LibGuides: FYPL 102B: Critical Reasoning about Weird Things: Resources

Thinking Critically about Strange Things

Use the WSU Library Catalog to search for books and eBooks

Some related findings from WSU Libraries' Online Catalog:

The Ashgate Research Companion to Paranormal Cultures by Olu Jenzen (Editor); Sally R. Munt (Editor)
Call Number: Electronic Book
ISBN: 9781409444671
Publication Date: 2013-11-28
Paranormal Phenomena: Opposing Viewpoints by Karen Miller (Editor)
Call Number: Electronic Book
ISBN: 9780737740080
Publication Date: 2008-06-06
The Encyclopedia of the Paranormal by Gordon Stein (Editor); Carl Sagan (Foreword by)
Call Number: BF1025 .E54 1996
ISBN: 1573920215
Publication Date: 1996-02-01
Why People Believe Weird Things by Michael Shermer
Call Number: BF773 .S56 1997 - Third Floor
ISBN: 0716730901
Publication Date: 1997-03-01
The Modern Myths by Philip Ball
Call Number: Electronic Book
ISBN: 9780226774213
Publication Date: 2021-05-01
Authors of the Impossible by Jeffrey J. Kripal
Call Number: BF1028 .K75 2010
ISBN: 9780226453866
Publication Date: 2010-05-30
When Bad Thinking Happens to Good People by Steven Nadler; Lawrence Shapiro
Call Number: Electronic Book
ISBN: 9780691212760
Publication Date: 2021-08-31
The Dictionary of Imaginary Places by Gianni Guadalupi
Call Number: GR650 .G8 1980
ISBN: 0156008726
Publication Date: 2000-11-02
Paranormal America (second Edition) by Christopher D. Bader; Joseph O. Baker; F. Carson Mencken
Call Number: Electronic Book
ISBN: 9781479819652
Publication Date: 2017-04-18
First Sight by James C. Carpenter
Call Number: Electronic Book
ISBN: 9781442213920
Publication Date: 2012-02-01
Conspiracy by Michael Shermer
Call Number: Electronic Book
ISBN: 9781421444468
Publication Date: 2022-10-25
Irrationality by Justin E. H. Smith
Call Number: Electronic Book
ISBN: 9780691210513
Publication Date: 2020-12-08
Factfulness by Hans Rosling; Anna Rosling Ronnlund; Ola Rosling
Call Number: HN25 .R64 2018 - Third Floor
ISBN: 9781250107817
Publication Date: 2018-04-03
Ignorance: how it drives science by Firestein, Stuart
ISBN: 0199828083
Publication Date: 2012
The Encyclopedia of Conspiracies and Conspiracy Theories by Michael Newton
Call Number: Electronic Book
ISBN: 9780816055401
Publication Date: 2005-11-30
Weird Earth by Donald R. Prothero
Call Number: Electronic Book
ISBN: 9781684351367
Publication Date: 2020-07-14
Future Babble by Dan Gardner
Call Number: BF463.U5 G37 2010
ISBN: 9780771035197
Publication Date: 2010-10-12
Big Lies by Mark Kurlansky; Eric Zelz (Illustrator)
Call Number: PZ5 177.3 K96537b5 - Second Floor
ISBN: 9780884489122
Publication Date: 2022-10-04
Monsters in America by W. Scott Poole
Call Number: GR825 .P626 2011
ISBN: 9781602583146
Publication Date: 2011-10-15
Extraterrestrial Life by Sylvia Engdahl
Call Number: Electronic Book
ISBN: 0737732539
Publication Date: 2005-10-10
Science and the Production of Ignorance by Torsten Wilholt (Contribution by); Paul Hoyningen-Huene (Contribution by); Hugh Lacey (Contribution by); Londa Schiebinger (Contribution by); Janet A. Kourany (Editor, Contribution by); Martin Carrier (Editor, Contribution by); Peter Galison (Contribution by); Robert N. Proctor (Contribution by); Philip Kitcher (Contribution by); Miriam Solomon (Contribution by); Carl Cranor (Contribution by)
Call Number: Electronic Book
ISBN: 9780262357142
Publication Date: 2020-01-24
The Science of UFOs by William Alschuler; William R. Alschuler
Call Number: TL789 .A562 2001 - Lower Level
ISBN: 0312262256
Publication Date: 2001-02-22
Hope and Fear: modern myths, conspiracy theories and pseudo-history by Ronald H. Fritze
Call Number: Electronic Book
ISBN: 9781789145403
Publication Date: 2022-04-18
Conspiracy Theories and the Failure of Intellectual Critique by Kurtis Hagen
Call Number: Electronic Book
ISBN: 9780472220342
Publication Date: 2022-07-20
A Passion for Ignorance by Renata Salecl
Call Number: Electronic Book
ISBN: 9780691195605
Publication Date: 2020-09-29

What is SmartSearch?

