Horror Science: Recent Episodes
Horror Science
Episode eight focuses on media effects. The top of the show explores a couple copycat crimes related to the Scream franchise; however, copycat crimes are less common than the news media would have you believe. The episode closes with a look at George Gerbner's cultivation theory, with a focus on mean world syndrome.
Episode seven explores the crimonology behind The Silence of the Lambs. What is life like at the FBI Training Academy at Quantico? How are serial killers profiled, and what role do modus operandi and signature play? Which real-life serial killers inspired the characterization of Buffalo Bill? Finally, would an incarcerated killer ever help with a current investigation?
Episode six explores several questions raised by the Swedish vampire horror Let the Right One In. What medical conditions could have lead to the creation of the burning in sunlight myth? Have children ever been part of a serial killing team? How have animals adapted to survive on blood? What do the history books leave out about the creation of Morse Code? What are the side effects of hydrochloric acid spills? Finally, how long can humans hold their breath underwater?
Episode four differs from the usual content of the podcast; it begins by providing historical context for the film. Who is Pan, and how does the translation of the film's title from Spanish to English affect its meaning? What was life like for the Republicans in Francoist Spain? After this, we get back to the usual science. What are the uses of and symbolism behind labyrinths? Is there any truth behind the myth of the mandrake root?