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Tag: monster

Three concepts of monstrosity

January 29, 2018 Martin Gardiner

“What is a monster? At least three concepts have been proposed: Aristotle thinks a monster to be a “mistake of purpose” in nature; Noël Carroll thinks a monster to be a scientifically impossible being that arouses disgust and fear; Cynthia Freeland thinks a monster to be an evil being. Thus a two-headed calf is an […]

Arts and Sciencefear, goth, horror, monster

The Biology of B-Movie Monsters

October 30, 2016 Marc Abrahams

Michael C. LaBarbera some years ago applied his loving knowledge of biology to his knowledgeable love of monster movies. The result: “The Biology of B-Movie Monsters,” Michael C. LaBarbera [pictured here], Fathom, 2003. It begins thus: SESSION 1: Biology and Geometry Collide! Size has been one of the most popular themes in monster movies, especially […]

Arts and Science, Research Newsbiology, monster, movies

Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (a review)

October 19, 2015 Martin Gardiner

If you haven’t come across the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (CFSM), and wish to read an academic overview, may we recommend a recent paper in the journal Le religieux sur Internet / Religion on the Web, Vol 8 (2015) ‘When Virtuality Shapes Social Reality. Fake Cults and the Church of the Flying Spaghetti […]

Arts and Sciencechurch, god, monster, religion, spaghetti, spoof

A ritual monster of Spain has a long abstract

August 16, 2015 Marc Abrahams

A scholarly paper about a ritual monster of Spain appears to have a monstrously loooooooooong abstract, which you can see if you click the link on the title: “Tarasca: ritual monster of Spain,” David D. Gilmore, Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, vol. 152, no. 3, September 2008, pp. 362-82. The author is at Stony brook University.

Arts and Scienceabstract, long, monster, Spain, summary

Behemoth – not hippo nor elephant?

December 12, 2014 Martin Gardiner

Those involved in studying biblical texts sometimes disagree about the exact nature of Behemoth, as described in the Bible, in Job 40:15-24. Could it have been, as some have suggested, a description of an elephant, or a(n) hippopotamus? Dr. Dave Miller Ph.D., M.A.R., M.Div., M.A., B.A., writing in the journal Reason & Revelation, Dec. 2011, […]

Improbable Investigatorsbehemoth, dinosaurs, god, monster
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