Daniel Loxton 🇨🇦
@danielloxton.bsky.social
Author, illustrator, and researcher of misinformation and fringe claims. Former Editor (2002–2021) of Junior Skeptic, and author of Evolution: How We and All Living Things Came to Be and other science books for kids and adults. https://www.danielloxton.com
Pinned
A very incomplete list drawn from accounts I follow:
go.bsky.app/DyXUn9n
go.bsky.app/DyXUn9n
Reposted by Daniel Loxton 🇨🇦
Funny thing is, there are “gravity ‘skeptics’” in the sense that there are cranks who deny gravity, just as there are cranks who deny vaccines, climate science, and germ theory. The big difference is, we haven’t put the “scientists are wrong about so-called gravity” cranks in charge of NASA!
November 25, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Funny thing is, there are “gravity ‘skeptics’” in the sense that there are cranks who deny gravity, just as there are cranks who deny vaccines, climate science, and germ theory. The big difference is, we haven’t put the “scientists are wrong about so-called gravity” cranks in charge of NASA!
Reposted by Daniel Loxton 🇨🇦
Incidentally, “gravity isn’t real” type claims were part of the impetus for launching modern organized skepticism 50 years ago. Scientists & editors of science magazines were plagued with crank correspondence—pseudo-physics, UFOs, ESP, etc. They welcomed volunteer specialists to refer stuff to
November 25, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Incidentally, “gravity isn’t real” type claims were part of the impetus for launching modern organized skepticism 50 years ago. Scientists & editors of science magazines were plagued with crank correspondence—pseudo-physics, UFOs, ESP, etc. They welcomed volunteer specialists to refer stuff to
Reposted by Daniel Loxton 🇨🇦
If ghosts are real, what are they made of? No idea. Do they represent the lingering spirits of the dead, or some sort of “psychic memory,” or bleed through from some parallel dimension, or what? There’s no agreed upon theory of ghosts, just competing unverified stories
November 25, 2025 at 9:30 PM
If ghosts are real, what are they made of? No idea. Do they represent the lingering spirits of the dead, or some sort of “psychic memory,” or bleed through from some parallel dimension, or what? There’s no agreed upon theory of ghosts, just competing unverified stories
Reposted by Daniel Loxton 🇨🇦
Taken collectively, paranormal beliefs are very ordinary. Basically half of respondents affirm a belief in this one claim, and huge majorities will affirm a belief in at least one claim from a short list of common paranormal claims (ghosts in particular are always widely accepted)
Do Americans think aliens have ever visited Earth?
% who think they definitely or probably have …
Ever
U.S. adult citizens 47%
Democrats 51%
Republicans 41%
In recent years
U.S. adult citizens 42%
Democrats 45%
Republicans 39%
today.yougov.com/health/artic...
% who think they definitely or probably have …
Ever
U.S. adult citizens 47%
Democrats 51%
Republicans 41%
In recent years
U.S. adult citizens 42%
Democrats 45%
Republicans 39%
today.yougov.com/health/artic...
![A chart of YouGov polling data with the headline: "Americans are split on whether aliens have visited Earth in recent years ."
The chart's sub-headline is: "How likely do you think it is that aliens have [ever visited Earth / visited Earth in recent years]? (%)."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ke6f766al4swdugyvmvyipuo/bafkreidud3naabaljgrtc7u6kgcsh3lgvpzcjkg3dkrtu2o3p4rqqvqj54@jpeg)
November 25, 2025 at 10:18 PM
Taken collectively, paranormal beliefs are very ordinary. Basically half of respondents affirm a belief in this one claim, and huge majorities will affirm a belief in at least one claim from a short list of common paranormal claims (ghosts in particular are always widely accepted)
Reposted by Daniel Loxton 🇨🇦
Story: There is a large house, suspiciously cheap. It’s reputedly haunted, and cannot keep tenants. A brave man takes the bargain, moves in, hears strange noises in the night. Soon an apparition appears! Bound in chains, the apparition leads the man to a spot in the courtyard—then suddenly vanishes…
November 25, 2025 at 9:52 PM
Story: There is a large house, suspiciously cheap. It’s reputedly haunted, and cannot keep tenants. A brave man takes the bargain, moves in, hears strange noises in the night. Soon an apparition appears! Bound in chains, the apparition leads the man to a spot in the courtyard—then suddenly vanishes…
Reposted by Daniel Loxton 🇨🇦
Expect normal people in all walks of life to believe pseudoscience, paranormal claims, and conspiracy theories. Most people do! But everyone’s different too. One might believe in ghosts, but not Bigfoot, or vice versa. Some people believe a ton such claims, some only believe one or two. Zero is rare
November 26, 2025 at 12:34 AM
Expect normal people in all walks of life to believe pseudoscience, paranormal claims, and conspiracy theories. Most people do! But everyone’s different too. One might believe in ghosts, but not Bigfoot, or vice versa. Some people believe a ton such claims, some only believe one or two. Zero is rare
Expect normal people in all walks of life to believe pseudoscience, paranormal claims, and conspiracy theories. Most people do! But everyone’s different too. One might believe in ghosts, but not Bigfoot, or vice versa. Some people believe a ton such claims, some only believe one or two. Zero is rare
November 26, 2025 at 12:34 AM
Expect normal people in all walks of life to believe pseudoscience, paranormal claims, and conspiracy theories. Most people do! But everyone’s different too. One might believe in ghosts, but not Bigfoot, or vice versa. Some people believe a ton such claims, some only believe one or two. Zero is rare
Reposted by Daniel Loxton 🇨🇦
I remember you writing about this. The believers I've talked to usually start in strict "hidden ape-man" cryptozoo territory, but once I began asking a few questions, a couple have veered right into "Yeah, well, everyone knows Bigfoot can travel through dimensions."
