MonsterTalk

December 5, 2012

060 – SASQUATCH: KETCHUM IF YOU CAN

In this episode of MonsterTalk, your hosts interview Dr. Todd Disotell on the recent press release regarding Melba Ketchum’s Sasquatch DNA research. Disotell returns for the second time since his visit on the very first episode of MonsterTalk with news about Spike TV’s new Bigfoot show, Bigfoot DNA, science by press-release, and lots of other goodies. Topics in this episode The difference between Homin, Hominid and […]

Regular Episode 30 sec read

October 24, 2012

059 – YEC AND BEOWULF: It’s verse than you think

THERE ARE THOSE WHO BELIEVE the Earth is only about 6000 years old. They believe that the evidence for this is all in the Bible, but as we’ve discussed on MonsterTalk before, they still seek confirmatory evidence from other works. So it was only a matter of time before someone suggested that the epic poem Beowulf helps prove that (a) the earth […]

Regular Episode 50 sec read

September 12, 2012

058 – YOKAI ATTACK!

THIS WEEK ON MONSTERTALK, we interview Matt Alt and Hiroko Yoda, authors of Yokai Attack! The Japanese Monster Survival Guide, a book which details many folkloric monsters of Japan. From the slash-mouthed woman to a giant disgusting foot—these creatures have inspired fear and wonder in Japan and influenced books, movies and video-games. 2012 Parsec Award Winner!Best “Fact Behind the Fiction” Podcast Ben […]

Regular Episode 40 sec read

August 22, 2012

057 – THE BLAIR FISH PROJECT

FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, people who made their living by working the sea have reported creatures that appeared to be half-human and half-fish. Some of these stories are legends and fairy tales, but more recent sightings are reported as real animals. Confounding things even more are mummified mermaids brought to Europe from sailors coming back from Asia. A recent Animal Planet “documentary” […]

Regular Episode 46 sec read

August 8, 2012

056 – ASSAULT & GIANT BATTERY

Popobawa illustration (above) by Zanzibari Chande (commissioned by Benjamin Radford) FOR DECADES, legends of a giant sexually-assaulting bat-creature have trickled out of Zanzibar. In this episode of MonsterTalk we interview Ben Radford about his investigation of the creature and the role that the monster called Popabawa has played in culture and politics in the United States. Music Monstertalk Theme: Monster by Peach Stealing Monkeys

Regular Episode 18 sec read

June 13, 2012

055 – SKEPTICS ARE REDOUBTABLE

The hosts of MonsterTalk interview Sharon Hill. The discussion includes updates on the latest in monster news trends, as well as information about The Amaz!ng Meeting—the James Randi Educational Foundation’s annual meeting of skeptical scientists, researchers, artists, performers, teachers and other rational-minded folk in Las Vegas, Nevada. Also in this episode, Brian Thompson of the JREF stops by to discuss TAM 2012. Follow Sharon Hill […]

Regular Episode 22 sec read

May 2, 2012

054 – QU’EST QUE C’EST?

Remorseless killers are the stuff of countless films. Sadly, the real world has even more of them. Jack the Ripper, Ted Bundy, H. H. Holmes, John Wayne Gacy—these remorseless psychopaths filled graveyards with corpses and sleeping minds with nightmares. But these aren’t monsters—they’re real people who have a brain that developed differently than most peoples. Author Jon Ronson joins us […]

Regular Episode 30 sec read

April 25, 2012

053 – ONAN THE JAR BURYING

In modern science the homunculus refers to various models of the human mind, but in medieval times it was something quite different. Join us for a fascinating interview with professor William R. Newman, of Indiana University’s Department of History and Philosophy of Science. He is the author of seven books, including Promethean Ambitions: Alchemy and the Quest to Perfect Nature—a book which provides […]

Regular Episode 28 sec read

April 4, 2012

052 – THYLACINEMA AND NOCTURNAL SUBMISSIONS

Interview with Daniel Nettheim Join the hosts of MonsterTalk for an interview with Daniel Nettheim, director of a new film about a man hunting for thylacines. The Hunter stars Willem Dafoe as the eponymous character tasked with seeking out the last living thylacine in the wild. Watch the trailer for the film on iTunes or YouTube. Cameo with Scott Sigler Scott Sigler calls in to discuss his […]

Regular Episode 25 sec read

March 28, 2012

051 – WHAT THE BIGFOOT MARKET WILL BEAR

IN THE FORESTS OF PENNSYLVANIA, on a dark September night, a trail-cam took a series of controversial pictures. The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO) still claims they show a juvenile Bigfoot. Skeptics claim the photos show a bear. Join the hosts of MonsterTalk as they discuss Bigfoot photos, fair-use and the economics of unusual photos. Read the BFRO’s analysis of the “Jacobs Creature” photos. […]

Regular Episode 3 min read