Category Archives: madscience

Spookatorium 021

Posted by scottsplatter on

Welcome gawkers to episode 21 of the show! This episode we examine the Jewish ritual of Kapparot – the transfer of sins into the body of a chicken and the sacrifice of the chicken prior to Yom Kippur… as well as recent performance of it in New York and the aftermath left behind. I’ve also included a short PETA video here in the notes to further give you an idea of what we are talking about. I also juxtapose this with a sensational article from the Sioux City Journal regarding a reported ritual killing.

Following this we look at the hoax of the Jenny Haniver. Oddly named this crytpotaxidermy beast constructed from dried, rays, skates and cuttlefish has been passed off as a bona fide monster since the 16th Century, and continues to be despite widely being dubbed a hoax from early on. You can buy one right here.

Finally a look at the fascinating Charles Bonnet Syndrome. The condition in which those with failing vision find their lives interrupted by elaborate hallucinations. I hadn’t heard of this until reading a great piece in the book Dark Lore Vol. 1 which I would recommend.

In addition this time we are having a little drawing from which the winner will receive a copy of Blood of the Black Owl’s self titled record on Bindrune Recordings. Details are in the show…

Music this time from the likes of…

BLIXA BARGELD (1:05)
CARPATHIAN FOREST (5:00)
TULUS (10:45)
THE ACCUSED (26:33)
HARMONY GARDEN (28:55)
MALHAVOC (32:51)
DARKTHRONE (37:14)
BABYLAND (43:23)
SUBTERANNEAN MASQUERADE (46:56)
EMBER (52:45)
DESSAU (54:57)
COIL (65:17)
NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS (71:15)
NEVER PRESENCE FOREVER (76:25)

With background accompaniment from
DEL

Professor Gruntsplatter’s Spookatorium 021

That is it this time, leave a comment or drop an email ya ingrates.

– Prof. Gruntsplatter

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Beezlebufo & It’s Not Necessary Being Green

Posted by scottsplatter on

The Associated Press sent out a story that has made the rounds of news outlets today about the discovery of the bones of a giant prehistoric toad in Madagascar. Nicknamed the “Devil Toad” or Beelzebufo, it weighed in excess of 10 pounds, the largest current living frog the Goliath Frog can get up to about 7 pounds. It is believed the Devil Toad was capable of taking down small dinosaurs. Also of interest is the similarity between the the Beezlebufo and current toads in South America on the other side of the world. It’s led to renewed speculation about prehistoric geography.

While I’m here, here’s an older story I have been holding onto for awhile. Back in September it was announced that Japanese scientists had created a transparent frog. Their reasoning for prompting the transparency mutation was so that the organs would be visible without dissection for educational purposes and general coolness. Professor Masayuki Sumida whose team bred the frogs has hopes that with further experimentation they will be able to create a frog that will glow when it develops cancer. Sumida plans to patent the transparent frog technology.

Spookatorium 020

Posted by scottsplatter on

Greetings once again, episode 20 is now up for your consumption. It is nice to reach the 20 show landmark.

This time we take a look at a rise in reports of possession, exorcisms and the mark of the beast in the news, and some things the Catholic church are doing to that end, including a treatment center for demonic possession being built in Poland.

Next up we take a look at the legacy of John “Goat Gland” Brinkley. Brinkley was a medical huckster that made a fortune off the idea that goat testicles were an excellent cure for virility issues. He became a multi-millionaire during the Great Depression peddling this idea, and even made a couple failed attempts at the Governorship of Kansas.

Finally, we look at George Daynor’s Palace of Depression in New Jersey. It’s tale of determination built from scraps in a swampy auto graveyard that became a monument to perseverance and hard work during the Great Depression. Its eccentric creator however ended up in a paupers grave, the victim of his own ambition and promotional vision.

The sounds this time around are supplied by…

BIG BLACK (1:05)
CAZZODIO (3:19)
DOUBTING THOMAS (7:07)
BLACKHOUSE (21:14)
FUNERAL DINER (23:06)
DEINONYCHUS (26:16)
ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN (30:00)
IMPALED NAZARENE (41:51)
16 VOLT (45:25)
HAGALAZ RUNEDANCE (49:40)
BLACK FLAG (58:33)
PINE TREE STATE MIND CONTROL (61:38)
DIVINUS BAAL & RUNA (64:23)
NEUROSIS (68:06)

With background accompaniment from
NECROPHORUS
HOLLOW EARTH

Thanks again as always for tuning in, if you have anything to say or any good stories to share feel free to leave a comment or send over an email.

Professor Gruntsplatter’s Spookatorium 020

– Prof. Gruntsplatter

Spookatorium 018

Posted by scottsplatter on

Welcome to episode 18, some of the little improvements I have been hoping to do for awhile finally got taken care of, so hopefully you’ll like those.

