Nearly half a century ago Benjamin Libet argued the measured, growing potential detected before an action illustrated how humans were at the mercy of a deterministic universe. From here we get the concept, as popularized by Alex Tsakiris, of biological robots. Yet, according to Bahar Gholipour and a bunch of decorated eggheads, Bereitschaftspotential called that hoary conclusion into serious doubt. On the other hand, persnickety science fiction author Peter Watts is busy Debunking The Debunkers against free will on appeal. Peter argues the results of An Accumulator Model For Spontaneous Neural Activity Prior To Self-Initiated Movement are being misinterpreted by laity, twisted by journalists to post something provocative for readers to sell premium adspace for Viagra pop-ups. Read both analyses on the topic, weirdos, and decide for yourself. (CS)

While we might find it fun to say scientists are greyfaces, arguing their rigorous and staid paradigm is doomed to fail for a lack of dynamism, it's unfair to paint 'em all with broad strokes. Behind those pallid façades and brilliant white coats beat passionate hearts which necessitate how these souls are polymaths with divergent interests, fuelling creativity which forges the bleeding edge leading into humanity's future. Tom McLeish is far more eloquent, and blessed with more space, in positioning this provocative argument. Further down the halls of science, Maria Popova wants you to know about A Pioneering Case For The Value Of Citizen Science From The Polymathic Astronomer John Herschel. Scientists only have one pair of eyes, but getting others to join the hunt to further humanity's progress. And that's not all. (CS)

For years, humanity's been scanning the skies in hopes of eavesdropping on extraterrestrials. Mind how those decades amount to a teaspoonful of data compared to megaliters of data out there in the cosmos. There's more than one way to reach out and touch someone, as Greg Taylor argues for some maverick techniques in hopes of kickstarting our first petitions to join the galactic community. And while we're talking about the importance of consciousness over mere intelligence, Sharon Hewitt Rawlette explains Why It's Simpler To Believe Everything Is Conscious. But is simpler better, per Ockham's Razor, or are mainstream scientists merely trying to brush the hard problem of consciousness under the rug by framing it in a materialist context? Consciousness is weird. If it wasn't then how could we fully appreciate The Mystique Of The Unconscious In Creativity. In fact if creativity's roots lay in the unconscious then it very well could play into the whole mess of determinism and free will. That is if I'm correctly reading Albert Rothenberg's thesis. (CS)

Who the heck would be afraid of a crocodile named Gustave anyway? Probably Brent Swancer after his sojourn to Lake Tanganyika, collecting tales of a super saurian haunting its depths. Is this a tall tale, like the fish that got away or is Patrice Faye hot on the heels of the monstery of a new millennium? Also hiding in plain sight is a giant cat prowling Cambridgeshire for god-knows-how-long. Two subjects of the crown spotted, and videoed, the beast per Jocelyne LeBlanc but watching the footage just screams this is just camera trickery with the intent of making a moggie seem more fearsome. But don't take our word! A little more grounded, or landed, is this Ancient Wild-Eyed "Chimaeras Monstrosa Linnaeus" Caught Off The Coast Of Norway by Paul Seaburn just the other day. Perhaps some things are better left to the imagination. (CS)

Magick tends to be obscure, difficult to obtain and pursue. Fortunately capitalism has democratized access to these ancient arts, much to the chagrin of well-meaning skeptics. David Metcalfe notes one not need look further than your local grocery store with copies of The Old Farmer's Almanac right next to the Weekly World News. From there, it's a remarkable rabbit hole about how pervasive these beliefs are and how easy it is to practice them in the 21st century. On the other hand, Tess McClure reckons the outlook isn't so rosy considering The Brutal Reality Behind A Booming Wellness Craze. Folks may joke about five dimensional Lemurian crystals raising vibrations, healing cancer, and drawing positive forces into one's life, but consider where and how these shiny rocks are being acquired. Anyone familiar with blood diamonds, will be aghast to learn similar circumstances surround their paranormal tchotchkes. (CS)

