Of all the absurd stories humanity clings to, few are more impressively self-indulgent than alien abductions. Apparently, creatures capable of interstellar travel — who have cracked faster-than-light propulsion, quantum physics, and advanced medicine — are also deeply interested in kidnapping random Americans, probing them awkwardly, wiping their memories with the finesse of a bad stage … Read more
There’s nothing quite as inspiring — or insulting — as the ancient astronaut theory: the belief that early civilizations could not possibly have built pyramids, temples, or intricate road systems without the intervention of extraterrestrial babysitters. The premise, for those unfamiliar: aliens visited Earth thousands of years ago, uplifted our ancestors, taught them how to … Read more
At some point in history, someone looked at a calendar, panicked, and decided numbers weren’t just useful for counting goats and debts — they were mystical. In that instant, numerology was born. Numerology: the belief that your destiny can be uncovered by assigning magical significance to basic arithmetic. The premise is laughably simple: take your … Read more
Remote viewing is what happens when you take the ancient art of guessing and slap a government grant on it. It’s the mystical claim that certain gifted individuals can see distant locations, hidden objects, or secret events simply by concentrating really, really hard. In other words: psychic tourism, without leaving the couch. At its peak, … Read more
Aura photography is the perfect scam: expensive, scientific-looking, and so devoid of actual science it might as well come bundled with a free tin-foil hat. The idea is simple — and by simple, I mean insultingly stupid. You sit for a portrait while a “special” camera captures the invisible cloud of energy allegedly radiating from … Read more