New research on “the hum”. Facebook fakes take a very weird turn. Scammers are everywhere online.
Category: News
News blips: Havana syndrome evaporates and headlines burn up about plate tectonics
A new study further dispels concerns that Havana syndrome was caused by a secret weapon. And new research about plate tectonics in the Atlantic is wildly exaggerated.
Up on a Pennsylvania housetop, a metal mystery
A large piece of metal of unknown origin appeared on the roof of a Philadelphia home. It did not come from a plane. And, Schuylkill notes update.
When every flash is an earthquake light, we have lost the plot
Media outlets label electrical flashes during earthquakes as “earthquake lights”.
What’s with these latest opinion polls on ghosts and cryptids?
Two sets of survey results asking about the reality of questionable entities show high rates of belief in ghosts, Bigfoot, and other cryptids.
A bouquet of interesting news for 11 Jan 2024
News briefs: Arizona jaguar, megalodon tooth, Gigantopithecus blacki, resuscitating a pine marten, hawk killing law, magpie attacks.
History of mystery booms as recent news
Mystery booms and skyquakes are reported often in the news. Popular interest and fear in these strange sounds from the sky began in earnest in 2011 and continue to today.
Tiny earthquake rattles hundreds of New Yorkers
A small quake was a big surprise and caused concerns for some city residents and first responders.
Mystery boom from December 2023, Council Bluffs, Iowa
An unexplained mystery boom rattled a neighborhood in Council Bluffs, Iowa around 5:20 PM on the night of December 20. The interesting characteristic of this incident is a reflection in a vehicle window. I have a guess at what it was.
Dogs, not a lizardman, will rip your car apart
Dogs were caught on camera doing surprising damage to cars. It’s yet another reminder that we do not need to invoke monsters as the cause of mysterious situations.
Earthquake lights (pseudoEQLs) video from India
Social media accounts shared video of “earthquake lights” that appeared near Delhi, India after the Hindu Kush quake on 21-March. But the lights were not what was described in the media. They were, instead, reflection of nearby commercial lights on clouds.
Anomalous claims from Turkey-Syria earthquake 2023
Many images and videos came out of the affected area in southern and central Turkey and western Syria from the February 6, 2023 series of quakes. Included were MANY inaccuracies, misattributed content, conspiracies, and pseudoscientific claims being shared and promoted by non-experts.
Viral videos of electric rocks
January 22, 2023 was the height of a wave of social media posts about what people claimed were “electric rocks” found in the DR of Congo. A video showed a close up of someone touching two rocks together and producing a strong electric spark. The clip was widely shared and accumulated millions of views. But it was not as it appeared.
Japan’s “killing stone” splits
The infamous Sessho-seki, a protected boulder in the volcanic area of Mount Nesu in Japan, has split. The break occurred around March 5, 2022. A legend says the stone was the prison of the evil nine-tailed fox demoness Tamamo-no-Mae and that anyone who touched it died. Some people fear that evil has been released into the world. In reality, the stone had been cracked for a while and held by a rope. The rock likely split from natural weathering processes. The area is known for sulfur hot springs and potentially poisonous gases which may have contributed to the “killing stone” myth.
Booming sounds attributed to karst
Some residents of Silver Spring Township in southcentral PA began to experience booming noises days after heavy rain deluged the area in September 2021. Township officials consulted geological experts who concluded that the sounds originated underground but were not related to earthquakes. Instead, the karst system was actively moving the water and debris in the subsurface.
Peabody’s booming earthquake swarm
Residents of Peabody have been experiencing booming sounds that rattle their houses and nerves. A public meeting was held to explain to residents that 3 earthquakes were recorded (below magnitude 2) in the area and this swarm of small quakes is causing the disturbance.
Fireball “mud volcano” in Caspian Sea
On July 4, news started circulating about a huge explosion in the Caspian Sea in Azerbaijan captured on video. The first information was relayed by the state oil company, SOCAR, to the Russian news agency saying the explosion was real and probably caused by a “mud volcano”.
Discovery of weird water pool in Lechuguilla cave
The photo of a mint-green, pristine pool in Lechuguilla cave circulating on social media resulted in expressions of speculation, wonder, and a desire to visit. For many reasons, the cave area must remain off-limits and isolated.