Need a reason to keep Austin weird? Take the Paramount Theatre where Chad Lawson claims he snapped a spook after prepping the stage for an upcoming performance. What Kyle MacDonald doesn't mention is Chad hosts the Lore podcast, covering the frightening history behind common folklore. Is Chad "influencing" on Instagram, or was this a confluence of the strange? Across the pond in everyone's favorite security state, Tim Binnall has some provocative footage from a Security Camera In Wales Filming A Full-Bodied Apparition courtesy of "Disclose Screen 'The Grimreefar'" on the YouTubes. Plenty of questions are raised about the circumstances, perhaps one of our weirdos or skeptics can help crowdsource an answer for this mystery? Also in our dispatches from the afterlife, Paul "I ain't 'fraid of no ghosts" Seaburn is tickled to learn the Ghost Of James Bond Seems To Visit His Daughter Frequently. While this may not be a traditional apparition as outlined in the previous links, Deborah Moore's experienced a string of curious coincidences suggesting her pop is still keeping an eye out for her. We reckon Mr. Moore learned from the best, considering this link included in May 2017's The Anomalist, Actor "Haunted By Ghost" At Guildford's Angel Hotel In 1973. Now that we've primed your paranormal pump full of ectoplasm, Gene Steinberg welcomes Jeff Belanger on the show to talk about everything weird from ghosts to UFOs. (CS)

Pseudoskeptics can argue 'til their gray faces turn blue that a broken clock is right twice a day, but Greg Taylor has a startling example of a psychic "dazzle shot" with the power to break even the most hardened skeptic's brain. Take a few minutes this Saturday morning and witness What The Psychic Saw. Of course there's something to the phenomenon of psi, otherwise Alex Tsakiris wouldn't be giving it the time of day. Much to the consternation of "scientists", Alex continues to push the boundaries of maverick science and consciousness beyond the bleeding edge. This time he welcomes Claire Broad to address the question of contacting the dead and mediumship. Nota bene: Alex isn't one to pimp books on Skeptiko, but he explains why he's absolutely in love with Claire's What The Dead Are Trying To Teach Us and why it's so deserving mention on the podcast. (CS)

Good thing Paul Seaburn explained almost everything in the headline, lest others reckon Riley Horner's story concerns a skateboarding Bill Murray slamming a 'Dew. And this is no comedy, as Paul describes Riley's circumstances and the dire prognoses of her doctors. Not all phenomena associated with brain plasticity is bad, as Harriet Dempsey-Jones explains What Happens To Your Brain When You Use Your Feet As Hands. It seems we're not so distanced from our primate forebears as we believe, just those ancient brain maps are buried deeper than a Denisovan. (CS)

Another worrisome bit of UFO-related news from a very worrisome part of the globe. On the 16th we reviewed worries about a potential UFO-related incident between India and Pakistan. This time it's the Pakistan border with an even more volatile neighbor. Against the background of US Naval authentication of the three F/A-18 UFO videos and the Saudi oil production facility attack, Paul Seaburn navigates us through what is known, what is probable, and what is possible about this particular event, which was said to have happened on September 7th. However, a Commenter to one of the Iranian sites directs us to 50 Machine Guns Struggle to Shoot Down Drone, posted on March 27, 2019 and covering the Big Sandy Night Shoot near Wikeup, AZ, which was held four days prior. It looks like the Iranian footage could have been cribbed from an American "shooters" outing. Appropriated "hoax" story or no, Rich Reynolds has been asking himself about Paul's closing possibilities in Do We Have to Consider that Some Modern UFOs are Earth Made? As Paul says, "Life was so easy when we were sure it was aliens." (WM)

And he underlines his opinion--literally. Author Rick Wilson asked Sir David for his thoughts on Nessie and to his surprise received a hand written reply which left no room for doubt as to his conclusion. One suspects that if Nick Redfern were to make a similar request with respect to The Strange and Ancient Tale of a Welsh Dragon he'd get a similar reply. Mind you, The Bizarre Story of The Bromley Batman is one perhaps even Sir David would wish to be true. Between 2015 and 2017 an unidentified masked street vigilante was swooping down and saving folks in distress, though alas has now disappeared. He called himself The Shadow and some of us wish he'd come back with an army. (LP)

