Are you a Bigfoot buff? A fan of phantom cats? Whatever your favorite cryptid, I urge you to check out Monster Talk, a new podcast about cryptozoology. 
Finally, science has a say about the Loch Ness Monster, El Chupacabra and other mysterious beasts.
(And maybe even Squatchy, our French Canadian, cross-species molesting friend!)
Monster Talk takes cryptozoology to the lab.
Join Ben Radford, the mysterious Doctor Atlantis (aka Blake Smith) and myself as we interview eminent anthropologists, biologists and other scientists about ‘undiscovered’ creatures and ‘elusive’ species thought to be extinct.
Forget those blurry photographs and anecdotal evidence, these experts approach the study of cryptozoology with scientific rigor.
Episode One features Professor Todd Disotell, an anthropologist at New York University. Professor Disotell is a DNA expert and primate specialist who has been called upon by various TV shows to analyze samples of alleged sasquatch, big cat, mutant canine and Orang-Pendak DNA. (And he sports a really cool mohawk!)
Why is Monster Talk curious about supposed sea serpents, hairy humanoids and cryptid cats? Aren’t these simply legends and hoaxes? As Professor Disotell explains:
I am either doing good science, finding alternatives, or debunking, or, I have the find of the century.
Skeptics are interested in cryptozoology in the spirit of scientific discovery; to prove or disprove individual claims, and simply, because people believe…
Join us at Monster Talk for intriguing topics, fascinating guests, surprising finds…and not-so surprising finds.
Checked out, listened, approved. I think cryptozoology is fascinating, even if an actual discovery is unlikely, but it’s even more fascinating when it’s done in a way that doesn’t make me yell at the television screen about proper scientific method.
I listened to the podcast a couple days ago after hearing about it on FB, and I really enjoyed it. The format really allows them to get into in-depth discussions of DNA testing and so on.
I will be in Fort Augustus for two weeks this autumn. Does anyone want me to collect any cryptozoic data while I’m there?
I remember once an local resident told me as casually as you’d tell someone the sky is blue that she’d seen the monster many, many times. I doubt she was lying to me. I’m sure she saw something. I’m also pretty sure it’s no monster.
I once saw a wake in the middle of the loch that had no business being there all by itself. But without accurate references to size or distance, it could’ve been caused by any number of creatures.
Of all the pseudoscience out there cryptozoology I have the biggest soft spot for. It’s just so fun. I used to watch a lot of shows about it when I was a kid and still like to on occasion. This podcast is being subscribed to right away.
Ooo, downloading now!
What Noadi said, and I’ll add that cryptozoology is just a fun word to say :)
Fabulous review for a fabulous podcast.
Oh, wait… That’s me on there isn’t it?
But seriously, I really hope the podcast and the associated forum become a refreshingly skeptical alternative to MonsterQuest and Cryptomundo.
Thanks to all the folks who gave ep #1 a listen. We’re recording ep #2 in just a few days.
I was the first to write an iTunes review and register for the postboard. Do I get a prize? (Hint: I want the smiley Bigfoot shown above…)
Great job, guys!
My only criticism is the sound quality. It might be fine if I’m listening in a moving car, but the hiss is extremely distracting with headphones in a quiet cubicle.
But I think it’s a great start on the important bits :)
Nice to have some (additional) rigor to point my less skeptical acquaintances at. I loved Eugenie Scott’s bigfoot talk.