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Episode Notes for
On Monsters

THIS WEEK on MonsterTalk, author Stephen Asma (Professor of Philosophy at Columbia College Chicago) speaks about his comprehensive book surveying Western monster-lore.

Is humankind’s fascination with monsters broader than any single cause? Asma’s On Monsters examines hundreds of legends — and their cultural, psychological and social implications.

In this episode

  • the roots of fear
  • the fascination some find with birth defects
  • the saint who had a dog’s head
  • when humans become monsters
  • how Darwin impacted society’s perception of monstrous births
  • are body exhibits making monsters of the natural?
  • demons as rules-lawyers

Music

The views expressed on this program are not necessarily the views of the Skeptics Society or Skeptic magazine.

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