Are Ghosts Real? | Tumble Episode
- tumblepodcast
- Oct 31
- 3 min read
Are ghosts real? Or are they just in our heads? That’s what six-year-old Lily from Hawaii wants to know — and she’s not the only one! In this spooky Halloween episode of Tumble, Lindsay and Marshall team up with a real-life ghost historian, Dr. Efram Sera-Shriar, to explore how scientists once tried to prove the existence of spirits. From floating tables to “spirit photography” and even Thomas Edison’s plans for a ghost phone, it’s a chilling journey through the science of the supernatural — and the mystery of why so many people want to believe.
🎧 Listen to the Episode
🌊 What Kids Will Learn
How scientists in the 1800s used experiments and new technology to investigate ghostly claims.
Why believing in something — like ghosts — can shape how we interpret evidence.
How curiosity, skepticism, and critical thinking help scientists (and ghost hunters!) explore the unknown.
About The Featured Scientist
Dr. Efram Sera-Shriar is a professor at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. He has spent almost twenty years teaching and working in museums, studying how science and the supernatural connect. He earned his PhD in the History and Philosophy of Science from the University of Leeds in the U.K. His book, Psychic Investigators, tells the story of how scientists once tried to study ghosts and psychic powers. Today, he’s researching how people have used video games to explore spooky and mysterious ideas.
🧑🏫 Classroom & Home Resources
🔗 NGSS Alignment: 3-5-ETS1-3, 3-5-ETS2.A
📚 Learn More:
The Science of Ghosts from Science News Explores — Explains how many “ghost” sightings might actually come from the brain mis-interpreting sensory information.
Why Some People See, Hear, or Feel "Ghosts"- A kid-friendly article about how fear, expectations, and our senses can trick us into thinking something spooky is happening.
“Ghost Hunting in the 19th Century” (Science History Institute) — A historical look at how people long ago used what were then cutting-edge technologies to try to contact the dead.
Unspookable — Episode 50: “Ghosts” (2023) — dives into ghost legends and how our brains interpret scary things.
✨ Try It Yourself: Want to become a junior ghostbuster? Dr. Efram Sera-Shriar suggests taking a haunted history tour (with your grown-ups!) or exploring a spooky spot like Lily Dale, New York, where people still study the spirit world today. Ask yourself: What do you see, hear, and feel? Could there be another explanation? Use your senses like a scientist to find out what’s really behind the mystery! Learn more about Lily Dale at lilydaleassembly.org
💬 Discussion Questions
Why did some scientists in the past believe that ghosts might be real, and how did they try to prove it?
What kinds of evidence would you trust if someone said they saw a ghost? Why?
Why do you think people want to believe in ghosts, even when there isn’t scientific proof?
🎧 You can find more Halloween Episodes of Tumble on our Spotify playlist!
✉️ Don’t miss new episodes! Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!