Bøger af Benjamin Radford

UNREASON: Exploring Pseudoscience, Conspiracies, and Extraordinary Claims is a collection of forty-five of the best articles the legendary Skeptical Inquirer magazine has published in the past decade. Featuring articles from writers including Neil deGrasse Tyson on the process of science, Richard Dawkins on the standards of truth, Elizabeth Loftus on memory, Steven Pinker on the notion of progress, and many others covering topics from the politicization of science to the frightening rise of misinformation, each entry in this collection se scientific examination to bear in order to ferret out the facts and misconceptions behind popular claims.All of the articles within are interesting and readable. Yet they are also quite diverse. Some articles reinforce and complement each other; others (as happens in science) may voice disagreements or differing perspectives. But they all have one thing in common: a respect for evidence¿a demand for the best, most well-tested, most scientifically reliable information. Readers will learn: Why and how conspiracy rumors start, spread, and readily gain believers How to stay afloat in a sea of disinformation and survive the age of misinformation Why and how we form beliefs and adhere to them so powerfullyHow and why memory is fallible¿and what we can do about itHow pseudoexperiments mislead the public about scienceUnreason will arm readers with scientific knowledge to curb the misinformation and misconceptions that increasingly threaten our civil discourse. Even further, these essays present a way for us to be better citizens, equipped to deal with the winds of misinformation and disinformation swirling about us and better able to look ahead to a world where science and reason¿indeed just good old common sense¿can prevail.

Bad clowns - those malicious misfits of the midway who terrorize, haunt, and threaten us - have long been a cultural icon. This book describes the history of bad clowns, why clowns go bad, and why many people fear them. Bad Clowns blends humour, investigation, and scholarship to reveal what is behind the clown's dark smile.

Offers an examination of the role of fear in national panics. Simultaneously, the book addresses why many Americans believe the country is in horrible shape and will continue to deteriorate (even in the face of contradictory evidence). Political polarization, racism, sexism, economic inequality, and other social issues are examined.

New Mexico's twin traditions of the scientific and the supernatural meet for the first time in this long-overdue book by a journalist known for investigating the unexplained. Using folklore, sociology, history, psychology, and forensic science - as well as good old-fashioned detective work - Radford reveals the truths and myths behind New Mexico's greatest mysteries.

For centuries, eyewitnesses around the world -- from America to Africa, Argentina to Scotland -- have reported sightings of dark, mysterious creatures in area lakes that surface briefly, only to quickly disappear. While the most famous lake monsters of Loch Ness and Lake Champlain have gained international notoriety, hundreds of lakes around the world are said to shelter these shadowy creatures. Lake Monster Mysteries is the first book to examine these widespread mysteries from a scientific perspective. By using exhaustive research and results from firsthand investigations to help separate truth from myth, the authors foster our understanding of what really lurks in the cold, murky depths. Benjamin Radford and Joe Nickell are considered to be among the top lake monster authorities in the world. Here they share unique insights into many of the world's best-known lake monsters. They interview witnesses and local experts and discuss the different types of lake monster sightings, delve into possible explanations for those sightings, and examine hoaxes, evidence claims, and legends surrounding the monsters. The authors have also conducted groundbreaking fieldwork and experiments at the lakes and have examined recent photographic and sonar evidence. Incorporating newly-revealed information and up-to-date developments in the cases they present, professional monster hunters Radford and Nickell plunge into both the cultural histories of these creatures and the scientific inquiries that may hold the key to these mysteries.

Combining five years of careful investigation (including information from eyewitness accounts, field research, and forensic analysis) with a close study of the creatures cultural and folkloric significance, Radfords book is the first to fully explore and try to solve the decades-old mystery of the chupacabra.

From missing children to the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, from the efforts to end slavery to AIDS education, myths and deception in the media threaten us all. Presenting a critique of our media culture, this work examines not only the ways in which we are deceived, but also the media's role in propagating those deceptions.