A scientific approach to the paranormal

Spook was the first book that made me question my worldview. In fact, it turned my world upside down. I had always believed that reality was consistent and that if science just got advanced enough, it would find evidence of souls, afterlife, angels, demons, and the rest. But this book gave me quite a shock. For the first time, I had to face a frightening question: what if science is ready for those questions now? And what if it has already done a pretty good job answering them?

Jon is such a tender writer, full of affection for his subjects, even when they're doomsday preppers or someone who thinks the world is secretly run by lizard people. In this funny and heartfelt book, we follow Jon on his outrageous travels among the true believers. I hold this book, and Ronson's attitude, as a guiding light in how I treat my own investigations.

Randi has been a leading voice for decades in questioning paranormal claims. As a magician by training, he is an expert in how easily we can be misled with a little misdirection. In this video, he demonstrates "psychic surgery," a pseudoscience technique in which practitioners claim to remove tumors without even making an incision.

This paranormal investigations team is one of the best in the world. The Los Angeles-based group uses the scientific method to test people who claim to have paranormal abilities and promise $100,000 to anyone who can pass the test (so far, no one has). Their website is full of fascinating reports on recent tests.

Do I host this podcast? Sure, I host this podcast. But it's really good, so you should listen to it. Hear Ross and I go undercover in Scientology, zap our brains with electricity unnecessarily, chase ghosts aboard the HMS Queen Mary, worship a naked woman with an occult group, and overdose on homeopathic remedies. What could be more fun? And through it all, we check in with science and critical thinking to see whether the claims being made are all they are cracked up to be.