The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction (i.e., the reality of experience) and the distinction between true and false (i.e., the standards of thought) no longer exist. — Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism Imagine a child,… Continue reading “Both Sides”
Category: Skepticism
Know Who to Ask About ESP
Never ask a man if sexism exists. Never ask a white person if racism exists. Never ask Scott McGreal over at Psychology Today if there is a scientific taboo against ESP. Ask four-time president of the Parapsychology Association, Dean Radin:
Pseudoscience, Pseudoskepticism and Rejection Bias
Everyone has heard of pseudoscience— unscientific ideas masquerading in the guise of science. But its corollary is less well known. Pseudoskepticism is also unscientific ideas masquerading in the guise of science. Pseudo-skeptics are also known as debunkers but I prefer the former term as it rightly notes that pseudoscience and pseudoskepticism are two sides of… Continue reading Pseudoscience, Pseudoskepticism and Rejection Bias
Heretical Science
Nobel Laureate Brian Josephson’s lecture on heretical science. He pokes holes in popular skeptic arguments against telepathy, whether water can have a memory (homeopathy), cold fusion and intelligent design. 1 hour, time well spent. Available on the University of Cambridge web site. I loved the name of the talk so much, I added that as… Continue reading Heretical Science
Rupert Sheldrake, Dogs and Owners, and Skeptics
Simon Thorpe is the Deputy Director of the Brain and Cognitive Research Center in Toulouse France. Below is a video talk from him about paranormal phenomena, where he in particular discusses Rupert Sheldrake’s study into whether dogs know when their owners are coming home.
The Inverse Correlation Between Knowledge and Confidence
A sign of intelligence is an awareness of one’s own ignorance. —Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527) The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool. —William Shakespeare, As You Like It (1599) Cherish those who seek the truth but beware of those who find it. —Voltaire (1694-1778) It has… Continue reading The Inverse Correlation Between Knowledge and Confidence