By the time you read this, "Storm Area 51" will be underway. It's worth checking out some of the articles spawned by the phenomenon. Alex Ward and Aja Romano give a history of the past and present of Area 51, with a good map and some archival flight videos of the U-2 and SR-71A spy planes. If this Vox article comes from authors uninvested in UFOs and largely dismissive, Sean Casteel's Dead Aliens, Reverse Technology And The Whistleblowers of "Area 51" -- And Beyond! whips one around in the opposite direction. Really a promo for another collaborative Timothy Green Beckley effort Area 51 -- Warning Keep Out, Casteel's piece luxuriates in the lurid tales told by a number of purported "whistleblowers." Back to the matters at hand, an Air Force General Avoids Alien Questions While Warning Public Not to Storm Area 51. Jocelyne LeBlanc sketches known military preparations, and what's still "on" and what isn't as far as the festivities go. One likely "Storming" keepsake aside from a potential $600 fine is described by Dustin Nelson's Bud Light Is Making a Beer for Aliens That Escape Area 51. The company did not meet its goal of 51,00 retweets of its twitter announcement of the "Area 51 Special Edition," so perhaps the nuttiness has indeed died down, but the can is kind of cool. No claim is here made for the brew. (WM)

Remember the story about a monster spotted in the Yangtze River? We're being told now that clean up crews pulled garbage from the river resembling the creature so there should be no more sightings. Sadly the pollution levels of the Yangzte are far more frightening than any monster. And as we also mentioned earlier this week, historically lake monsters have been reported the world over, although Scotland may have more than its fair share.  Here's A Scottish Monster That Isn’t Nessie, the Linton Worm. According to reports dating back to 1100, this worm-like abomination had none of Nessie's charm and enjoyed eating the townsfolk of Linton, Roxburghshire, in the Southern Uplands of Scotland. If that tale isn't to your liking, here's one that's Not Quite Nessie, But It’s Close Enough. A beastie known as Morag purportedly lives in Loch Morar, the deepest body of freshwater in the British Isles. According to stories, the locals were fairly good at coexisting with their monster and seemed to regard it with a careful affection rather than fear. That's an excellent approach to any unknown if you ask us. (CM)

Some folks of Montpelier in Central Vermont believe they've got Sasquatch in their forests and have taken to social media to discuss it. One such believer has been posting regularly to his blog, and as much as we wish he'd taken his fact checking a few steps past whatever can be found in an initial internet search, we admire his ambition and have a couple of tips to offer. First, if you think you've found a Bigfoot structure in the woods, don't stand in the middle of it. These structures are allegedly either territory markers or areas where the hairy guys sleep. Second, if you insist on standing inside these structures, be sure to wear footwear more substantial than flip flops because someday you may have to run in a rather purposeful manner. 'Nuff said. Next we have some new reports from Lon Strickler on the Appalachian Tennessee Bigfoot. The Smoky Mountains are known for some high strangeness--exceedingly high strangeness--so these two encounters do not seem out of place in any way, and their narratives are simple and unembellished, the way we like them. Keep 'em coming, Lon. (CM)

How the Americas were peopled is one of the primary debates in archaeology. Megan Gannon's summary of the current subthemes and scientific finds is welcome. Particularly important is Gannon's attention to the "implications for Native American communities." One Native American scholar notes how the whole archaeological/anthropological discussion affects how Native Americans are viewed by the larger non-Native population, as "Language creates reality for the world." The extreme position about human inhabitation of the New World is embodied in the title Humans and Dinosaurs: The Acambaro Figure Mystery. Brent Swancer covers this strange, colorful, and entertaining facet of North American "archaeo/palaeontology." Shades of Dinotopia! Brent also discusses a clearly bona fide but perhaps even more enigmatic production in The Mystery of the Sayhuite Monolith. We hadn't heard of this remarkable object and thank Brent for alerting us to its presence, and the intriguing puzzles that existence has created for archaeologists. (WM)

Parapsychologist Carlos Alvarado interviews Gerhard Mayer, a Research Associate at the Institute for Frontier Areas of Psychology and Mental Health in Freiburg/Germany, about a book he has edited on single case studies of various types of unexplained phenomena, such as crop circles, hauntings, poltergeists, recurrent apparitions of the living, and UFOs. Says Mayer: "Single case studies have a long tradition in the field of parapsychology and anomalistics research. Although case studies do not usually provide hard evidence for the existence of paranormal effects, they demonstrate the dynamics of occurrence of such extraordinary phenomena and experiences in the living world." Another book worthy of attention by forteans is Files of the unexplained: The hidden history and forgotten photographs from the world of the unknown, by Clas Svahn, which is here reviewed by Nemo Mörck of the SPR in the UK. The generously illustrated book by Svahn, a journalist who works for one of Sweden's largest newspapers, "is primary meant to make readers aware of some of the contents in the collections housed at AFU [the Archives For the Unexplained in Sweden] and it is bound to spark curiosity." (PH)