SmartSearch is a discovery search tool that allows users to search multiple databases and the library's online catalog to find the books, journal articles, videos, and other items that you are looking for. SmartSearch doesn't cover all of the databases that you have access to, but it does cover many of them. For a more concentrated search, it is beneficial to search our electronic databases individually that are relevant to your chosen subject and topic area.

When using SmartSearch, results may be refined by:

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Source type (books, academic journals, magazines, trade publications, news, etc.)

WSU Libraries' databases for news, hot topics, media and all manner of mis-/dis-/information about the wild, weird human species:

Access World News This link opens in a new window
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A comprehensive news collection of issues and events at the local, regional, national and international level. Its diverse source types include print and online-only newspapers, blogs, newswires, journals, broadcast transcripts and videos. Use it to explore a specific event or to compare a wide variety of viewpoints on topics such as politics, business, health, sports, cultural activities and people. Terms of Use
Kansas News Sources This link opens in a new window
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Digital access to Kansas newspapers, including The Butler County Times-Gazette, the Emporia Gazette, the Manhattan Mercury, the Topeka Capital-Journal and more. Terms of Use
Newsbank This link opens in a new window
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Current full-text access to six Kansas newspapers: Emporia Gazette (2002- ), Kansas City Star (1991- ), Lawrence Journal-World (1990- ), Manhattan Mercury (1997- ), Topeka Capital-Journal (2002- ) and Wichita Eagle (1984- ). Also accessible, Access World news, which is a comprehensive news collection of local, regional, national, and international topics. Terms of Use
Opposing Viewpoints In Context This link opens in a new window
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A collection of content for exploration into social issues from all perspectives. Providing pro/con viewpoint essays, topic overviews, biographies of social activists and reformers, court-case overviews, podcasts, primary source documents, and more.
Terms of Use
Google Account holders can login using their credentials to easily download and share articles, including highlights and notes, using Google Apps for Education tools like Drive and Docs.

AllSides: Don't be fooled by media bias & misinformation.
AllSides™ is a media technology and solutions company that strengthens our democratic society with balanced news, media bias ratings, diverse perspectives, and real conversation. We expose people to information and ideas from all sides of the political spectrum so they can better understand the world — and each other.
Ground News
Ground News is a platform that makes it easy to compare news sources, read between the lines of media bias and break free from algorithms.

Use the following databases to search for scholarly research and articles on the weird beliefs of human beings:

JSTOR This link opens in a new window
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Online access to core scholarly journals in business, education, health, arts & humanities, life sciences, literature, physical sciences, and social sciences. Coverage begins with the first issue of each journal.
Terms of Use
Includes: Arts & Sciences 1-15, Business 2-4, & Life Sciences
Philosopher's Index This link opens in a new window
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Indexes articles in all areas of philosophy such as aesthetics, epistemology, ethics, logic and metaphysics as well as the philosophy of various disciplines such as education, history, law, religion, and science. Coverage: 1940-present.
Terms of Use
Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
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A comprehensive scholarly, multi-disciplinary full-text database, with more than 8,500 full-text periodicals, including more than 7,300 peer-reviewed journals. In addition to full text, this database offers indexing and abstracts for more than 12,500 journals and a total of more than 13,200 publications including monographs, reports, conference proceedings, etc. Searchable cited references are provided for more than 1,400 journals.
Terms of Use
PsycINFO This link opens in a new window
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The American Psychological Association's (APA) resource for abstracts of scholarly journal articles, book chapters, books, and dissertations. It is the largest resource devoted to peer-reviewed literature in behavioral science and mental health, and contains citations and summaries dating as far back as the 1600s. Included is information on the psychological aspects of related fields such as medicine, psychiatry, nursing, sociology, education, pharmacology, technology, linguistics, anthropology, business, law and others.
Terms of Use
Religion & Philosophy Collection This link opens in a new window
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Provides extensive coverage of such topics as world religions, major denominations, biblical studies, religious history, epistemology, political philosophy, philosophy of language, moral philosophy and the history of philosophy. With more more than 300 full text journals, the Religion & Philosophy Collection is an essential tool for researchers and students of theology and philosophical studies.
Terms of Use

