Cults

Digital Deities: When does celebrity fandom slip into a cult mentality?

Wang Siyao - 21st June 2024

Being part of a fandom brings many people a sense of fun and joy - but for some, celebrity worship can tip into something more sinister and cult-like

Cults

The Cult Specialist: Ian Haworth hangs up the Cult Information Centre’s hotline for the last time

Paul Jones - 20th November 2023

Ian Haworth left a coercive group in 1978, knowing he had to warn people bout the dangers of cults - so for 45 years, he ran a cult information hotline

Cults

A Very British Cult: the BBC sheds light on life coaching and The Lighthouse International

Alice Howarth - 17th April 2023

The BBC podcast A Very British Cult is a gripping exploration of The Lighthouse's life coaching, and the true stories of ex-members who got out

From the archives: A comet’s tale

Mark Duwe - 11th July 2012

From the archives in 2012, Mark Duwe takes a look at a comet in the sky, and the appearances of comets throughout history

- Advertisement -

First do no harm? Treatments don’t need to be harmless, as long they do good

Moroccan Argan oil is an interesting traditional product, but it’s certainly no panacea

Animals, acupuncture and alt-med: the Brazilian penguin being subjected to Enya

Wim Hof: the self-described ‘Ice man’ whose extreme health claims leave many cold

Menstrual masking: the inadvisable trend of treating acne… with period blood

First do no harm? Treatments don’t need to be harmless, as long they do good

Pacemakers don’t work when they’re switched off – we should doubt studies that say otherwise

Moroccan Argan oil is an interesting traditional product, but it’s certainly no panacea

Animals, acupuncture and alt-med: the Brazilian penguin being subjected to Enya

The evidence for pill colour impacting placebo effects gets flimsier the more you examine it

From the archive: Many Happy Returns – Are past-life regressions evidence for reincarnation?

From the archives: The Art of Fakery – Fakes and forgeries at the British Museum

From the archives: A skeptical look at astrology

When it comes to science, the standard has to be truth and accuracy – not false balance

From the archives: UFOs Over Russia

Comparing misinformation to a virus is both accurate and useful in preventing its spread

2000 mules: why many Americans are convinced Trump won the 2020 election

Welcome to the modern American Right – the world that high weirdness built

Donald Trump’s debate performance proved he has mainstreamed extreme conspiracy theories

Med Beds: the futuristic health devices promising to cure you with undefined energy

The meaning crisis, and how we rescue young men from reactionary politics

From the archive: Many Happy Returns – Are past-life regressions evidence for reincarnation?

Faking the faking of fake news, 1910 style: the ‘death’ of film star Florence Lawrence

Unborn in the USA: being honest about IUDs could help us fight the anti-abortion movement

Exploding the myth of the longevity “Blue Zones”, where people live beyond the age of 100

Scientific publication is now fully digital – so who is responsible for preserving our archives?

HADD its day: there’s no evidence for an inherited hyperactive agency detection device

Unborn in the USA: being honest about IUDs could help us fight the anti-abortion movement

The evidence for pill colour impacting placebo effects gets flimsier the more you examine it

Comparing misinformation to a virus is both accurate and useful in preventing its spread

Cults

Latest news

First do no harm? Treatments don’t need to be harmless, as long they do good

Pacemakers don’t work when they’re switched off – we should doubt studies that say otherwise

The meaning crisis, and how we rescue young men from reactionary politics

Scientific publication is now fully digital – so who is responsible for preserving our archives?

From the archive: Many Happy Returns – Are past-life regressions evidence for reincarnation?

About

Categories

Shop