Field Guide

Curious where to start? These guides explain how we approach unexplained phenomena, introduce the most famous mysteries, and define the terms you will meet in our reporting. We are fascinated by these subjects — and we think fascination is best served by honesty.

How we cover the unexplained

Our method: report the claim, weigh the evidence, and say what we don't know.

A field guide to cryptids

Bigfoot, Nessie, Mothman and friends — and what the evidence really shows.

UFOs and UAPs, explained

What the terms mean, the key history, and what governments have actually said.

Ancient mysteries and lost cities

Pyramids, Göbekli Tepe, the Nazca Lines — genuine puzzles, and popular myths.

Ghosts and the paranormal, explained

Hauntings, poltergeists — and the surprising science of why we feel them.

Famous hoaxes and how they fooled us

Piltdown Man, the Cottingley Fairies, crop circles — and the lessons they teach.

A glossary of the strange

The vocabulary of the unexplained, defined.