Why do people believe weird things? - ABC News

Archives of the Impossible - Rice University
Scholarly collections of that point, somewhere between the furthest reaches of science fiction and the impossible strangeness of the real, that has driven the inspiration and collection of this archive. At present, we estimate that the total archival collection stands at somewhere well north of 100,000 items, and that this is probably much too modest of a figure.
As Variously As Possible - Tom Cheetham
Renowned scholar, teacher, biologist and poet exploring creative imagination in human life and culture. How imaginal realms provide insight into strange phenomena.
New Thinking Allowed: Parapsychology & Psychical Research
This channel features content about philosophy, psychology, health, science, and spirituality -- with an emphasis on parapsychology. Host, Jeffrey Mishlove, PhD, is author of The Roots of Consciousness, Psi Development Systems, and The PK Man. He is the recipient of a doctorate in "Parapsychology" from the University of California, Berkeley.
Philosophy of the Paranormal - Mind & Metal
Dr. Josh Redstone, an early career researcher and instructor with a background in Philosophy (BA, MA) and Cognitive Science (PhD). I'm interested in philosophical and empirical questions that arise in the areas of philosophy of mind, robotics and artificial intelligence.
Critical Thinking Series
This three-part series explains in detail three skills that are key to critical thinking: the ability to determine credibility, to assess the significance of evidence, and to know when to question assumptions. With excellent case studies and interviews with leading thinkers in the area, this is a fantastic and comprehensive resource for students. Viewable/printable worksheets are available online. 3-part series, 25–39 minutes each.
Critical Thinking: How to Evaluate Information and Draw Conclusions
Help students learn to think for themselves-a key to success in every endeavor. They'll learn to assimilate information, dig beneath the surface, and draw their own conclusions. The program covers interpretive skills such as finding the main idea, determining the relationship between cause and effect, and sorting out fact from fiction. It illustrates basic reasoning powers such as the difference between inductive and deductive reasoning and irrelevant arguments.
Wireless Philosophy: Introduction to Critical Thinking
Learn about Philosophy with professors from Yale, Stanford, Oxford, MIT, and more! 130+ animated videos. An official Khan Academy Partner.
Our mission is to introduce people to the practice of philosophy by making videos that are freely available in a form that is entertaining, interesting and accessible to people with no background in the subject.
Spectrum Street Epistemology
In 2013, the term Street Epistemology (SE) was coined by Dr. Peter Boghossian. Using the Socratic method as a base and drawing from the best available literature in hostage negotiations, cult exiting, applied epistemology and more, SE is a way to help people critically reflect on the quality of their reasoning – in effect, helping them calibrate their confidence in a belief to the reason and evidence they have for that belief. It does so in a civil, non-confrontational manner that aims to help participants feel at ease, especially when reflecting upon controversial issues.
Introduction to Philosophy: Critical Thinking and Logical Reasoning
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This video highlights the critical thinking and logical reasoning skills necessary to analyze an argument and present a clear position on philosophical issues. The program defines the differences between subjective opinions, justified beliefs, and factual statements demonstrating how to evaluate a statement for logical consistency.
Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving
Freedom in Thought
Brief animated videos from the history of thought designed to help you know yourself with practical philosophy. Try, for instance, "how to think clearly" - https://youtu.be/HekZLSZ2mpU?si=Ws4Sm2k2cP9L3ktO
Philosophies for Life
Philosophy is a combination of two Greek words, philein & sophia, meaning lover of wisdom. It is the pursuit of wisdom, truth, and knowledge, and there have been various schools of philosophical thought throughout the ages; from the ancient wisdom of Greek philosophers like Plato and Aristotle to the modern writings of Nietzsche and Camus, all attempting to answer these questions.
At Philosophies for Life we present these different views by taking complex philosophical concepts and breaking them down into simple-yet-practical ways that you can apply directly and efficiently to your day-to-day life.
Big Think
Big Think is the leading source of expert-driven, actionable, educational content -- with thousands of videos, featuring experts ranging from Bill Clinton to Bill Nye, we help you get smarter, faster. Get actionable lessons from the world’s greatest thinkers & doers. Our experts are either disrupting or leading their respective fields. We aim to help you explore the big ideas and core skills that define knowledge in the 21st century, so you can apply them to the questions and challenges in your own life. Other Frequent contributors include Michio Kaku & Neil DeGrasse Tyson.
School of Life
School of Life is interested in self-understanding, calm and emotional maturity. With hundreds of resources on how to think, be calm in disagreement, critical conversations, and more...

Science & the Paranormal

Science and the Paranormal
More from the Essentia Foundation on the weird, uncanny, strange in scientific research.

FYPL 102B: Critical Reasoning about Weird Things

Checklists of Thinking Errors

Resources for Critical Reasoning

On Reasoning - Or Giving Reasons

Can't Find the Full Text of a Resource?

Thinking Critically about Strange Things

Science & the Paranormal

Origins of Many Conspiracy Theories