The Curio

We got plenty of ghosts in the UK. And now, there’s the Penguin Book of Ghosts. Sounds like a good read.

Most haunted places revealed | UK | Reuters:

“From screaming skulls and headless horsemen to murdered brides and phantom farmers, English folklore is full of spine-tingling ghost stories. Terrified witnesses speak of seeing ghostly armies marching through the fog, spirits searching for hidden treasure and bells ringing from ruined churches.”

Actually, what’s really interesting is the list of comments following the article.  I love it when science meets superstition.

Scientists discover ’shadow person’ | COSMOS magazine:

“Ever feel as though you’re being followed? As if someone is behind you, shadowing your every move? It might be your ‘shadow person’, created by unusual activity in a specific brain region, a new study shows.”

[Image from Wikipedia]

Maybe there’s a tiny, tiny grain of truth in the reptilian humanoid conspiracy?

Gooey Origin of Human Placenta Revealed:

“Someone seeing for the first time a placenta spill out of a woman’s body after childbirth is likely surprised at how large it is and might wonder where it really came from. Scientists have no clue, either, at least insofar as evolution is concerned.”

BBC NEWS | Northern Ireland | Titanic shoe box treasures for sale:

“Among Lillian Asplund’s shoe box treasures was one of the last four remaining tickets for the Titanic’s doomed maiden voyage.”

Nick Redfern has a new blog, MAN-BEAST U.K - subtitled “In Search of the British Bigfoot”. Also available is his book “Man Monkey” with the same subtitle.

Check out the blog here, and read more about his book here.

The Science of Fairy Tales | LiveScience:

“But are the most magical moments from some of our favorite stories actually possible? Basic physical principles and recent scientific research suggest that what readers might mistake for fantasies and exaggeration could be rooted in reality.”

Follow the link for footage.

BBC NEWS | Scotland | Highlands and Islands | ‘Ghost-like’ white stag spotted:

“A rare white stag has been observed on the west coast of the Highlands. The animal has been seen with other red deer by a member of the John Muir Trust, which has kept its location a secret to protect it from poachers.”

A cosy fireside journey through Christmases Past, Present and Yet To Come. Aided and abetted by a rather nice bottle of malt. Yes - I’m drunk in charge of a podcast.

Show links:

• A very British Christmas
• Mr Dickens’ engaging stories

Music from the Podshow Podsafe Music Network is Cat Jahnke, with “Gloria”.

And yes, I missed out show #18. Which is why you shouldn’t podcast and drink scotch at the same time.

Merry Christmas!

 

 Standard Podcast [34:44m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

Darklore: A journal of exceptional observations, hidden history, the paranormal and esoteric science:

“Welcome to the premiere release of Darklore, a journal of exceptional observations, hidden history, the paranormal and esoteric science.”

Victorian Occult Beliefs, Part One:

“Victorians believed in legends of beings of mystical lore including that of the historic Wild Men. In them, European and Asian legends met Western pioneers and explorers for some interesting tales and compilations of sightings.”

Part Two here.