Society
When skepticism collides with human experience. The societal implications of scientific skepticism.
The return of a myth: Satanic ritual abuse and the sacred status of Argos
In June 2020, the Dutch radio program Argos brought false claims of satanic ritual abuse back into mainstream discourse.
Q without Q: the devolution theory that sees QAnon believers double down in their delusion
By misinterpreting emergency powers designed for war scenarios, QAnon believers claim Trump is still in power, operating the government behind the scenes
The Catholic Fátima movement’s conspiracy theories over the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Pope Francis recently consecrated Russia and Ukraine in a misguided bid to end the war - to the dissatisfaction of the Fátima movement of Catholic priests
Moms for Liberty: serving moral panic with a side of BASIC cannibalism
While conservative groups like Moms for Liberty scaremonger about white guilt and cannibalism, their goal is to use moral panic to drive censorship
Family Constellation: the pseudoscience retraumatising victims at the approval of Brazilian courts
Brazilian courts are disturbingly fond of Family Constellation, a pseudoscientific form of therapy that pushes blame onto victims, and retraumatises the most vulnerable people
The self-help industry is booming, but its advice is rarely based on solid evidence
From love languages, to Good Vibes, to The Secret, the self-help industry is thriving - even though less than a fifth of self-help books are based on empirical research
In an increasingly secular America, religious conservatives exert power via the culture wars
The religious right in America are not taking secularism lying down, and they will cause a lot of suffering if the threat they pose is not taken seriously.
Where mental illness is blamed on spirits, we need to be human to reach people
Some religious cultures misattribute mental health issues to spiritual possession - they won't seek help if care directly challenges their faith
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