https://padlet.com/matt_killin/iavtnxt97fk7 by Matthew D Killin en-us 2016-10-31 18:27:42 UTC 2016-11-28 02:07:26 UTC hello@padlet.com matt_killin https://padlet.com/matt_killin/iavtnxt97fk7/wish/134327461 A recent video showing something moving along icy waters in Alaska, could this be American Nessie? Some red flags raised here would definitely include the fact the video was admittedly doctored a bit by the Bureau of Land Management though according to the reports in this video, only the sound and speed of the original footage were edited. Clearly this is a flaw in the credibility of this video being actual footage of an unknown creature swimming about but another flaw in this is the shear lack of evidence; the video is new and the whole idea of a Loch Ness-related cryptid is quite unsubstantial (this clip being the only evidence so far). In addition the timing of the video somewhat corresponds to Halloween so it is entirely possible this was organized by the land bureau as benevolent prank for Halloween time.]]> 2016-10-31 18:42:30 UTC https://padlet.com/matt_killin/iavtnxt97fk7/wish/134327461 matt_killin https://padlet.com/matt_killin/iavtnxt97fk7/wish/138424818 An image of Big Foot (nicknamed "Patty") from a film reel in 1967 that boggled the world from both the pseudoscientific community and not. Many people debated whether or not the video was real and to this day remains the foundation of the mythology behind Big Foot. Some researches claimed that the way the animal moved could not be achieved in such a natural fashion of it were a person in a costume, though on the other hand people have said the opposite (that it is in fact a person donning a costume). Red flags could include suppression by authorities (such as scientists arguing against the merits of the footage). The imperfect quality of the footage and lack of available proof does bring question to the idea of Big Foot. With the ability of science nowadays to discover new species it's hard to continue believing in cryptids like Big Foot since if they really did exist they would have to exist in numbers (in order to reproduce) and should have been discovered by now.]]> 2016-11-17 15:01:58 UTC https://padlet.com/matt_killin/iavtnxt97fk7/wish/138424818 matt_killin https://padlet.com/matt_killin/iavtnxt97fk7/wish/138435520 Link: http://www.newanimal.org/
The Cryptid Zoo is a website dedicated to information on cryptids by sorting them into different categories (humanoids, draconids, animals) and also lists them alphabetically. The site will provide some information on a cryptid and will most often provide external sources of information (articles, books, etc.) about the species. The way the site presents information is essentially a little introduction as to what the cryptid is, famous sitings, and talking about what the animal could be if it exists (the site doesn't really force a belief-only approach). Reasons for belief in the cryptids on the site include multiple sources of external information as well as educated hypothesis and statements made about the species (for example: the site says that most likely the Loch Ness Monster is a group of animals rather than one lone animal based off of the idea that the animal would have to continue breeding). The red flag that comes up is proof by verbosity. Really the information the site gives (the external reference links) are quantity vs quality since most of the external resources are based around testimonies and speculation (which isn't very concrete evidence). That being said I would say that the way the site draws logical conclusions without overstepping is a smart way to present information about a pseudoscience and that the site doesn't really seem to be shoving the content in the face of whomever visits them.]]> 2016-11-17 15:24:09 UTC https://padlet.com/matt_killin/iavtnxt97fk7/wish/138435520 matt_killin https://padlet.com/matt_killin/iavtnxt97fk7/wish/139188694 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3954690/Have-seen-Yeti-Eerie-dashcam-footage-captures-ape-like-creature-dashing-snow-covered-road-Russia.html#v-4597936434816829579

Captured on a road in the Republic of Bashkortostan, something is seen scurrying across a snow-ladened road. The temperatures at the time this was taken (night time on November 20th) were around -8 with wind chill making it feel like almost -20 degrees celsius. The subject scurrying across the road is clearly bipedal but the notion that this footage is of the yeti (or something similar) is on a little bit of thin ice. This video could have been easily staged by the people filming however few other possible explanations could be true. It could be a random person that was totally there by coincidence and it could actually be the yeti. The most likely notion would be that this was staged since the chances of it being a random person in that cold weather in an isolated location is very unlikely. The number one reason why this is most likely a hoax is correlation with causation (see a bipedal figure at night in the snow; assume it's a yeti creeping around). Because of the lack of any further evidence to support the notion that this figure is the yeti (footage wasn't that clear, is the only footage of this particular figure) it is impossible to say that this is the yeti beyond a reasonable doubt.]]> 2016-11-21 18:52:54 UTC https://padlet.com/matt_killin/iavtnxt97fk7/wish/139188694 matt_killin https://padlet.com/matt_killin/iavtnxt97fk7/wish/140066249 This so-called "documentary" was released as part of Discovery Channel's Shark Week programming of summer 2013. The subject matter was talking about the ancient Megladon shark which has long been extinct. Although it was a real animal cryptozoology comes into play here because many debate on whether or not the animal is still alive. The megladon was a shark that was a close relative of the Great Whites of today and was large enough that it could swallow a school bus whole (it's existence has been prove; what hasn't been proven is the notion of it lurking in the waters today). This documentary caused a great controversy when it came out because it was released under the pretences of being an informative factual documentary when it turned out in fact to be a "mockumentary". Red flags in this documentary included proof by verbosity (a lot of information used as a tool to blind the viewer), appeal to authority (use scientists and experts to present facts) and also red herrings (they produce a lot of irrelevant theories without actually stating any facts; their theories are misleading and unsubstantiated). This act was a serious error on Discovery's part since their Shark Week series was always based on facts not acts; the current existence of the megladon remains a cryptid in it's own.]]> 2016-11-28 00:50:43 UTC https://padlet.com/matt_killin/iavtnxt97fk7/wish/140066249 matt_killin https://padlet.com/matt_killin/iavtnxt97fk7/wish/140066613 Site: http://www.cryptozoology.com/home/

