Thursday, November 20, 2008

Cryptozoology Home-Study Certification

Flamel College (named after Nicolas, of course), offers a home-study course in cryptozoology.
Cryptozoology is a combination of anthropology and zoology in which researchers try to find and study animals that are only rumored to exist. In other words, cryptozoologists study animals and other creatures that have not yet been accepted by science as real. They look for specimens of unknown creatures they refer to as "cryptids." In a way, cryptozoologists are a specialized branch of monster hunters. Cryptozoology does not normally collect or study UFO reports, ghosts, or even animal apparitions. Nor do cryptozoologists normally study out-of-place animals or newly-discovered small animals and insects, since finding new species of such creatures is fairly common among biologists.
Course and materials for $85. The course seems heavily based on Loren Coleman's Cryptozoology A to Z, but he is not affiliated with them. They just chose his book.

And yes, there's also a course in alchemy.

via Cryptomundo, of course

2 comments:

  1. Alchemy led to wonderful discoveries, and eventually the science of chemistry itself. It would be nice to see if cryptozoology led to the actual discoveries of new creatures, but, alas, I have no confidence in it. Especially since the cryptozoologists claim to avoid studying "out-of-place animals or newly-discovered small animals and insects".

    In other words, they are looking for the gold where they know it isn't.

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  2. I grabbed that quote because it was the first paragraph, but the part about them not studying "out-of-place animals or newly-discovered small animals and insects" is wrong, and it shows that even though they use Coleman's book, they aren't paying attention to his philosophy. Cryptozoologists very definitely are interested in out-of-place animals and newly discovered species, but because such discoveries can sometimes support or at least shed light on possible information about true cryptids.

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