The past two weeks, we have absorbed way too much to come up with our own content. And the speakers at the International Society for Contemporary Legend Research and CSI Con 2026 deserve some signal-boosting. So this episode is a recap of these two conventions -- one is skeptic-adjacent but starting to move toward the big tent of skepticism, and the other is the original circus that put up the tent back in 1976. Ben recounts interesting tidbits from his colleagues in folklore world, and then we go in-depth on the CSI Con held in Buffalo, New York for the 50th anniversary of the organization. What Paul Kurtz began as CSICOP has evolved and grown over the years, as have the battles the organization is tasked with fighting. From the original skeptical voices to new rising stars, we go into our own personal highlights of the event as well as our main takeaways in terms of the tone and themes that stood out.

First, we talk CSI Con Buffalo (coming soon!), a new study on how pigeons find their way, and the passing of an ad man who coined Ben's favorite skeptical phrase. Then we look back at a video taken at a gas station just outside Lima, Peru, in 2016 that perplexed viewers around the world. This is a great example to show the difference between hasty, dismissive skepticism and a truly thorough dive into solving the mystery. Ben peels back layer after layer until we have a hefty basket of clues that add up to a good conclusion. It all begins with an initial look at a video for the show "Strange Evidence," where Ben's heavily edited appearance was among the experts who were baffled (according to the narrator, anyway). From there, Ben collected more and more information and ended up in Peru himself, retracing steps at the gas station and finding even more surprising pieces of the puzzle. How does a non-mystery evolve into a mystery? In this case it had help from Anthony Choy, a Peruvian mystery-monger, as well as some quiet eye-witnesses and over-eager news media and public.

First, some fun news bits on Knight Rider's K.I.T.T., how cats land on their feet, and a Times article debunking facilitated communication. Then, we talk Trump assassination rumors. This is a hot topic, and one that has many skeptics and level-headed people divided. A new poll shows a majority of Americans surveyed either thought the attempts on Donald Trump's life were staged, or were unsure whether they were staged or authentic. Trump, who has a long history of weaponizing conspiracy rumors about others, is now at the center of widely believed rumors that dismiss his assassination attempts as false flag operations or distraction efforts. We go into a list of reasons why Americans have been primed to distrust the assassination news, and look at the most common "gotcha" items the conspiracy crowd brings up as proof. Why are many people (ourselves included, to a degree) prone to believing an extraordinary claim based not on hard evidence but on our view of Trump's larger-than-life personality?

After some chatter about the recent UAP file dump from the Department of Defense and the skepticism surrounding a purported Epstein suicide note, we welcome Adrienne Hill and Dave Thomas to talk about last week's WeCanReason and SkeptiCamp New Mexico. If you've ever wondered what goes into a smaller, regional get-together for skeptics, this is a good primer. These low- or no-cost, more intimate gatherings are playing a bigger and bigger role in skeptical outreach and community building. And, we admit, in the midst of all the serious topics in current events that require our skeptical toolkits, a weekend away to talk about cryptids, ghosts or UFOs (along with world events) can be a fun refuge! How much work is it to hold one, and when should planning start? We go over ways to energize volunteers, publicize an event, gather speakers, plan a field trip, and ally with other communities like humanists, magicians or Unitarian Universalists.

Make plans to attend SkepticampNM.com if you are near Albuquerque! First, Ben and Celestia talk about the "death list" of scientists, Herzog's cryptid-ish new film "Ghost Elephant," Bloodsuckers down under, getting rid of the military mandate for flu shots, Info Wars getting Onionified, and a potential new CDC leader that doesn't suck. Then we have a roundtable with guests Matt Crowley and Sharon Hill, to discuss the surprising turn of events in Bigfootery! We offer a primer on the Patterson-Gimlin film, which -- despite the skeptical points against many aspects of it -- has remained the diamond in Bigfoot's evidence tiara for over 50 years. Though only screened at one festival so far, Marq Evans' new film "Capturing Bigfoot" has assembled a perfect storm, with newly uncovered footage that appears to be a rehearsal for the Patterson-Gimlin film, confessions from Clint Patterson and his mother, and what many are saying was a change of mind by anthropologist Jeff Meldrum just prior to his death. The ensuing controversy has divided the world of Bigfoot enthusiasts, some of whom appear truly shaken while others remain mired in sunk costs of their longtime belief. Once this movie has made its way through the general public, will it cause a fundamental shift in how the world sees Bigfoot?

