Skeptic Check: Cryptids
About this episode
The episode explores the cultural fascination with cryptids like Bigfoot and discusses the implications of proposed legislation in California.
Bigfoot could get official status if proposed legislation passes making it the state cryptid of California. If nothing else, the effort shows that fascination with cryptids has an outsized footprint on our culture. We look at why mythical creatures continue to capture imaginations - as well as passions - of die-hard believers, despite no evidence for their existence. An author uncovers the origin of a beloved hoax in the American West and its unexpected ties to a real animal and historical medical breakthrough. But are we looking for creature delights in all the wrong places? A tally of Earth’s species reveals that far more remain unidentified than are currently known. Newly discovered critters such as the Yeti crab and an organism dubbed the Flying Spaghetti Monster are so strange, it challenges us to separate fauna fact from folktale. Guests: Chris Rogers – Assemblymember, California’s 2nd Assembly District Benjamin Radford – Deputy Editor of Skeptical Inquirer Science Magazine, author, and co-host of Squaring the Strange podcast Michael Branch – Writer, humorist, and author of On the Trail of the Jackalope: How a Legend Captured the World’s Imagination and Helped Us Cure…
People in this episode
Guests: Chris Rogers, Benjamin Radford, Michael Branch, Boris Worm
Topics covered
- cryptids
- Bigfoot
- mythical creatures
- species identification
- cultural fascination
- hoaxes
Keywords
- cryptids
- Bigfoot
- California
- species
- mythical creatures
- hoaxes
- Yeti crab
- Flying Spaghetti Monster
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Big Picture Science, Skeptical Inquirer Science Magazine, Airwave Media
Places: California, Halifax, Nova Scotia
More episodes of Big Picture Science
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Big Picture Science podcast page.