THERE IS A WELL KNOWN CONSPIRACY THEORY that says there is a secret elite group of people who rule the world. There is a lesser known theory that this elite group is comprised of Satanic pedophilic lizard people. One man has made it his mission to tell the world about this threat to world freedom and his name is David […]
IN THIS EPISODE of MonsterTalk, we interview Dr. Kerry Ressler. Dr. Ressler’s lab researches the biological basis of fear, including work to discover the molecular, neural-circuitry and cellular aspects of how fear manifests in the brain. In this interview we discuss the positive nature of fear, the pathology of fear and the evolutionary role of fear. Dr. Kerry Ressler in Ressler Lab Recommended reading […]
THE LATE 1970s AND 1980s saw the rise of a new kind of game. Dungeons & Dragons and its many competitors captivated many high-school and college students, but many parents and authority figures feared that these new games were a gateway to Satanic ritual and perhaps even murder. Author Joseph Laycock returns to discuss his new book: Dangerous Games. Related Links Dangerous Games by […]
ONE OF THE MOST COMMON FEARS in the world is the fear of spiders. But what does a rationalist do when gripped by an irrational fear? MonsterTalk interviews author Lynne Kelly about her transition from arachnophobia to spider enthusiast. Note: This episode deals with spider sexual reproduction which includes masturbation and cannibalism. Further Reading Spiders: Learning to Love Them The Skeptics Guide […]
WE’VE ALL SEEN THE VAMPIRES of cinema and pop culture. Caped aristocrats, sparkling teens, monstrous revenants—which of these best corresponds to the real legends of vampires? Richard Sugg returns to talk about his fascinating research into historic vampire cases. He’s uncovered a recurring relationship between outbreaks of vampirism and poltergeist activity, which will be the subject of his next book. Media Links […]
Credit: Dr. Paul Koudounaris’s PhotoBucket CAN A DOMESTICATED CAT BE A MONSTER? What if it can talk, fly, predict the future and grow to enormous size? Get ready for some of the strangest lore we’ve ever covered on MonsterTalk as we interview art historian Dr. Paul Koudounaris about demonically possessed cats. Art historian Dr. Paul Koudounaris has written some books that will probably be of […]
WHEN THE ROBOTS TAKE OVER, will we all be forced to speak bocce? Author and robotics engineer Daniel H. Wilson visits MonsterTalk to discuss the nature of robots and the risk of a robot apocalypse. Steven Spielberg has purchased the rights to produce a film version of his New York Times bestseller, Robopocalypse. References The Mechanical Turk Big Dog robot Cheetah robot Asimo by Honda Self […]
A POP-CULTURE INTERVIEW with historian Scott Poole on the first monstrous horror movie host, Vampira (Maila Nurmi). His new book is Vampira, Dark Goddess of Horror. Related Links Scott Poole’s official site Maila Nurmi interview Intro to Vampira show Vampira and Me (Documentary) American Scary (Documentary) TV Horror Hosts (Amazing list of local horror hosts) Aimee Semple McPherson (Evangelist) Chiller Theater […]
WAS AN AFRICAN LION WANDERING the streets of Los Angeles? The case of the Norwalk Lion is solved beyond reasonable doubt—yet why do questions linger? Additional Reading Video of Norwalk Lion at normal speed KTLA Story LA Times has height for frame of reference at 2 feet. How Do Dogs Walk MonsterTalk Facebook Discussion Loren Coleman’s take on the lion sighting The Arkansas […]
WHAT CAN A SHAMBLING ZOMBIE TEACH US about the human brain? According to Brad Voytek and Tim Verstynen, quite a lot. Their new book is called Do Zombies Dream of Undead Sheep? and in this episode of MonsterTalk we’ll be talking “Brainssss…” Further Reading Zombie Apocolypse Science Lisa Feldman Barrett Brad’s blog Tim’s column at Psychology Today Additional Media TEDx zombie neuroscience video Crazy Like Us: The Globalization […]
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