Ramblings of an Armchair Skeptic

March 31, 1848. What is so special about this date you ask? I’m glad you asked. I feel a story coming on. Once upon a time in Hydesville, New York, there lived two young sisters by the name of Kate and Margaret Fox. The house that the sisters lived in was reputed to be haunted. This was confirmed one night when the spirit that dwelled with the Fox’s began making its presence known. Banging and rapping noises would echo throughout the house effectively frightening the entire family. On the night in question, Kate Fox decided to try to communicate with the spirit. She challenged it to repeat a series of finger snaps and to rap out the ages of the girls. The ghost happily obliged and the modern spiritualist movement was henceforth born. From that night on, the Fox sisters were able to have conversations with the spook. These would consist of questions that were answered with one rap for “yes” and two raps for “no.” Or a number of raps would correspond with a letter of the alphabet. The sp...