{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Episode 290 - Monsters and Cryptozoology Today, with Darren Naish and Sharon Hill","description":"First, Ben and Celestia chat about current events involving clowns, Noah's ark, psychics, measles, moon hoaxes, and more. Then we welcome Sharon Hill and Darren Naish, both of whom published books on cryptozoology and monster hunting around a decade ago. We talk about the evolution of that field, including the depletion of actual experts and rise of influencers in their place. Monsters and cryptids have come to represent a sense of community and local pride, artistic and pop culture expression, and a fantasy escapism from news and everyday life. In many ways, we are living through a similar period America went through in the 1970s. We hit on the "paranormal unified field theory" and the "scientification" of folklore. How is the rise in dogmen sightings connected to Bigfoot, and how have debunkings and evidence affected the community? ","author_name":"Squaring the Strange","author_url":"http:\/\/squaringthestrange.libsyn.com\/website","html":"