Talking the Science of Fear with Dr. Margee Kerr

Why do we like to be scared? What’s the difference in fear between a haunted house attraction and ghost hunters in a “real” haunted house? What is fearmongering, and the evolving fears of society? And what’s up with being afraid of clowns, aliens, Bigfoot, and even wide open spaces? Margee Kerr is a sociologist and author. She earned her PhD in 2009 from the University of Pittsburgh and currently teaches and conducts research on fear — specifically how and why people engage in 'scary' experiences like haunted attractions, horror movies, and paranormal investigations. She enjoys working as a consultant for attractions and museums and is the author of SCREAM: Chilling Adventures in the Science of Fear named as a must-read by The Washington Post. And author of Ouch! Why Pain Hurts and Why It Doesn’t Have To. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Parade, Atlantic Monthly, and NPR’s Science Friday. _______________________________________________________________ Talking Strange Paranormal Podcast with Aaron Sagers is a weekly paranormal pop culture show featuring celebrity and author interviews, with a weekly "Small Talk" mini-sode with reader submitted letters and spooky tales. Sagers is a paranormal journalist and researcher who appears as host of 28 Days Haunted on Netflix, and on Paranormal Caught On Camera on Travel Channel/Discovery+, and Talking Strange is part of the Den of Geek Network. If you like Talking Strange, please subscribe, leave a nice review, and share with your friends. The Talking Strange Paranormal Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and wherever you check out spooky content. For more paranormal pop culture, head to Den of Geek, and follow @TalkStrangePod on Twitter. Email us with episode ideas, and guest suggestions, or for a chance to have your letter read on a future episode: [email protected] Follow Host Aaron Sagers: Twitter.com/aaronsagers Instagram.com/aaronsagers Facebook.com/AaronSagersPage tiktok.com/@aaronsagers Patreon.com/aaronsagers (For Q&As, livestreams, cocktail classes, and movie watches) Until Next Time: Be Kind. Stay Spooky. Keep It Weird. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices