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In July of 2006, some unusual foot prints were discovered in the sand of Lake Michigan. There were very deep, with a rounded impression on one end and a scattering of tossed sand at the other end. What could have made them? Watch the video and see what you think.

They're obviously not made with normal shoes or sneakers, and don't look like any bird or dog that I'm familiar with. They do like they're from something heavy. What made them?

In the video, people are trying to find something to match what they see. They assume that the deepest part is the heel, which matches their understanding of how human footprints are made. They note that they're close together, and that they're in a single line. In order to show scale, they video taped a one cent piece.

So far, so good. But what happens next is directly related to the name of the YouTube account: Lightsideufo. Lightside UFO is an organization that believes we are being visited by extraterrestrial beings. Their site at thelightside.org contains information and advice on these visitations, including "evidence." And, you guessed it... they think the tracks are caused by aliens. Once again, believing is seeing. Oh, and lest you think they're just being a bit credulous, be sure to see the follow up video here for the "real" explanation.

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bedEveryone knows.... that you should make your bed

Everyone knows... that you should wash chicken before you cook it

Everyone knows... that mayonnaise goes bad quickly

Everyone knows... that what we used to know is wrong, but what we know now is correct.

People are often wrong. Experts are only as good as their knowledge, observations, and ability to interpret what they see. In the three cases above, studies and new thinking have replaced "what everyone knows" with new knowledge – and they're all false.

While making your bed may seem tidy, it's been known by scientists for years that making your bed increases the growth of mites. During the night, you sweat and that moisture is absorbed by the bed. In turn this moisture provides a hospitable environment for the mites who breed and multiply as they feed on your dead skin cells. If their concentrations get too high, you may experience itchiness or other symptoms from their excrement. For the best results, don't make your bed, which helps it dry out during the day.

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Category: Newsflash
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Here is a recap of the stories that appeared last week at Science-Based Medicine, a multi-author skeptical blog that separates the science from the woo in medicine.

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chicago_workshopThanks to Jennifer Newport and the Chicago Skeptics for helping to host the James Randi Educational Foundation’s regional workshop in Chicago this past weekend.  Twelve attended the workshop on divination with dowsing rods and pendulums, which was offered free to JREF members. Participants made their own dowsing rods and pendulums while learning how to set up a scientific study to test their effectiveness. The workshop also included a historical review of divination as well as an in-depth look at the dangers of contemporary dowsing including the ADE 651 “bomb detector”.  

Attendees, presenters, and others were then treated to an evening of fun at the Drinking Skeptically event, again hosted by Chicago Skeptics. The night featured video from the JREF’s Amazing Adventure to the Galapagos, a talk by me on the pseudoscience of cryptozoology, a little magic, and plenty of good conversation.

Watch Randi.org for information about new JREF regional workshops in additional cities to be announced soon.

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This week's topics are:
  • Interview with Jim Underdown
  • News Items: Homeopathy in the UK, Cosmology with no Big Bang, Ghost Ship, Meat and Weight Control
  • Who's That Noisy
  • Your Questions and E-mails: Biodynamic Farming, Orgel's Laws
  • Science or Fiction

Listen at TheSkepticsGuide.org or on iTunes.

  1. Bigpaw Sightings
  2. Evidence That Homeopathy Works*
  3. James Randi Meets the Next Generation of Skeptics at Camp Inquiry
  4. Putting Woo to a Good Use