November 25, 2025 at 11:22 PM
I remember you writing about this. The believers I've talked to usually start in strict "hidden ape-man" cryptozoo territory, but once I began asking a few questions, a couple have veered right into "Yeah, well, everyone knows Bigfoot can travel through dimensions."
Huh!
November 25, 2025 at 11:15 PM
Huh!
This was a petty flex in sheep camp when I was young, packing Prattley corral panels (though also an effort to hurry—we were constantly moving camps to keep the corrals dry for the flock’s foot health and sleep comfort)
www.prattley.co.nz/products/she...
www.prattley.co.nz/products/she...
November 25, 2025 at 11:10 PM
This was a petty flex in sheep camp when I was young, packing Prattley corral panels (though also an effort to hurry—we were constantly moving camps to keep the corrals dry for the flock’s foot health and sleep comfort)
www.prattley.co.nz/products/she...
www.prattley.co.nz/products/she...
My favorite part: “it stood before him, beckoning with the finger. Athenodorus made a sign with his hand that it should wait a little, and bent again to his writing, but the ghost rattling its chains over his head as he wrote, he looked round and saw it beckoning as before.”
Patience, darn it!
Patience, darn it!
Story: There is a large house, suspiciously cheap. It’s reputedly haunted, and cannot keep tenants. A brave man takes the bargain, moves in, hears strange noises in the night. Soon an apparition appears! Bound in chains, the apparition leads the man to a spot in the courtyard—then suddenly vanishes…
November 25, 2025 at 10:51 PM
My favorite part: “it stood before him, beckoning with the finger. Athenodorus made a sign with his hand that it should wait a little, and bent again to his writing, but the ghost rattling its chains over his head as he wrote, he looked round and saw it beckoning as before.”
Patience, darn it!
Patience, darn it!
Reposted by Daniel Loxton 🇨🇦
There is NO FUCKING EXCUSE for this to be happening.
I had a baby die in my arms of pertussis some fifty years ago. It was a HORRIBLE death. But my fellow nurses said to me, "It's almost stamped out now, they're all getting the shots, we won't be seeing this again."
HOW THE FUCK ARE WE HERE. 😡
I had a baby die in my arms of pertussis some fifty years ago. It was a HORRIBLE death. But my fellow nurses said to me, "It's almost stamped out now, they're all getting the shots, we won't be seeing this again."
HOW THE FUCK ARE WE HERE. 😡
A third infant has died in Kentucky, KYDPH adds:
“These are Kentucky’s first pertussis deaths since 2018. None of the infants nor their mothers received the recommended pertussis vaccinations during pregnancy or early infancy.”
s3.amazonaws.com/nursing-netw...
“These are Kentucky’s first pertussis deaths since 2018. None of the infants nor their mothers received the recommended pertussis vaccinations during pregnancy or early infancy.”
s3.amazonaws.com/nursing-netw...
November 25, 2025 at 10:01 PM
There is NO FUCKING EXCUSE for this to be happening.
I had a baby die in my arms of pertussis some fifty years ago. It was a HORRIBLE death. But my fellow nurses said to me, "It's almost stamped out now, they're all getting the shots, we won't be seeing this again."
HOW THE FUCK ARE WE HERE. 😡
I had a baby die in my arms of pertussis some fifty years ago. It was a HORRIBLE death. But my fellow nurses said to me, "It's almost stamped out now, they're all getting the shots, we won't be seeing this again."
HOW THE FUCK ARE WE HERE. 😡
Taken collectively, paranormal beliefs are very ordinary. Basically half of respondents affirm a belief in this one claim, and huge majorities will affirm a belief in at least one claim from a short list of common paranormal claims (ghosts in particular are always widely accepted)
Do Americans think aliens have ever visited Earth?
