Crowley. Matt Baxter joins Karen and Blake to discuss.
Thanks to previous guests Peter Bebergal, Jerry Drake and Al Ridenour for their assistance on preparing this episode.
Related Links - Part 1
News article chock full of the legends we discuss
What happened to the kids ...
Mark as Played
January 29, 2024 • 38 mins
Blake wraps up his seven year deep dive into the Kelly-Hopkinsville Goblins case by taking a look at the many myths and misconceptions still enshrined in the Wikepedia article at the time of this recording. Yep - it's Blake rant time again...
The two-part article is published in the UK's Skeptic.
Part one is live now:
https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2024/01/guns-and-goblins-what-really-happened-during-the-kentucky-alien-invasion/
Part...
Mark as Played
January 22, 2024 • 37 mins
A look at Blake's ongoing research into the missing history of the Patterson-Gimlin film.
This is pre-publication and the raw data is not ready to share yet, but we discuss some of the findings.
Episode 12 - Greg Long
Cryptid Cinema - Steve Bissette (affiliate link)
Cryptid Cinema vol 2 (affiliate link)
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mark as Played
January 15, 2024 • 45 mins
In 1979 a man named Ernest encountered a mysterious creature in a tunnel in the Cabbagetown neighborhood of Toronto. Now, four decades on, we're joined by author Jeff Dupuis to look back on this peculiar incident and ask talk about why some monsters go viral and others remain "deep cuts" of cryptozoology.
LINKS:
Jeff Dupuis and the TORONTO Cabbage Town Monster:
Jeff Dupuis - cryptid-themed novels
Additional:
The UFO "Commander-X" -...
Mark as Played
January 8, 2024 • 49 mins
We talk with the multi-talented Miles Greb about AI Art in the first part of what will likely be several episodes this year touching on "artificial intelligence." Miles' work can be found on his website and his podcast (Plastic Plesiosaur) can be found on your favorite podcasting platform.*
Show Notes
Orwell on Politics and the English Language
Understanding Machine Learning with Carrie Anne Philbin
Recent story about artists no...
Mark as Played
January 1, 2024 • 42 mins
A 2023 end-of-year weird story roundup and some lighthearted chatting with Blake, Karen and Matt. Links to coverage follow:
UAP Hearings
Colorado Bigfoot
Nigerian Humanoid
Champ Sonar
Rat Boy Gaffe
Tasmanian Tiger Videos
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mark as Played
December 25, 2023 • 23 mins
Once again we have Ghost Stories for Christmas in the tradition of the BBC's MR James inspired intermittent television series.
John Charrington's Wedding is a creepy tale by E. Nesbit.
Edith Nesbit may be more well known to you for her series The Railway Children.
Patrons get a bonus ghost story The Secret of Macarger's Gulch by Ambrose Bierce. I picked this because of Bierce's brilliant mix of genuine horrors with comedy of mann...
Mark as Played
December 18, 2023 • 70 mins
Dr. Joe Nickell recalls his experiences working on the Season 4 episode of In Search Of… dealing with The Shroud of Turin.
note: if you also subscribe to IN RESEARCH OF, the interview audio in this episode is identical to the IRO cut, but the wrapping intro/outro are customized to the respective feeds. -B
In Research Of… (Patreon)
In Research Of (free feed)
In Search Of… The Shroud of Turin (YouTube)
Joe Nickell covered by The Dai...
Mark as Played
Popular Podcasts
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.
Anna Sale explores the big questions and hard choices that are often left out of polite conversation.
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people.
A straightforward look at the day's top news in 20 minutes. Powered by ABC News. Hosted by Brad Mielke.