One of the cornerstones of modern science is the criterion of replicability. Replicability is the idea that if a phenomenon is real, it should be possible to demonstrate it repeatedly and on demand. If a team of researchers conducts an…
What’s the weirdest psychiatric condition you’ve ever heard of? Odds are, this one is infinitely stranger. Delusional Infestation (DI) is a condition in which a person falsely believes that their skin is infested with parasites, insects, bacteria, fungi, or other…
Throughout history, many people have claimed to be able to perform amazing feats that defy science and logic. Such claims continue today in many different flavors. There are claims of dowsing, psychic spoon bending, telekinesis, miracle healing, telepathy, x-ray vision,…
Image Credit: Galileo gambit. (2018). RationalWiki. Lots of new ideas are introduced to science all the time. Many of these ideas are accurate and make great contributions to our body of knowledge. At the same time, many don’t hold…
How often have you heard a mention of a machine called a “lie detector?” According to pop culture, members of law enforcement organizations, and even the U.S. government, a polygraph or lie detector is a machine that records certain vital…
Medical marijuana is an issue that has drawn significant debate. As of 2025, it has been legalized for medical use in 39 states (and also for recreational use in 24). Cannabis is becoming more present in the medical landscape and…
For decades, science and pseudoscience have been compared to each other using a wide variety of criteria. The question of what distinguishes the two is especially relevant today, but scientists and philosophers have historically struggled with this division and how…
Bigfoot. Alien abduction. Backwards masking. Haunted houses. If you have access to the Internet, social media, television, or any other pop culture outlet, odds are you’ve been exposed to ideas about the paranormal, and these ideas may or may not…