% who think they definitely or probably have …
Ever
U.S. adult citizens 47%
Democrats 51%
Republicans 41%
In recent years
U.S. adult citizens 42%
Democrats 45%
Republicans 39%
today.yougov.com/health/artic...
% who think they definitely or probably have …
Ever
U.S. adult citizens 47%
Democrats 51%
Republicans 41%
In recent years
U.S. adult citizens 42%
Democrats 45%
Republicans 39%
today.yougov.com/health/artic...
November 25, 2025 at 10:18 PM
Taken collectively, paranormal beliefs are very ordinary. Basically half of respondents affirm a belief in this one claim, and huge majorities will affirm a belief in at least one claim from a short list of common paranormal claims (ghosts in particular are always widely accepted)
Story: There is a large house, suspiciously cheap. It’s reputedly haunted, and cannot keep tenants. A brave man takes the bargain, moves in, hears strange noises in the night. Soon an apparition appears! Bound in chains, the apparition leads the man to a spot in the courtyard—then suddenly vanishes…
November 25, 2025 at 9:52 PM
Story: There is a large house, suspiciously cheap. It’s reputedly haunted, and cannot keep tenants. A brave man takes the bargain, moves in, hears strange noises in the night. Soon an apparition appears! Bound in chains, the apparition leads the man to a spot in the courtyard—then suddenly vanishes…
There have been serious efforts to research ghosts & psychic phenomena claims for well over a century. At a certain level, those claims aren’t falsifiable (is there a ghost in your lap right now?), but I can tell you science has been collectively unable to confirm any ghost or psychic ability so far
November 25, 2025 at 9:15 PM
There have been serious efforts to research ghosts & psychic phenomena claims for well over a century. At a certain level, those claims aren’t falsifiable (is there a ghost in your lap right now?), but I can tell you science has been collectively unable to confirm any ghost or psychic ability so far
👇
I really wish we'd stop calling them climate "skeptics" or "vaccine skeptics", if you jump off a cliff we don't call you a "gravity skeptic"
November 25, 2025 at 8:19 PM
👇
Reposted by Daniel Loxton 🇨🇦
I’m close to someone with an invisible disability who finds one of these chatbots very useful as one of many tools, so my generative “AI” cynicism has an asterisk—but these systems are also breaking a lot of other people (and their jobs and families). The trade-offs seem very bad to me, overall
NEW: A Discord community with nearly 200 members serves as a support group for people whose minds and lives have been upended by episodes of AI delusion and psychosis.
In some cases, members say, the group has helped people climb out of their destructive AI "spirals."
futurism.com/artificial-i...
In some cases, members say, the group has helped people climb out of their destructive AI "spirals."
futurism.com/artificial-i...
Meet the Group Breaking People Out of AI Delusions
In this Discord server, people impacted by AI delusions and psychosis share their experiences — and even help users out of delusional spells.
futurism.com
November 24, 2025 at 9:29 PM
I’m close to someone with an invisible disability who finds one of these chatbots very useful as one of many tools, so my generative “AI” cynicism has an asterisk—but these systems are also breaking a lot of other people (and their jobs and families). The trade-offs seem very bad to me, overall
Reposted by Daniel Loxton 🇨🇦
I've been critically examining the claims of Don Phillips and Steve Mera since 2011, so imagine my surprise when I watched an episode of Unsolved Mysteries, and there they were...
www.theghostgeek.com/p/hey-netfli... #UnsolvedMysteries #Netflix #SciComm #Paranormal
www.theghostgeek.com/p/hey-netfli... #UnsolvedMysteries #Netflix #SciComm #Paranormal
This "Unsolved Mystery" Isn’t About the Ghosts
What Netflix left out of Don Phillips’ Unsolved Mysteries episode - from a writer who examined his work for over a decade.
www.theghostgeek.com
November 24, 2025 at 7:52 PM
I've been critically examining the claims of Don Phillips and Steve Mera since 2011, so imagine my surprise when I watched an episode of Unsolved Mysteries, and there they were...
www.theghostgeek.com/p/hey-netfli... #UnsolvedMysteries #Netflix #SciComm #Paranormal
www.theghostgeek.com/p/hey-netfli... #UnsolvedMysteries #Netflix #SciComm #Paranormal
Reposted by Daniel Loxton 🇨🇦
I wrote about our interview with Roblox's CEO and how platforms got too big to feel shame www.platformer.news/roblox-ceo-i...
November 25, 2025 at 2:51 AM
I wrote about our interview with Roblox's CEO and how platforms got too big to feel shame www.platformer.news/roblox-ceo-i...