Prolific writer Nick Redfern is our focus in this post. The headline offering has Nick and Kevin Randle traipsing lightly over many of the topics covered in the latest Redfern book, The Alien Book: A Guide to Extraterrestrial Beings on Earth. Interesting information surfaces about The Flatwoods Monster, Mothman, and perhaps surprisingly, the Loch Ness Monster. They also discuss the theory that UFOs may be products of an ancient, remnant civilization on Earth, most associated with Mac Tonnies' The Cryptoterrestrials: A Meditation on Indigenous Humanoids and the Aliens Among Us, published by Anomalist Books. Nick concludes by mentioning his new book Flying Saucers from the Kremlin: UFOs, Russian Meddling, Soviet Spies & Cold War Secrets, which received rave reviews from Rich Reynolds. Magonia's David Sivier has a rather different, British "take" about what Nick "proves" in Ufology Meets Kremlinology. Yet Sivier still calls the work "a fascinating account of the American state's fears that the UFO phenomenon was being used by the Russians for psychological warfare, and its attempts, real and suggested, to do the same." Nick speaks to us directly in UFOs: Threats and Strange Visitors. Nick relates a very early case of "Men in Black" and a much more recent and perhaps strange "Woman in White" encounter here. Lastly, we have An Encounter with the Creepiest Couple of All. This time it's a "Woman in Black" and an equally weird male companion who figure in the surreal strangeness. (WM)

Scientists had a mystery on their hands recently when a series of seismic waves began pulsing across the state of Oklahoma. These pulses were especially odd in their regularity, their spread, and their habit of taking Sunday's off. We won't spoil the ending for you, but it's not what you probably think it is. And any End of the World conspiracists can stop rubbing their hands together because today is not your day. (CM)

Today's news on the "Storm Area 51" front allows Jocelyne LeBlanc to update us on the latest preparations for whatever actually happens in less than a week. This includes, of course, interesting details about the sign and beer theme that headline her article. While one Western sign has been (temporarily) removed, Tim Binnall says another has risen, as a UFO Group Rents Billboard in Montana. This one features a quote by F/A-18 pilot David Fravor and an image of the "Tic Tac" other Super Hornet pilots captured on ATFLIR footage. The US Naval brouhahas with UFOs have caused increased interest in the United Kingdom, as Sequoyah Kennedy had reported on the 13th. For comparison, here is how the Bolton News of Greater Manchester, North West England treats the story in UFO Experts Call for Investigations as Unknown Objects Spotted. It's an in-depth and straightforward report. One investigation that supposedly did occur is profiled by Paul Seaburn in NASA Investigates UFO Sighting in Lightning Storm in Spain. Paul does find assertions, such as the NASA involvement, worth questioning, but gives much useful background, and we agree with his assertion that "A good UFO sighting doesn't need music." (WM)

Cropster reminisces back to his days of co-authoring The Yowie (published by Anomalist Books) with Tony Healy in 2007. Standing out more than any other factor was the almost complete lack of evidence for the creature in Australia, unlike similar reports of Bigfoot anywhere else in the world. While most likely due to environmental factors blowing away and drying up clues, it was nonetheless both perplexing and frustrating, making the plaster casts Cropster created all the more valuable to him. Since we're discussing strangeness originating in the Land Down Under, here's a report to make you smile. Kangaroo Hops Through Buckhead? A driver in Georgia had a bit of a surprise when she noticed what looked like a kangaroo out of the corner of her eye as she drove past. Of course authorities made it out to be a joke, and even her own husband had his doubts. But she stands by her reports and to date the 'roo remains at large. Remember to drive carefully if you find yourself in Morgan County folks. Kangaroos are a lot like squirrels and they don't look before crossing the road.  (CM)

