Human Behavior, features and articles | Educational Science

Jan 24, 2022

Evil eye: History of the ancient curse

The evil eye is a human look believed to cause harm to someone or something. The supernatural harm may come in the form of a minor misfortune, or more serious disease, injury — even death. Folklorist Alan Dundes, in his edited volume The Evil Eye: A Casebook (University of Wisconsin...

Jan 31, 2022

What is the grandfather paradox?

The grandfather paradox is a self-contradictory situation that arises in some time travel scenarios that is illustrated by the impossible scenario in which a person travels back in time only to kill their grandfather (who could no longer go on to produce one's parent, and hence where does that leave...

Feb 14, 2022

Mermaids & mermen: Facts & legends

In 2012, the television channel Animal Planet aired a show claiming to show evidence that mermaids are real. The program was filmed to appear to be a documentary, complete with interviews with scientists (paid actors) and phone-camera footage. With only the show's very brief disclaimer in the end credits noting...

Mar 8, 2022

Haunting 'mermaid' mummy in Japan is probably a gruesome monkey-fish mix

Researchers in Japan are investigating the origins of a nightmarish, 300-year-old mummified mermaid, which has been worshipped for centuries due to its supposed medicinal properties. The haunting remains are most likely a gruesome amalgam of a monkey's torso sewed onto a fish's tail, potentially embellished with hair and nails from...

Apr 9, 2022

Where did the unicorn myth come from?

The unicorn is one of the most famous mythical creatures, often depicted as a white horse with a spiraling horn erupting from its forehead. It's not hard to imagine a horse with a horn, and for much of the mythical creature's history, people thought it actually existed. But where did...

Jul 3, 2022

Why do people believe in conspiracy theories?

Conspiracy theories lurk all over the internet and cover a dizzying range of topics — from the idea that the moon landings were faked to the belief that Earth is flat. Often, believers will readily dismiss any and all evidence that contradicts such claims, and suggest that witnesses or experts...

Aug 17, 2022

Why Evidence for the Paranormal Doesn't Improve

It seems that every month or two some new piece of evidence surfaces that promises to shed light on an unexplained mystery: A miraculous healing story here, a Borneo river monster photo there. Yet like the proverbial carrot before the donkey, final evidence is always in sight but never obtained....

Sep 27, 2022

Trump Meets Orb: 5 Interesting Facts About Crystal Balls

On his recent trip to Saudi Arabia, President Donald Trump and Saudi King Salman were captured in a photo putting their hands on a glowing orb. The comical picture has launched a thousand jokes and memes about crystal balls. It turns out that Trump and King Salman weren't trying to...

Oct 14, 2022

Why Sandy Hook Massacre Spawned Conspiracy Theories

One month after the Sandy Hook school shootings, the list of victims continues to grow. One man, Gene Rosen — who found six children and a bus driver in his driveway, brought them into his home, fed them and called parents to assure them that their children were safe —...

Oct 14, 2022

Why JFK Assassination Conspiracy Theories Are So Appealing

Fifty years ago, on Nov. 22, 1963, John F. Kennedy fell to an assassin's bullet in Dallas. To this day, nearly two-thirds of Americans believe that a conspiracy was responsible for the president's death. That widespread suspicion of the official story — that lone gunman Lee Harvey Oswald killed JFK...

Oct 14, 2022

Why Creationists Are More Likely to Buy into Conspiracy Theories

When something occurs that's hard to explain, many people say that everything happens for a reason and that the event was meant to be. The thought provides a purpose for what, in reality, was a random, accidental event. This type of thinking, called teleological thinking, is what gives rise to...

Oct 14, 2022

Contradictions Don't Deter Conspiracy Theorists

Did Princess Diana fake her own death to escape the public eye? Or was she killed by a rogue element of the British secret service? If you agree with one of these theories, there's a good chance you'll subscribe to both even though one suggests Princess Diana is alive, the...

Oct 14, 2022

Nearly 50% in US Believe in Medical Conspiracy Theories

About half of Americans agree with at least one medical conspiracy theory, a new study suggests. The study surveyed more than 1,300 Americans to see whether they agreed with six popular medical conspiracy theories — such as the discredited link between vaccines and autism, or the belief that water fluoridation...

Oct 14, 2022

In Photos: Mysterious Crop Circles

Relatively Recent Phenomenon (Image credit: winjohn | sxc.hu)Crop circles first began cropping up in the 1970s, sparking claims that they were created by extraterrestrials. Although two men came forward in 1991 and said that they had created the patterns as a UFO hoax, they didn’t take responsibility for all of...

Oct 14, 2022

Mermaid Sightings Claimed in Israel

Locals and tourists in the Israeli town of Kiryat Yam have been flocking to the coast in hopes of glimpsing a creature that most people believe only exist in fairy tales. An alleged mermaid, said to resemble a cross between a fish and a young girl, only appears at sunset....