This week on the Virtual Skeptics

• Bob is case zero of an outbreak of “the crazies”
• Eve considers the evolution of Scottish lake monsters
• Sharon descends into the Eighth circle of Hell, otherwise known as Bigfootery
• and Tim asks, Did you know….? and updates us on Mabus

This Week’s Panel:

Eve Siebert — Editor and blogger at Skeptical Humanities
Bob Blaskiewicz — Committee for Skeptical Inquiry’s Conspiracy Guy web columnist, JREF Swift Blog contributor, and blogger for Skeptical Humanities
Sharon Hill — Editor of Doubtful News and author of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry’s Sounds Sciencey web column
Tim Farley — JREF Fellow, creator of whatstheharm.net and skeptools.com
Brian Gregory – Host

Bob’s links:
Zambia Daily Mail mass hysteria:
http://www.daily-mail.co.zm/index.php/local-news/item/10592-%E2%80%98pupils%E2%80%99-fainting-incidents-spiritual
Conversion disorder:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001950/
Lusaka Witch Project:
http://lusakavoice.com/2013/02/26/zanis-copy-two-youths-die-of-suspected-witchcraft/
Lusaka Times:
http://www.lusakatimes.com/2013/02/26/two-young-men-die-from-suspected-witchcraft-after-stealing-goods/
Incubi:
http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=30189
Witchfinder story:
http://www.daily-mail.co.zm/index.php/local-court-news/item/10081-village-headman-narrates-how-his-brother-children-battered-witchfinder

Eve’s links:
Doubtful News: More about Morag
http://doubtfulnews.com/2013/02/more-about-morag-an-interesting-lake-monster-next-to-ness/
The Carmichael Watson Project Blog: Morag, the Monster of Loch Morar 1
http://carmichaelwatson.blogspot.com/2011/12/morag-monster-of-loch-morar-1.html
The Carmichael Watson Project Blog: Morag, the Monster of Loch Morar 2
http://carmichaelwatson.blogspot.com/2011/12/morag-monster-of-loch-morar-2.html
The Carmichael Watson Project Blog: Morag, the Monster of Loch Morar
http://carmichaelwatson.blogspot.com/2012/01/morag-monster-of-loch-morar-3.html
The Scotsman: Morag of Loch Morar: Mermaid, Monster or Myth
http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/heritage/morag-of-loch-morar-mermaid-monster-or-myth-1-2807636
The Centre for Fortean Zoology: Expeditions Loch Morar
http://www.cfz.org.uk/expeditions/morag/morag.htm
Scott.net: Writings Shed New Light on ‘Nessie’s’ Cousin Morag
http://www.sott.net/article/258809-Writings-shed-new-light-on-Nessies-cousin-Morag
Express: Legend of Loch Ness to Be Overshadowed
http://www.express.co.uk/news/weird/380358/Legend-of-Loch-Ness-to-be-overshadowed-as-new-monster-mystery-is-unearthed

Sharon’s links:
Ketchum uses April Fools paper as reference (Updated: Melba responds)
http://doubtfulnews.com/2013/02/ketchum-uses-april-fools-paper-as-reference/
Breaking bio on the Ketchum Sasquatch sequences
http://doubtfulnews.com/2013/02/breaking-bio-on-the-ketchum-sasquatch-sequences/
Molecular phylogenetic analyses indicate extensive morphological convergence between the ”yeti” and primates
http://www.lanevol.org/LANE/yeti_files/yeti_1st_April_MPE_2004.pdf

Tim’s links:
Recent biographies of skeptics that have appeared in Did You Know?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sara_Mayhew (February 9)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Feder (February 17)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Igwe (February 27 – today)
A did you know can result in considerable traffic, as Tim documented in a July 2011 post:
http://skeptools.wordpress.com/2011/07/25/traffic-wikipedia-did-you-know-dyk-reach-outreach/
These all appear as a result of Susan Gerbic’s guerilla skepticism project:
http://guerrillaskepticismonwikipedia.blogspot.com/
Wikipedia doing more to reduce gender gap, encourage new editors such as the Teahouse which just turned one year old:
http://blog.wikimedia.org/2013/02/27/wikipedia-teahouse-celebrates-its-first-birthday/

Brian’s Robot’s links:
Cockroaches Teach Robots To Balance
http://news.discovery.com/tech/robotics/cockroaches-teach-robots-to-balance-130226.htm
Cockroaches Could Help Scientists Design More Stable Robot
http://robotics.tmcnet.com//topics/robotics/articles/328049-cockroaches-could-help-scientists-design-more-stable-robot.htm
Shai Revzen – Assistant Professor – Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) – University of Michigan
http://shrevzen.nfshost.com/
Watch: How Cockroaches Are Helping Scientists Design Better Robots
http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2013-02/watch-how-cockroaches-are-helping-scientists-design-better-robots

Announcements:

Don’t forget Bob and Sharon will be speaking at NECSS in New York City the first weekend of April. Go to DoubtfulNews for a discount on registration.

On that same weekend Tim will be speaking at Skep Tech in Minneapolis. Go to skep-tech.com to register – it’s FREE!

The Virtual Skeptics is an independent production of Doubtful News, WhatsTheHarm.net, Skeptical Humanities, and Brian Gregory. Our logo was designed by Sara Mayhew at SaraMayhew.com. Our theme music is by Tremor and is used with permission.