Paranormal

Ghost walks down the street in an old town.
More than 40 percent of Americans believe in ghosts, according to a poll. (Image credit: katalinks/Shutterstock.com)

Paranormal denotes experiences that are outside the norm and beyond scientific explanation. Even so, these events, from supernatural phenomena to extrasensory perception to ghosts, aliens and UFOs, take on a life of their own in pop culture. That’s where Live Science comes in: Our reporters dig into the latest paranormal news to debunk and even explain the science of what's really causing the seemingly supernatural.

Latest about Conspiracies & Paranormal

photo shows a man outdoors at a protest in London holding a sign that reads "It's not about a 'virus,' it's about control."

Most methods for squashing conspiracy theories don't work, study finds. Here's what does.

By Anna Demming published

A systematic review of conspiracy theory interventions shows that most traditional approaches have little impact, but certain alternatives show promise.

An illustration of a flat Earth floating in space

How do flat-Earthers explain the equinox? We investigated.

By Brandon Specktor last updated

Equinoxes would be physically impossible over a flat Earth, but that doesn't stop conspiracy theorists from trying to explain them.

Gravity? What gravity?

Are flat-earthers being serious?

By Stephanie Pappas last updated

Flat-earthers believe one of the most curious conspiracy theories on the internet. Here's a look at what they believe and why.

Illustration of Bigfoot, a massive, gorilla-like creature covered in dark fur, standing on a rocky mountain.

The most famous Bigfoot sightings

By Patrick Pester published

Bigfoot, or Sasquatch, is one of North America's most enduring legends, with thousands of people claiming to have seen the giant ape-like creature. Here are the most famous Bigfoot sightings.

Witch trial in Salem, Massachusetts. Lithograph by George H. Walker. Undated.

4 in 10 people worldwide believe in witches

By Tia Ghose published

Around the world, belief in witches and witchcraft varied widely; more than 9 in 10 people in Tunisia believed that people could use supernatural powers to do harm, while fewer than 1 in 10 people in Sweden did.

A concept image of a Bigfoot silhouette walking through a forest.

Bigfoot: Is the Sasquatch real?

By Benjamin Radford, Patrick Pester published

Bigfoot, or Sasquatch, is a large ape-like creature some people believe inhabits North America but there's no hard evidence it actually exists.

Crop circles in a field outside the village of Avebury, Wiltshire, England

Crop circles: Myth, theories and history

By Stephanie Pappas published

Reference Crop circles are really no mystery. These expansive forms of landscape art are made by people.

Reference
Pulling the Devil by the Tail, a 19th century woodcut by J. J. Grandville

Why does the devil have horns and hooves?

By Tom Metcalfe published

Reference Many modern depictions of the devil show him with the horns and hooves of a goat. But just why does the devil have horns and hooves?

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Here, a real image of Buzz Aldrin saluting the U.S. flag on the surface of the moon.

16 of the best conspiracy theories

By Stephanie Pappas, Benjamin Radford published

Conspiracy theories that have taken hold range from a faked moon landing to Barack Obama's birthplace to chemtrails.

Are ghosts real? Thousands of people report ghostly encounters every year... but is there any science to back them up?

Are ghosts real?

By Benjamin Radford last updated

There is no scientific evidence that ghosts exist.

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