Michio Kaku's presentation at the recent Barcelona Ufology World Congress has predictably riled up the Metabunkers. And they have a point, even if one isn't swayed by their efforts to prove the three ATFLIR videos at issue must be of ordinary phenomena. Kaku's statement that "Now the burden of proof is on the government to prove they're not from intelligent beings in outer space" goes too far. But whatever one thinks about the videos, they apparently stumped naval experts and whomever the AATIP enlisted to analyze them. Further, ironclad relationship of multiple radar systems to what's imaged on the trio of vids or not, a whole bunch of complementary but independent observations were made during particularly the 2004 Nimitz encounters, and the testimonies of professional people who were actually there cannot lightly be tossed aside. Jamie Carter thinks it's unfair to saddle Uncle Sam with the burden of proof, as he advises UFO Sightings Will Soon Peak. Don't Blame The Government. This is a useful star/planetgazer's reference for upcoming natural heavenly alignments, even with its scoffing attitude toward UFOs. One person who doesn't laugh at how UFOs could be used is Jack Brewer, who's got a piece on possible hijinks involving a now-deceased General. Brewer's FBI Had Interest in Flickinger Contacts makes for interesting reading, while not proving anything about General Donald D. Flickinger's loyalties or actions. (WM)

Shades of the movie Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home! Former NASA research scientist Kevin Knuth is said to be hypothesizing that the "Tic Tacs" of the 2004 Nimitz encounters could be monitoring the migration of whales. Mike Damante has this next surprising turn in the story of Naval/UFO encounters that broke in December 2017. While this latest Knuth rumination is "not ready for full public consumption," a search does bring up Estimating Flight Characteristics of Anomalous Unidentified Aerial Vehicles, by Knuth, Robert Powell, and Peter Reali, which came online late last month. This study focuses on the 2004 Nimitz as well as aerial incidents in 1951 and 1986 to model mathematically the possible speeds, accelerations, and amounts of energy produced during the antics of the UFOs involved. The results are eye-popping, as are the "Conclusions" toward the end of the paper. (WM)

Here's a triad of weirdness coming to us courtesy of Lon Strickler, a man trusted with some of the wildest, most goosebump-inducing reports out there. First up is a large, dark and semi bipedal creature spotted in the middle of the night in north Toronto, Canada. Considering the prevalence of food--both waste and wildlife (Have you seen the numbers of Canada Geese this year?)--and the very large population putting off all sorts of energy, Toronto isn't a surprising location for freaks, both natural and interdimensional. Next, one of Lon's readers writes in with a Skinwalker Encounter on the Navajo Reservation. Its description isn't that different from what we've just discussed, but with additional details regarding speed and ability to jump. The witness mentions that these abominations feed on fear, which brings to mind stories of BEK's. Was the Black-Eyed Kid Actually Fae? This encounter takes place in Ireland, but other than location it is textbook BEK stuff. The witness however was smart/frightened enough to not let the "child" into her home, and was later informed by her mother that she had been visited by the Fae. As an interesting aside, details of Fae abductions often parallel those of alien abduction reports, so there's likely more to this than immediately meets the eye. (CM)

Every year Loren Coleman awards a "Golden Yeti" to the cryptozoologist of the year. Narrowing down the candidates for 2019 has proven an impossible task and so this honor will be awarded to the following three undeterrable investigators:  Craig Woolheater, Lyle Blackburn, and Ken Gerhard. Thank you, gentlemen. And the good news just keeps on coming: Bigfoot Museum Celebrates One-Year Anniversary. The Crossroads of America Bigfoot Museum in Hastings, Nebraska, was founded last year by Harriet McFeely, aka The Bigfoot Lady. The museum "doesn't aim to change minds," she says, rather its goal is to facilitate open-minded discussion and debate about all things squatchy. Keep it up, Harriet! And finally a Bigfoot film premieres at Canton Palace Theatre in Ohio. It's Seth Breedlove's latest oeuvre, MOMO: The Missouri Monster , which "harkens back to a time when drive-ins were full of carloads of terrified teenagers and screens were full to the brim with monsters and flying saucers." Those were the days. (CM)

