The Best of Coast to Coast AM Science and the Paranormal - Best of Coast to Coast AM - 3/23/26
Mar 24, 2026
Barry Markovsky, social psychologist and former professor who studies how social forces shape belief. He revisits a childhood UFO sighting, unpacks scientific skepticism versus open inquiry, and investigates a haunted vape shop and a flying-book video. Short, curious tales about memory, hoaxes, and how we decide what to believe.
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Skepticism As An Evidence Meter
- Scientific skepticism assesses credibility and searches for alternative explanations while remaining open to being wrong.
- Markovsky describes a mental 'meter' that shifts with the quantity and quality of evidence instead of absolute belief.
Why People Misinterpret Paranormal Signals
- Human perception is predictably fallible due to limited processing and social influence on beliefs.
- Markovsky emphasizes these cognitive limits as central reasons many paranormal claims have mundane explanations.
Childhood UFO Turned Airliner Mystery
- Barry Markovsky recounts a childhood UFO sighting while sleeping in a backyard fort that stayed vivid for decades.
- He later triangulated direction and likely identified it as a jet near Boston Logan Airport, showing how investigation can demystify old experiences.