Reposted by Daniel Loxton 🇨🇦
Canadian COVID Forecast: Nov 22 - Dec 5, 2025
SEVERE: AB
VERY HIGH: MB, NB, North, NS, SK
HIGH: CAN, BC, NL, ON, PEI, QC
MODERATE: none
About 1 in 161 people in Canada are CURRENTLY infected.
SEVERE: AB
VERY HIGH: MB, NB, North, NS, SK
HIGH: CAN, BC, NL, ON, PEI, QC
MODERATE: none
About 1 in 161 people in Canada are CURRENTLY infected.
November 25, 2025 at 2:02 AM
Canadian COVID Forecast: Nov 22 - Dec 5, 2025
SEVERE: AB
VERY HIGH: MB, NB, North, NS, SK
HIGH: CAN, BC, NL, ON, PEI, QC
MODERATE: none
About 1 in 161 people in Canada are CURRENTLY infected.
SEVERE: AB
VERY HIGH: MB, NB, North, NS, SK
HIGH: CAN, BC, NL, ON, PEI, QC
MODERATE: none
About 1 in 161 people in Canada are CURRENTLY infected.
One of the puzzling things this year has been the willingness of Congress to meekly surrender its power and make its members irrelevant. Pretty interesting to hear they might not actually love that
PUNCHBOWL: “.. GOP members messaged us over the weekend saying that they, too, are considering retiring in the middle of the term. Here’s one particularly exercised senior House Republican:
@punchbowlnews.bsky.social
@punchbowlnews.bsky.social
November 24, 2025 at 10:08 PM
One of the puzzling things this year has been the willingness of Congress to meekly surrender its power and make its members irrelevant. Pretty interesting to hear they might not actually love that
I’m close to someone with an invisible disability who finds one of these chatbots very useful as one of many tools, so my generative “AI” cynicism has an asterisk—but these systems are also breaking a lot of other people (and their jobs and families). The trade-offs seem very bad to me, overall
NEW: A Discord community with nearly 200 members serves as a support group for people whose minds and lives have been upended by episodes of AI delusion and psychosis.
In some cases, members say, the group has helped people climb out of their destructive AI "spirals."
futurism.com/artificial-i...
In some cases, members say, the group has helped people climb out of their destructive AI "spirals."
futurism.com/artificial-i...
Meet the Group Breaking People Out of AI Delusions
In this Discord server, people impacted by AI delusions and psychosis share their experiences — and even help users out of delusional spells.
futurism.com
November 24, 2025 at 9:29 PM
I’m close to someone with an invisible disability who finds one of these chatbots very useful as one of many tools, so my generative “AI” cynicism has an asterisk—but these systems are also breaking a lot of other people (and their jobs and families). The trade-offs seem very bad to me, overall
Reposted by Daniel Loxton 🇨🇦
I wrote about the fake account blowup on X this weekend. A genuine post-truth nightmare and proof that these companies have polluted their platforms so thoroughly and traded reality for profit that they've undermined the very idea of what the internet is supposed to be.
That MAGA Account Might Be a Troll From Pakistan
How X blew up its own platform with a new location feature
www.theatlantic.com
November 24, 2025 at 4:33 PM
I wrote about the fake account blowup on X this weekend. A genuine post-truth nightmare and proof that these companies have polluted their platforms so thoroughly and traded reality for profit that they've undermined the very idea of what the internet is supposed to be.
Reposted by Daniel Loxton 🇨🇦
I talked to Joan Donovan about Twitter's very old foreign influence problem, which was unmasked in the funniest possible way over the weekend: www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Twitter's foreign influence problem is nothing new
The platform's just-debuted geolocation tool illuminates a disturbing and persistent issue.
www.motherjones.com
November 24, 2025 at 8:11 PM
I talked to Joan Donovan about Twitter's very old foreign influence problem, which was unmasked in the funniest possible way over the weekend: www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Daniel Loxton 🇨🇦
Dipping into my Junior Skeptic story on the Cardiff Giant, and I'm amused to see I indulged in some old-timey flourishes to match the old-timey subject:
"Which brings us back to the story of the stone giant of Cardiff. Here, reader, I must tell you that this story includes a dastardly scoundrel."
"Which brings us back to the story of the stone giant of Cardiff. Here, reader, I must tell you that this story includes a dastardly scoundrel."
November 23, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Dipping into my Junior Skeptic story on the Cardiff Giant, and I'm amused to see I indulged in some old-timey flourishes to match the old-timey subject:
"Which brings us back to the story of the stone giant of Cardiff. Here, reader, I must tell you that this story includes a dastardly scoundrel."
"Which brings us back to the story of the stone giant of Cardiff. Here, reader, I must tell you that this story includes a dastardly scoundrel."