Print

Here is a rundown of the top stories in pseudoscience, psychics, anomalies and oddness from the past week courtesy of Doubtful News.

The media does a fine job of promoting an idea that has zero evidence of existence. This week, it was spontaneous human combustion. Did a man catch on fire from an internal source? If officials can't find the obvious source of ignition right away, that option is "not ruled out". Hmm.

In psychic news, a psychic center gets robbed. They don't seem to be able to help catch the guy.

In Denver, two psychics are arrested for fraud. Police are looking for the hat trick.

And in the U.K., some TV psychics go a bit too far for media regulators who are investigating the show Psychic Today.

Step right up, the famous sideshow gaff, the Minnesota Iceman, went up for sale this week. It will make a great conversation piece.

One of the most famous hoax videos from last year, the baby-stealing eagle, is revealed in this piece that highlights why it was done and why it was SO successful. http://doubtfulnews.com/2013/02/hoax-video-with-42-million-views-what-have-we-learned/

Three stories from around the world served as examples of how mass psychogenic illness, previously known as mass hysteria, can make people overreact.

The meteor over Russia was the best documented ever. But that didn't stop Russians from buying into the conspiracy angle. And even though it sheds light on a past event, Tunguska, science is still no match for rampant speculation.

No, this was not star jelly, rumored to come from shooting stars, but the discovery of some green gooey stuff was linked to the meteor events. What it was is revealed upon further examination. 

A dowsing test will take place in Australia.

Did you know about Scotland's SECOND most famous lake monster?

Finally, if you have proof that UFOs are aliens that will withstand some unidentified criteria of scrutiny by some unnamed panel, you could win $100,000. Kind of cheap, eh?

Out for public comment until March 1, Doubtful News presents the Media Guide to Skepticism. You can submit your thoughts by email. 

Join us over at Doubtful News for more stories, updated every day.

And, we have leftover links of interest posted every night at midnight.

The BEST way to follow us is on Twitter. All the links are posted there immediately and additional comments and stories are also included. Go to @Doubtfulnews on Twitter.

You can also find us on Facebook.

 

Sharon Hill runs Doubtful News, a unique feed of news stories about the paranormal, pseudoscience, the weird and the unexplained with questioning commentary.