This time out we look at the legacy of Mary Toft, she was involved in a hoax in 1726 that drew the attention of the King of England and inspired perhaps the most famous of any trick in a magicians repertoire. Her story is outlined further in the book “The Girl Who Gave Birth To Rabbits: A True Medical Mystery,” which I am hoping to check out before too long.

Next we take a trip down south to check in on a couple of mysterious creature sightings. One is believed to be a possible Skunk Ape and the other dubbed the Beast of Bolivia, is killing dogs in South Carolina. In addition LiveScience.com ran a recent article on the possibility of using hi resolution satellite imagery to search for elusive breeding colonies of various cryptids.

Finally we take a look at the theory of palingenesy, the alchemical idea inspired by the work of Greek philosopher Lucretious that sought to explain ghosts and apparitions chemically, rather than metaphysically. The thought was that a body’s form resided in its salts, and by applying heat to those salts, you could regenerate the form of a dead or destroyed plant or animal as an apparition. This one is pretty interesting and I have been meaning to cover it for a few weeks so I hope you find it curious.

The sounds this time around are supplied by…

DISHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
DAZZLINGKILLMEN
MISSING FOUNDATION
SNOG
BLANCHE
CLAN OF XYMOX
DESCENDENTS
NAVICON TORTURE TECHNOLOGIES
VO.I.D
FLUISTERWOUD
TODAY IS THE DAY
THE JESUS & MARY CHAIN
BRUTE FORCE
CHARNEL VALLEY

With background accompaniment from
NAJ
CORPOPARASSITA

Thanks as always for checking out the show…

Professor Gruntsplatter’s Spookatorium 018

– Prof. Gruntsplatter

Spookatorium 017

Posted by scottsplatter on

Well, this was intended to be the second annual Halloween episode… it is a bit late. Listen to it through pumpkin shaped headphones if you will. Halloween is a time of year and a feeling in the air, not simply a day on the calendar.

This episode looks into ghostly sightings and communication with the dead through various gadgetry. Our first stop is among the urban legends and paranormal sightings on a secluded lane known as Zombie Road in western St. Louis County. And looks briefly at investigations by missourighosts.net and the Missouri Paranormal Research Group.

Then it is off to 1930’s Britain for a peek at the contraptions of the Askir-Jobson Trianion Guild, who with information they claim to have received from a deceased colleague created devices to facilitate communication with spirits.

Another person who more recently claims to have received instructions from entities on building a device to communicate with the dead is Frank Sumption. His creation, quaintly called “Frank’s Box” or “The Ghost Box” uses more modern electronics to create what he believe is a live EVP receiver. You can check out the schematics for the device here, Coast to Coast AM did a show on the subject as well that you can check out here, and I have included a video of the device in action for you to judge for yourself.

Finally, we take a look at the theories behind the talking board, or Ouija board, from the Spiritualist and Atomatistic points of view. You can find a mess of Ouija stories and transcriptions here at the Grave Addiction site and I’d recommend checking out the Museum Of Talking Boards for a great photo gallery of various talking boards over the years.

In addition the ghastly harmonies of the following break up the sound of my voice…

LOUIS ARMSTRONG
THE ROHAN THEATRE BAND
BLACK MAYONNAISE
HADIT
THE DEAD BROTHERS
ULTHAR
MERCYFUL FATE
GOATVARGR
BAUHAUS
MONDBLUT
SCHLOSS TEGAL
DARVULIA
THE HANDSOME FAMILY
THOSE POOR BASTARDS
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES
HEID
AH CAMA-SOTZ

With background accompaniment from
GEOMATIC
A MURDER OF ANGELS
INNANA
BRIGHTER DEATH NOW

Thanks again for having a listen, my apologies for the lateness of the episode. The next one should come much faster, and I have a few stories saved up for the site as well.

Professor Gruntsplatter’s Spookatorium 017

– Prof. Gruntsplatter

Crypto Happenings: Follow Up

Posted by scottsplatter on

This is a follow up the the story posted below about the alleged Chupacabra in Cuervo, Texas. DNA tests have been conducted on the creature, using material from its head and have determined that it is a Texas Coyote. Livescience.com also recently ran an article called “How Monsters are Made” which explores this as well as a recent Bigfoot sighting a bit closer.

Their premise is that frequently it is simply disease that give normal animals the appearance of something extraordinary. It’s a theory that I have held in relation to the myths of “monsters” through history as well. How often were the horrible creatures of legend simply regular people afflicted with some sickness, mutation or deficiency that science was unaware of and the general populace had never witnessed? The examples I could give might seem insensitive now, but in times of limited knowledge and dubious science those things we empathize with now could certainly have been perceived as monstrous.

– Prof. Gruntsplatter