Synopsis
Presented by SKEPTIC magazine, MonsterTalk 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
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296 - Mick West vs the UFOs: Part 2
12/06/2023 Duration: 29minI've replaced the intro on our audio distribution system but the system apparently caches the file and it may take some time for the corrected audio to work its way out to the world. My apologies - the music volume is so high in the first 5 mins of the intro it's very difficult to hear the text but it clears up after that. Still, I worked hard on the intro only to make a rookie mistake when finalizing the project. Hopefully the corrected audio will eventually make it to the public. Mick West continues our discussion of trying to solve UFO mysteries while keeping his cool. Mick is the author of Escaping the Rabbit Hole: How to Debunk Conspiracy Theories Using Facts, Logic and Respect. He hosts a leading site for analysis of weird aerial phenomenon called Metabunk. He also maintains the site "Contrail Science" which tries to resolve the pseudoscience of "Chemtrails." Source of the latest "coverup" news story - from The Debrief Critique of that same story from The Guardian.Become a supporter of this podcast:
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295 - Mick West vs The UFOs: Part 1
05/06/2023 Duration: 36minMick West joins us to talk about trying to solve UFO mysteries while keeping his cool. Mick is the author of Escaping the Rabbit Hole: How to Debunk Conspiracy Theories Using Facts, Logic and Respect. He hosts a leading site for analysis of weird aerial phenomenon called Metabunk. He also maintains the site "Contrail Science" which tries to resolve the pseudoscience of "Chemtrails." In the intro there are some clips about NASA and US Congressional looks at the "UAP" phenomenon. I will argue that UAP is just a UFOmism and that the general public is largely unaware these are all just the same old things driven by the same old limitations of human perception and cognition. I mention Jason Colavito in the intro. It's worth checking out his historical take on this modern rebranding. Also mentioned in the episode was the sad (probably psychogenic) syndrome known as "Morgellons Disease." I wanted to include a link for the curious.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--62
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294 - Incorruptibles
29/05/2023 Duration: 43minA look at the "incorruptible" corpses of Catholic saints and a discussion of how they got this way - with Elizabeth Harper. Wilhelmina Lancaster (new incorrupt corpse) Joyce Caroll Cruz book on incorruptible saints (affiliate link) The Mummy Congress by Heather Pringle (affiliate link) Essay mentioned The Violent Madonnas by Elizabeth Harper The Order of the Good Death Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.
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293 - DOATS: The Possession (2012)
22/05/2023 Duration: 55minA look at the 2012 film The Possession which is allegedly based on the "true story" surrounding a wine cabinet and a creature from Jewish folklore known as a Dybbuk. The 2021 Input Magazine article that "blows the lid off" the story of the Dybbuk Box. Affiliate Link to THE POSSESSION (2012).Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.
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292 - Deja Vu
15/05/2023 Duration: 52minKaren and Blake talk with Professor James Giordano from the departments of Neurology and Biochemistry at Georgetown University Medical Center about the phenomenon called Deja Vu.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.
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291 - Montauk & Stranger Things (EXPLICIT)
08/05/2023 Duration: 42min291 - Montauk & Stranger Things (explicit) aka The Philadelphia Experiment pt 3 We take a deep dive into the absolute whackadoodle world of "The Montauk Project" and delve into its connections to the Netflix streaming series Stranger Things. (Karen & I are joined by Matt Baxter) The first book in the Montauk series is The Montauk Project: Experiments in Time. (affiliate link) Brief interview with Preston Nichols - 3 mins long There used to be a very thorough debunking site dedicated to Bielek - but the domain lapsed and now it's a lottery promotion site in non-English. The site is still available via the internet archive wayback machine! Peter Moon is the co-author of the Montauk Project books as well as the Transylvania Series about mysteries discovered beneath the Romanian Sphinx. He is also the proprietor of the online Time Travel Education Center. Previous coverage of the Philadelphia Experiment The Duffer Brothers' MasterClass on TV Series Development Stranger Things (Netflix) The Saucer Life
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290 - The Believer with Sarah Krasnostein
01/05/2023 Duration: 39minAuthor Sarah Krasnostein joins us to discuss her book The Believer: Encounters with the Beginning, the End, and our Place in the Middle. The Believer on Amazon (affiliate link) Previous episode discussing Australia, UFOs, and young-earth Creationism Previous episode discussing the Ark Encounter park.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.
