Expertise I'm versed in conspiracy theories, a field which sometimes intersects urban legends. My specific interest is the development and dissemination of conspiracy theories from a social perspective. While I follow many specific conspiracy theories (such as the various 9/11 theories, UFO cover-up theories, assassination plots and secret society myths), I'm less interested in the "what" of specific conspiracy theories than I am in the "why" of conspiracy theories in general. I'm happy to try to address questions from any of these areas, however, and I'm willing to explore other areas as well if an interesting question leads me there.
Experience My "official" field is philosophy, but I've focused a lot of effort specifically on philosophy of consciousness and information transmission. Conspiracy theories often contain many rich examples of memetic processes and tend to get students' attentions, so I've done a lot of study there. I feel reasonably competent to address up to university undergraduate-level questions in the field. (Of course, I can address even higher-level questions as well, but those would tend to require much more documented, detailed and comprehensive essays than this forum really supports.)
Education/Credentials I have a PhD in philosophy (with all the prerequisites this implies) and additional lower-level degrees in sociology and psychology.
Q: Peter I guess you know about the Roswell incident. What am I saying, of course you know. :P I want ... A: Drake, Sorry for the delay in the response. Of course I'm aware of the vast body of theory ...
Q: Do you believe the US ever actually landed men on the moon, and can you prove your answer? A: Willy, The short answer is yes, I believe the United States actually landed men on the moon. ...
Q: First and Foremost..I am a strong believer in urban legends and..i do not say bloody Mary or ... A: Pam, A story circulating about a dog who died after biting down on an exploding tennis ball had all ...
Q: First and Foremost..I am a strong believer in urban legends and..i do not say bloody Mary or ... A: Pam, Yes, there are--although this question touches on the very definition of an "urban legend." ...
Q: ok im doing a paper on the CANDYMAN were could i go to find the legend on him LOVED the move and it ... A: Heather, The legend of the Candyman as depicted in the films isn't really an urban legend at all. ...
Q: Do you know anything about this experiment? some one knows what really happened there ?I saw this ... A: Dan, Almost all lasting legends have some basis in fact, and that's true for modern urban legends ...
Q: First and Foremost..I am a strong believer in urban legends and..i do not say bloody Mary or ... A: Pam, Thank you for this question. I enjoy ghost stories and this is a compelling one, complete with ...
