Chalk Scribblers meet the expert: Chris French

Chris French was the head of Goldsmiths University’s Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit which was dedicated to the study of The Science of Weird Shit, as he titled the popular science book he wrote on the subject after his retirement.

His research focused on belief in the paranormal, encompassing the psychology that leads to everything from the relatively harmless subjective experiences of encountering ghosts and UFOs to much more damaging instances such as false memories of Satanic abuse. He’s the author of numerous academic articles and books on anomalistic psychology, as well as columns for The Guardian and The Skeptic. The Science of Weird Shit was published by MIT Press in 2024.

Chris holds several public posts including being a patron of Humanists UK, a fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and was a board member of the now defunct British False Memory Society. He’s appeared as an expert on shows including Uncanny, Haunted Homes, Britain’s Psychic Challenge and the hideously misnamed Unexplained: Caught on Camera. He’s also a public speaker in enough demand that makes us very lucky to have him joining us.

He'll open by talking about the subject matter of his book and will take any and all questions on either the subject matter or on his experience as a non-fiction author.

Although there is no charge for the session, there is an attendee limit so if you find you can't make it, please remember to change your RSVP so someone else can take your place.

Relevant links:

• Chris’s website
• Chris’s Guardian column
• Chris’s profile page at Goldmiths
• Chris’s Skeptic column
• Chris on Bluesky
• Chris being interviewed on the Plutopia podcast
• The Science of Weird Shit[ on Bookshop.org](https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-science-of-weird-shit-why-our-minds-conjure-the-paranormal-chris-french/7557396)