We have examined the science behind three of the most popular pseudoscientific beliefs encountered in Hollywood movies. For two of them — the idea of ghosts and vampires — we have shown that they are inconsistent and contradictory to simple facts. For one of them — the idea of zombies — we have made no attempt to deny that it relies on real cases. However, we have reviewed evidence showing that the concept is a misrepresentation of simple criminal acts.

Among other things, the authors of this study use their “science” to show that vampires and other undead menaces cannot exist. More commentary here.

A fun read, but one gets the impression that the authors are probably the sort of people who turn to everybody else during the Star Wars trench run scene and loudly remark (with an irritating smirk on their faces) that there’s no way you’d be able to hear the explosions in the vacuum of space. You know, the sort of people who are pretty smart but who need to be slapped every now and then.

On the other hand: if I were a vampire interested in throwing potential Van Helsings off of my trail, this is exactly the sort of report I would stealthily author and then publicize. I don’t see an “Al U. Card” listed as one of the authors, which hurts that theory a bit, but one can always hope.