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289 - The Myrtles: Part 2 - Send The Made-Up
24/04/2023 Duration: 34minThe Myrtles Part 2: Send the Made-Up Continuing our look at the many ghostly legends surrounding the Louisiana plantation-turned-bed-and-breakfast, The Myrtles. Karen & Matt just got back from another visit/investigation so check the show notes for some fresh photos! (see show notes at MonsterTalk.org for photos) The Myrtles Whiskey Rebellion Ghostland by Colin Dickey Haunting America by Karen Stollznow Oleander Yellow FeverBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.
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288 - The Myrtles: Part 1 (Dread & Breakfast)
17/04/2023 Duration: 37minA look at the many ghostly legends surrounding the Louisiana plantation-turned-bed-and-breakfast, The Myrtles. The Myrtles Whiskey Rebellion Ghostland by Colin Dickey Haunting America by Karen Stollznow Oleander Yellow FeverBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.
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FTA66 - The Zombie Antpocalypse
10/04/2023 Duration: 52minWHAT IF YOUR WILL WERE NOT YOUR OWN? What if your mind were being controlled by something other than your own volition? This isn’t an imaginary scenario. Real lifeforms here on earth can profoundly influence the behavior of other lifeforms, turning them into helpless zombies, forced to do the bidding of their emotionless masters. In this episode of MonsterTalk, we interview entomologist David Hughes about host behavior modification by parasitic organisms. For more information on David’s work, visit Hughes Lab, part of the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics and The Huck Institute for Life Science at Pennsylvania State University. This episode was previously aired in March of 2013. #FromTheArchivesBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.
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287 - The Demon House of Gary, Indiana
03/04/2023 Duration: 52minMatt Baxter joins Blake & Karen to discuss the case of the allegedly "demon haunted" house of Gary, Indiana. There will be a companion video to this focusing on Zak Bagans' film of the same location in the very near future. You can see a lot of the characters in this story in this Inside Edition clip. Joe Nickell's investigation into this case. Please take a moment and fill out our Airwave survey - just go to the survey page and select MonsterTalk from the show list, then answer the questions. Thanks! This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/monstertalk and get on your way to being your best self.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.
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286 - Strange Arrivals S3 with Toby Ball
27/03/2023 Duration: 48minWe chat with podcaster and writer Toby Ball about season 3 of his show Strange Arrivals, which just began dropping new episodes. Discussed in this episode: Strange Arrivals podcast David M. Jacobs, Alien Abduction Researcher Zimbabwe UFO case (Ariel School) Skeptical Inquirer article Abductology Implodes Emma Woods back storyBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.
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285 - The Entity (DOATS)
20/03/2023 Duration: 01h10minFrom our YouTube collection, we bring you a podcast version of our coverage of the 1983 horror/thriller The Entity. CONTENT WARNING: Discusses sexual assault and trauma. SPOILER WARNING: We discuss many plot elements in detail and if you prefer surprises you may want to watch the movie before listening to this episode. Watch the film here (affiliate link) The novel of the story (affiliate link) Watch more of our deBased on a True Story series. Photo discussed in the episode (via Daily Grindhouse coverage of BluRay release)Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.
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284 - Mr. Savalas' Wild Ride
13/03/2023 Duration: 49minWe've recently been looking at ghostly hitchhiker legends and in this episode Karen brings us a creepy tale from her childhood that is both a strange twist on the original formulation of the legend, and also one that comes to us from big and small-screen icon from the 60s to the 90s - the bald, Greek, lollipop sucking phenomenon Telly Savalas. Stand by as we take a wild ride with Mr. Savalas into the MonsterTalk Zone. Show Notes: The Extraordinary is available on YouTube for free (currently) Weird JFK PostScript If you want to see some of Mr. Savalas' work, a lot of it is available streaming: https://amzn.to/4002ukj (Affiliate Link) Please take a moment and fill out our Airwave survey - just go to the survey page and select MonsterTalk from the show list, then answer the questions. Thanks! This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/monstertalk and get on your way to being your best self.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monst
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283 - Mud Flood and the Tartarian Empire
06/03/2023 Duration: 38minWe're joined by Karl Mamer (The Conspiracy Skeptic Podcast) to talk about one of the weirder alt-histories out there in the monster-adjacent world of conspiracies. Useful Links for Show Notes Tartaria Mudflood - video overview Karl's Conspiracy Podcast The Skeptics Book of Lists - Karl's book Bloomberg Deep Dive into Tartarian Mud Flood Please take a moment and fill out our Airwave survey - just go to the survey page and select MonsterTalk from the show list, then answer the questions. Thanks! This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/monstertalk and get on your way to being your best self.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.
