New York. The Big Apple. The city of five boroughs is an intense and fascinating place, brimming with people, art, marketing, culture and, of course, ghosts. New York City has its share of paranormal phenomena, and when something goes bump in the night, native New Yorkers don't call the Ghostbusters. But they can turn to the members of Paranormal Investigations NYC.

Founded by Dominick Villella in 2003, Paranormal Investigations serves all five boroughs of New York City, from swanky downtown Manhattan to modest neighborhoods in Queens. Dom's interest in the paranormal began in 1998, and his studies in this area naturally led him to the founding of a group devoted to investigation and research. One of Dom's other main goals with the founding of Paranormal Investigation NYC was to help people who might not have a background in the paranormal gain a better understanding of what was going on in their homes when they found themselves unexpectedly confronted with something otherworldly.

You certainly can't classify them as paranormal technology, but they sit at the very top of every paranormal investigator's equipment list. Batteries — lots and lots of batteries — are vital to an investigation. You might say to yourself — duh! How else are you going to work your digital camera, thermal and flashlight — right? It's not that simple. You need to bring at least two extra sets of batteries (or more) for each piece of equipment that requires them.

Here's the theory. In order for a spirit to manifest, it must draw in more energy from its surroundings. Paranormal investigators often claim that when things started to happen during an investigation, various pieces of equipment experienced a sudden draining. For example, a camera that was fully charged one minute shows a low-battery signal the next minute. Then it turns off. Yes, in some instances, it might just be the equipment. This is a common occurrence, however, which has led many paranormal investigators to assume that there is a connection between the battery issue and paranormal phenomenon.

Emily: You celebrated Darkness Radio's second birthday in January — for those who have yet to tune in, what is Darkness Radio and how did it all start?

Dave: Darkness Radio, we're a paranormal radio show that covers every aspect of the paranormal from ghosts to demons to UFOs, Bigfoot, Bermuda Triangle and beyond. We started two years ago at a small radio station in Minnesota. My co-host Tim knew a producer he worked for and said 'they're looking for some contents for a new station, do you have any show ideas?' — I said, "Well, why don't we do a paranormal show?" We put together a show and Jason Hawes was our first guest. Rosemary Ellen Guiley, John Zaffis [and] Annie Wilder all rounded out the first month for us. We were able to come at them with big names like that; they gave us a shot to do the show right away. So we put it out and we've been going strong ever since. We moved to two hours after about a month of being on the air for an hour a week. We moved to a two-hour time slot from 10 to midnight every Sunday night.

In the heart of Cornwall, England lies the Bodmin Moor, a sweep of flat, boggy land treacherous to cross even under the best of conditions. The moor has claimed many lives, and the ghosts of the unhappy dead drift about it at night. One of the most haunted places is Roche Rock, a huge jutting stone pinnacle flanked by two smaller outcroppings near Roche, south of the town of Bodmin.

Roche Rock is haunted by demonic spirits, mine spirits, a phantom monk and the ghost of a leper hermit. Its most famous ghostly resident is Jan Tregeagle, a thieving Cornishman who, according to legend, tried to outsmart the Devil and failed.

The rock is spooky enough in appearance but it is also unusual in composition, a factor that may contribute to its haunted nature. It was formed millions of years ago out of gray quartz and black tourmaline, distinctly different from other granite rocks in the area. Perhaps Roche Rock became a giant magnet for paranormal phenomena and supernatural lore.

Here's a round-up of recent paranormal news:

• The 1930 discovery of what may have been a dinosaur carcass in Alaska recently made the news in Cordova, AL.

• A recently opened firehouse museum in Pueblo, CO may be haunted.

• Images of aliens have appeared on the side of a home in Calgary, Alberta. (The fact that these light-based images only appear on sunny days may indicate they're nothing more than reflections off nearby windows.)

• A video of what witnesses say appeared to be a flying woman-like figure has surfaced, and has been verified by Mexico's leading researcher, Ana Luisa Cid.

• More than 35 UFO sightings have occurred in recent weeks in Australia's Northern Territory. More than 15 have been reported in the UK so far this year.

• And at least one researcher fears that Earth "noise" could invite an alien invasion someday.