Scientists debunk Halloween myths

ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Just in time to spoil the fun, scientists say they've discovered ghosts cannot walk like humans and vampires -- well, forget them as well.

University of Central Florida physics Professor Costas Efthimiou says ghost can't walk as do humans and also pass through walls because of Newton's Laws of Motion. And vampires would have long ago wiped out the human population if they fed once a month -- and all of their victims turned into vampires.

In fact, Efthimiou and Sohang Gandhi, a UCF graduate now at Cornell University, say science can pretty well debunk most popular myths about ghosts and vampires.

"These popular myths make for a lot of Halloween fun and great movies with special effects, but they just don't hold up to the strict tests of science," Efthimiou said.

Efthimiou also provided a practical explanation for other paranormal activity, such as "voodoo zombiefication," which suggests zombies "come about by a voodoo hex being placed by a sorcerer on one of his enemies."