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282 - Hellmouths and Hell Gates
27/02/2023 Duration: 44minAl Ridenour (author & podcaster) joins us to discuss his research into Hellmouths and hell gates. Al's Book - Krampus and the Old Dark Christmas Al's podcast - Bone & Sickle Parco Dei Mostri - 16th century Italian folly 11 mouth-shaped portals from around the world "Gates to Hell" (Wikipedia) "Hellmouth" (Wikipedia) Fulci's "Gates of Hell" trilogy (The Horror Podcast - also by Blake Smith) City of the Living Dead (Streaming) aka The Gates of Hell The Beyond (Streaming) aka The 7 Doors of Death The House by the Cemetery (Streaming) New Orleans Seven Gates of Guineee More gates to Hell via Ripley's (believe it or not!) Poison gas kills animals at Yellowstone Lake Nyos CO2 burp kills 1700+ people and 3500 animals. The Aeneid by Virgil Blake's research into the Stull, Kansas "gate to Hell." Please take a moment and fill out our Airwave survey - just go to the survey page and select MonsterTalk from the show list, then answer the questions. Thanks! This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp.
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281 - The Dover Demon - Solved?
20/02/2023 Duration: 59minWe're excited to be the premier venue for Joe Nickell's latest research on the case of the Dover Demon. The Dover Demon (Wikipedia) W. Halden Blackman's The Field Guide to North American Monsters Joe Nickell's Amazon Author Page Mysterious America by Loren Coleman NPR Coverage of Snowy Owl in California Please take a moment and fill out our Airwave survey - just go to the survey page and select MonsterTalk from the show list, then answer the questions. Thanks! This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/monstertalk and get on your way to being your best self.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.
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280 - The Philadelphia Experiment : Part 2
13/02/2023 Duration: 40minWe are delighted to be joined again by David Halperin to discuss part-2 of the convoluted but fascinating history of The Philadelphia Experiment. You can read a deep dive into this by Halperin here: The Revealer Mentioned in the episode: David’s most recent book – Intimate Alien : The Hidden Story of the UFO William Moore (and Charles Berlitz) : The Philadelphia Experiment The movie is loosely based on the story. David Halperin’s website & blog They Knew Too Much About Flying Saucers – by Gray Barker The Case for the UFO by Morris K. Jessup Jacques Vallee on the anatomy of a hoax (PDF) Harvey (1950) - AMZ affiliate link Mary Chase - author of Harvey Mary Chase (wikipedia) This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/monstertalk and get on your way to being your best self.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.
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279 - The Philadelphia Experiment : Part 1
06/02/2023 Duration: 35minThis story includes the topic of suicide. If you or anyone you love is struggling with thoughts of self-harm please contact your country's suicide prevention network. In the USA this can be reached by dialing 988. --- --- --- We are delighted to be joined again by David Halperin to discuss the convoluted but fascinating history of The Philadelphia Experiment. You can read a fascinating deep dive into this by Halperin here: The Revealer Mentioned in the episode: David's most recent book - Intimate Alien : The Hidden Story of the UFO William Moore (and Charles Berlitz) : The Philadelphia Experiment The movie loosely based on the story. David Halperin's website & blog They Knew Too Much About Flying Saucers - by Gray Barker The Case for the UFO by Morris K. Jessup This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/monstertalk and get on your way to being your best self.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/s
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278 - The Walsingham Ghost
30/01/2023 Duration: 39minWe're excited to chat with Cian Gill, host of Wide Atlantic Weird, about the spooky story of The Walsingham Ghost. It's a tale that scared both Cian and Karen as kids - and they were introduced to it through yet another spooky volume from Usborne publishing! Haunted Houses: Ghosts & Spectres - by Usborne True Ghost Stories by Hereward Carrington (or find it here for free) San Francisco Examiner - Nov 29, 1891 Brooklyn Eagle - Dec 05, 1891 This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/monstertalk and get on your way to being your best self.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.