Squaring the Strange

Jan 18 2025 248 ep. 80 mins 1.1k

Squaring the Strange Podcast artwork

Not just another “skeptical” podcast, it’s a show about critical thinking and evidence-based analysis, using science and critical thinking to examine the world around us, from the mysterious and paranormal to the mundane.

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Episode 245 - Maligning the BMI: What is Body Mass Index for?

Jan 18 2025 78 mins

First Ben and Celestia discuss the LA fires (and a few of the many, many conspiracy theories already cropping up), and remember Jimmy Carter's clear-headed skepticism and humanitarianism. Then, since it's January and we're all trying to work on self-improvement, we talk about BMI -- which happens to be in the news this week for what turns out to be not really news. The Body Mass In

Episode 244 - New Year's Day rituals, our yearly wrap-up, and some minor castration confusion

Jan 03 2025 72 mins

For the first show of 2025, Ben and Celestia go over some of their favorite shows, the highlights and lowlights of the past year, and some stories we never got a chance to tell. Ben discusses the men who recently lost their lives on a Bigfoot hunt, and Celestia goes down a rabbit hole about children supposedly getting sex change operations and how different outlets report on that i

Episode 243 - Drones and Christmas Folklore

Dec 20 2024 78 mins

We recap some news items, including Kreskin passing away, a witchcraft-motivated massacre in Haiti, and of course the Drone panic (?) over the Eastern U.S. Then Ben and Celestia dive into tales and urban legends with a Christmas theme. From playful punisher characters who will gleefully slit open German children's bellies to more modern urban legends about Nativity plays gone wrong

Episode 242 - FAIKs and Faiklore with Perry Carpenter

Dec 07 2024 101 mins

Ben recounts his adventures in Australia at Skepticon, and then Celestia brings up bird flu-infected raw milk, a closing Bigfoot museum, and ghosts that pay rent. Our main guest is esteemed cybersecurity expert, deceptionologist, folklorist, magician, and author Perry Carpenter. He discusses topics from his new book FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinfo

Episode 241 - Wildfire Conspiracies with Gail de Vos

Nov 21 2024 97 mins

This week Pascual is back, talking to Celestia about the Onion's purchase of Info Wars, shady testosterone offers, and a list of things we maybe should be worried about as Trump rounds out cabinet picks. Then Ben welcomes Gail de Vos, author of the just-released Watkins Book of Urban Legends, to talk about wildfire conspiracy theories in Canada. The politically charged stories that

Episode 240 - A second Trump term has skeptics worried

Nov 07 2024 64 mins

This is sort of a rush episode, in the wake of this week's election results. While we don't like mixing our skepticism with partisan politics, Trump has been such a unique outlier in the realm of science denial, conspiracy theories, folklore, panics and rumor-mongering that it warrants an episode. Early indications that Robert Kennedy Jr. might be in charge of public health could m

Episode 239: Halloween sadists with Joel Best & zombie evolution with Mikel Koven

Oct 31 2024 92 mins

Happy Halloween! If we sound like we're on a submarine, apologies--we recorded part of this on a submarine. I mean a small hotel room. After a recap of Skeptoid's Death Valley adventure and CSI Con 2024, Ben and Celestia discuss "pink slime journalism" and phony Catholic newspapers. Then sociologist Joel Best discusses the Halloween sadism urban legend and how the idea that childre

Episode 238 - Electric vehicle mayhem with Brian Dunning

Oct 18 2024 93 mins

Fair warning: this episode contains too much Elon Musk, as Ben and Celestia discuss the Optimus mechanical Turk -- er, autonomous robot -- as well as the awesome chop-stick catch performed by SpaceX this past week. Ben also ruminates on eye-witness testimony and a wacky, weedy case being decided by the Supreme Court right now. Then Brian Dunning of Skeptoid fame joins us to talk el

Episode 237 - Watery Weirdness

Oct 05 2024 99 mins

First a few current events involving a Taylor Swift guitar (or not), the Nazca Lines, a giant naked Trump art piece, and banning solar geoengineering. Then we talk water. Is blood thicker than water -- and what does that even mean? Does water have memory (as homeopaths insist) or feelings (as Masaru Emoto stated)? From alkali water to Black Water to Smart Water, what are all these

Episode 236 - Pet Rumors and Catching Up with Kenny Biddle

Sep 20 2024 94 mins

We cannot let this week go by without talking about the xenophobic rumors that splashed across the national political stage this week about Haitians in Ohio allegedly eating cats and dogs. Folklorists definitely paid attention to this, and Ben also has vaccine rumor concerns from the Middle East. Then, on a lighter note, Kenny joins us and shares some of his recent adventures at a