The site above takes you to a blog-centric site that people can post on at their own free will. The site is actually quite interesting since most of the posts involve people reporting of cryptid sitings across the world so it is more of a hub that can take you to articles across the internet published by a variety of sources (usually town news, some bigger scale news as well). Right away a red flag that comes up here is the proof of verbosity flag since there is an overload of information rather than anything of any quality nature (nothing concrete really). While there is a great quantity of information available, not all of the people posting are claiming to necessarily agree with what is being posted, in fact there seems to be a healthy level of skepticism existing on the site. This makes me feel like the site is something that you visit and right off the bat have to live the motto "buyer beware". By investigating the posts you are buying (not actually purchasing) information that could very well be a hoax or unsubstantial. That being said, you can take the information anyway you like it based off your own personal beliefs which allows for a lot of breathing room.]]> 2016-11-28 00:55:51 UTC https://padlet.com/matt_killin/iavtnxt97fk7/wish/140066613 matt_killin https://padlet.com/matt_killin/iavtnxt97fk7/wish/140067928 Link: http://cryptozoologynews.com/

Similar to the previous site (cryptozoology.com) this site is essentially a hub of links to information rather than an actual database like newanimal.org. The difference is this website is more of a news-style site (moderated by a select few of people, not a blog) that publishes articles written by others (they aren't the ones reporting anything). One should also proceed with caution when looking at the articles published on this site because a lot of the information is from witness testimonies which are not to be trusted 100%. Because of the amount of information on the site as opposed to the actual quality of what is available a red flag here is also proof by verbosity. One might be overwhelmed by the amount of reports and news articles available but might not question the quality of the reports as a whole. Going back to what I mentioned earlier there is a problem with a lot of these news articles because most of accounts are told by individuals or some groups of people, and can very easily be made up.]]> 2016-11-28 01:11:02 UTC https://padlet.com/matt_killin/iavtnxt97fk7/wish/140067928 matt_killin https://padlet.com/matt_killin/iavtnxt97fk7/wish/140070171 The most famous picture of the Loch Ness Monster to this day as well as one of the biggest sparks for the Loch Ness controversy. In April 19, 1934 Colonel Robert Wilson was driving along a road near Loch Ness in the early hours and claimed to have saw something which he stopped his vehicle to observe and photograph. The picture that he took would become one of the greatest artifacts of the hunt for Nessie and essentially what got Nessie spread around the world. It was later discovered that a big hame hunter who was hired in 1933 to find traces of Nessie (and was called a fraud when he claimed he found tracks) instigated a plot of revenge. He felt burned for being called a fraud and so he collaborated with Robert Wilson to create a hoax. Without even needing to debate the reality of this photo it is in fact not an animal living in Loch Ness but in fact a mad-made construction created to gain media exposure. This whole ordeal brings up the flag of red herring since many people did not question the nature of the photo and instead instantly believed in what they saw (they never addressed the facts, at least until much later).]]> 2016-11-28 01:36:23 UTC https://padlet.com/matt_killin/iavtnxt97fk7/wish/140070171 matt_killin https://padlet.com/matt_killin/iavtnxt97fk7/wish/140071356 A famous image of the disputed cryptid called the Chupacabra (a cryptid famed for being a vampiric-like animal consuming the blood of other animals). The whole Chupacabra ordeal began when people in the South of the US and Mexico began reporting dead livestock that had been bled dry. Many started speculating that it was a vampiric demon which was given the name Chupacabra. One instance of this cryptid was debunked to be a simple cyote when a woman reported the Chupacabra had dropped dead outside her home (it was after this was investigated that the animal was determined to be a cyote)]]> 2016-11-28 01:52:31 UTC https://padlet.com/matt_killin/iavtnxt97fk7/wish/140071356 matt_killin https://padlet.com/matt_killin/iavtnxt97fk7/wish/140071738 1. What I learned about this topic that surprised me the most was the shear amount of information that was published/broadcast regarding these cryptids. I knew that there was a great many people who debated the reality of these organisms but I was surprised to see how the research into this field was still ongoing and popular (thanks in partial to Hollywood I think).
2. This information is quite relevant to me because it has helped to show me just how important the red flag "proof of verbosity" actually is. The overload of information can take people by force and in today's society especially we have a tendency to jump on the bandwagon as it were (the more people believe something the more people want to believe it as well since it is what is most popular).
3. The research I found the most interesting was the research about the Megladon shark since I am a huge fan of sharks (they are truly amazing animals). What I found so interesting was how many great theories were out there that supported the idea of the Megladon still being alive and well as it were. Although I know because of my skepticism the ice beneath these theories is very real I still find it interesting to believe in something extraordinary. This is why I believe many other people believe in many cryptids, because it is more interesting to believe in something ancient and mysterious than something you can look at in front of you. Being a curious race, humans have a tendency to crave what they don't have, and that extends to knowledge.
4. I a most likely to remember to be wary of mockumentary films because of that Discovery Channel controversy. That made a lot of people mad (including myself) since it is essentially a mockery of the study of real-life animals. I love learning about nature (both the land and the organisms that inhabit it) and I think it is truly a travesty when people present information in a way that makes it seem as though it is real but it is really not.]]> 2016-11-28 01:57:20 UTC https://padlet.com/matt_killin/iavtnxt97fk7/wish/140071738