Buzz
This summer, Shane Rogers will visit some of New York State's most infamous haunted locations. However, his mission isn't to find ghosts. Rogers, a Civil & Environmental Engineering professor at Clarkson University, is on the hunt for mold.
"I've always been fascinated by ghost stories and paranormal investigations," Rogers shared with mental_floss. "Even back in grad school, while watching these shows, I noticed how many of these places were damp and moldy. It made me wonder if there was a connection."
Recent studies suggest a possible connection between toxic molds and symptoms such as movement disorders, delirium, dementia, and balance issues. These symptoms might explain the eerie visions and unsettling sensations often linked to paranormal encounters. However, evidence is limited, prompting Rogers and his team of undergraduates to delve deeper into the investigation.
"Hauntings are widely reported but poorly understood phenomena," Rogers explains. "They often occur in older buildings with poor air quality. Similarly, exposure to indoor air pollutants has been linked to depression, anxiety, and other effects. Our goal is to explore whether certain pollutants in indoor air could be connected to reported hauntings."
The research team will journey across the state, collecting air quality samples from eerie locations such as the Frederic Remington Art Museum in Ogdensburg. By analyzing these samples and comparing them to those from non-haunted sites, they aim to identify patterns that could reveal a connection between mold and experiences of paranormal activity.
"My hope is that we can uncover meaningful insights into what might cause these phenomena and potentially assist people in the process," Rogers explains.