Even those familiar with the Contactees of the 50s and 60s will find Hakan Blomqvist's tale of the Johanssons rather challenging. It's got John Keel's "windows"; telepathic contacts from the "space people"; re-entering American spy satellites; Adamski-type craft making circles in the sky; shortish, large-headed entities with shining red eyes; and physical shaking and EM effects on a vehicle--plus several hours of missing time. Whew! Speaking of Keel, A Letter to Mort Young, and a Decennial continues Doug Skinner's publication of John Keel's notes and correspondence, which blog Skinner began ten years ago this September 9th. This and Correspondence with Coral Lorenzen, May 12 & 13, 1966 reflect the heady days between the Dexter/Hillsdale Michigan "swamp gas" sightings and the formation of the University of Colorado UFO Project (Condon Committee). One notes the excitement Keel felt and the hopes he could contribute to the unraveling of the UFO conundrum. And Curt Collins has another interesting piece of UFO history in The Blue Ribbon UFO Panel of the National Enquirer. (WM)

How about this headline to start the workweek? Danny Silva presents the 21-minute video Indian researcher Sabir Hussain has assembled on the dangers of a UFO-related nuclear war between Indian and Pakistan. However one might differ with some of Hussain's assertions, he makes clear that the situation between the two nuclear powers is extraordinarily grave. Silva's comments about the effort are on point, particularly with respect to the constructive role of To The Stars...Academy of Arts & Science (TTSA) members in attempting to reduce the risk of conflagration. John Greenewald casts further doubt upon the propriety of TTSA's release of the three FA/18 videos of "UAPs," while confirming when they were made, in U.S. Navy Releases Dates of Three Officially Acknowledged Encounters with "Phenomena." One prominent scientist hails the vids' release as leading to A 'Turning Point' on UFOs: Physicist Michio Kaku tells Ufology Conference the Truth is out There. Melissa Rossi covers the recent Ufology World Congress in Barcelona which featured Kaku, Nick Pope, and what may be described as the full gamut of UFO-related positions and people. As Rossi's article proceeds, that observation becomes fully apparent. (WM)

Something is living in the Yangzte River and it's full on creepy. Truth be told, anything able to live in that industrially polluted chemical stew is going to be creepy and unnatural and really tough to kill--so the monster hunters out there don't need to get any ideas. There are plenty of others to choose from.  There’s “Something” in the Waters, as Nick Redfern reminds us, with earliest reports dating back to 1638. Often coming from seasoned sailors, who could be forgiven for seeing things after too long at sea, but also reported by unsuspecting folk looking out over the water from shore, it seems no one is immune to spying a great orm among the waves. Fortunately for us, a gentleman named Henry Lee dedicated himself in the early 19th century to documenting every serpentine tale he could, allowing us the pleasure of Opening a Catalog of Sea Monsters today. Definitely a more comfortable option for any armchair monster hunters like yours truly. (CM)

It is a good day when we read of the bad guys getting what's coming to them. A charlatan who had attached herself to a sad and lonely woman with promises of removing a curse has been given a prison term and a hefty fine. Sounds like this fraud is the one who is cursed --with a lack of morality. No fix for that one, however. On the other side of the ledger, here are Some of the Craziest Psychic Scams that Actually Worked. Do you want to find out if you have real psychic gifts? Simple Psi – A New Free, Online Psi Testing and Training App is available from The Windbridge Institute, who "work to normalize, optimize, and utilize psi." It resembles a rudimentary video game, but instead of a joystick, the participants use their minds. We're suspect it might be a tad addictive, so set aside a little time to find out if you're the next great psi phenom. (CM)

Is this a small preview of the military response to this week's supposed mass incursion into Area 51? Tim Binnall has the details upon a profoundly foolish set of actions by two Dutch trespassers into the Nevada National Security Site. On a minor current sensation, the U.S. is not just concerned about human incursions into its protected territory. An Expert Says US Government is Tracking Snake-Like UFOs, says Paul Seaburn. British researcher Gary Heseltine thinks the rise of "snake-like" UFO reports is very meaningful, and not caused just by the proliferation of weird-shaped balloons. Paul deals with another rising sensation with Alleged 'Flying Humanoids' Reported Over Switzerland, Russia and Mexico's Pyramid of the Dead. It's more in the balloons-as-UFOs vein, with a real-world (?) robotic failure thrown in. (WM)