After some chit-chat about teleporting FEMA officials and Bigfoot folks with heels dug in, we have a fascinating talk with Jacob Shaw. One of the very few people studying and teaching the intersection of caricature art and neuroscience, Jacob geeks out with Celestia and Ben about what he calls the most psychological art form. There are many points of interest that overlap with skepticism, from pareidolia to the reliability of our perception to a well-known middle school ritual in front of a darkened bathroom mirror. We also ruminate on the power of caricature as propaganda, how it has been weaponized in modern history, and how we can separate the art from its complicated past.

First, Celestia gets her aura read at a trade show, and then we talk about National Science Appreciation Day, Banksy being unmasked, and the continued fallout from Marq Evans' movie "Capturing Bigfoot." For our main segment, we dive into micronations. This wide array of self-declared states showcase many strange topics we love to examine: hoaxes, ostension, performance art, crime, cosplay, cults, tourism, and a touch of mental illness. From purported do-gooders like Greenpeace and even, believe it or not, Uri Geller, to criminals hoping to evade taxes or regulation, there are so many motivations for people to purchase, build, or claim some island and design themselves a flag. Got no land? No problem! You can occupy the open sea, a raft, a platform, a glacier, outer space or cyberspace! Or a transient realm like the space between sleeping and wakefulness. Why not! We look at a few examples from the different categories of micronations, and then Celestia and Ben recount being in a micronation themselves last year (which neither realized existed until now).

First, we have a few current events items that hit our skeptical radar -- and a Bigfoot bombshell drops at SXSW film festival! (For more on that, see Ben's just-released piece in Skeptical Inquirer online, "Documentary's Devastating Bigfoot Debunking." Then Leo Igwe joins us during his visit to the U.S., and he shares progress and challenges facing his organization, Advocacy 4 Alleged Witches. Leo is a stalwart skeptic and champion of rational thought, and his heroic work in Africa puts him in danger on many fronts. He lays out aspects of cultural and economic life in parts of Africa that make it difficult for victims to fight accusations of witchcraft. And he talks about how partnering with other organizations and simply continuing to fight for the right cause -- even without a clear path to success -- drives him day in, day out.

First, we chat about Havana Syndrome and a rumored "discombobulator," Trump releasing the UFO files, a new poll on belief in aliens and cryptids, and RFK doing a 180 on glyphosate. Then we meet up with Kenny Biddle, chief investigator for the Center for Skeptical Inquiry, to talk about haunted houses. Not just the stories and the (lack of) evidence, but rather what happens after the hooplah dies down. We look at the Conjuring House, Amityville, the Sallie House, and the "House of 200 Demons," finding out what went on after interest faded with these properties. We go into some laws on the books about alleged haunted houses that allowed buyers to back out of deals, what happens when new property owners are hit with unwanted tourists, and even how a community of paranormal enthusiasts is trying to save a beloved historical haunt. Kenny has been to most of these locations personally, so he fills us in on the atmosphere as well as the drama!

First, we hit on news items: Epstein file firehose, the Guthrie kidnapping, Scouting America not aligning with administration values, a different kind of drone panic, and RFK again not making sense. Then, a grab bag! Celestia examines the ugly produce racket and whether it's all it claims to be. Ben brings us an update on 120 dead elk in New Mexico and some audio from his interview with Kerry Mower, the fish and wildlife expert who solved the case. Then we complain about Facebook glurge of a particular type.