The Science of Scams website is devoted to debunking the paranormal scammers like Houdini did a century ago and magicians Penn and Teller are doing today in an assortment of areas. Combine not teaching critical thinking in the schools with a decline in science education and you get a gullible public who buy into hucksters in paranormal to religion to politics and so much more.
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First an admission: I believe I have seen a ghost twice in my life but I’ll define ghost as something unexplained, not necessarily something’s soul.
Second, I think these videos should be shown by every network and in science class in school. Teach critical thinking and show you how things can be done to fool someone without a curious and astute mind. Sci-Fi, FLN, BBC and TLC should all show this, I suggest immediately before or after or even during their “haunting” related shows.
Remember that a major reason education has been cut in many areas is that it is under attack from radical conservatism. Cut the funding to government and it’s functions get cut. Education being one of the functions of government will therefore be cut. Kill off education and it becomes the responsibility of the radicals themselves so they can teach only what they want and let all else, including critical thinking disappear. Dumb people don’t question so much and are much easier to lead by the nose, that is control.
Yeap–sad to see the tv schedule fill up with “reality tv in a haunted location” type-o-crap!!
“I’ve seen a ghost” by otherwise still just almost rationale people shows how far culture will warp a person without sufficient scientific grounding. Should say “I caught a glimpse of something – – ” but no==its a ghost. A few more beers, a few more glimpses, and another idiot will be born.
Gee, if global warming is on the list, where is the Catholic Church?
bobbo, the church is right next to the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy.
#4–Diesel==I checked the site. Took the quiz. Scored 38–I got bored taking the quiz and must have missed one?
Does remind me of working with a Roman Catholic who was also a psychiatrist==ie, a medical doctor and a shrink. I asked him what the difference was between the delusional and the truly devout. He said it was a matter of definition and degree, but still never liked me thereafter. He even sneered a few times that “I was too concrete in my thinking.” Hah, hah. Yes, concrete. Good strong foundations.
Speaking of scams and being skeptical and all==it applies to the balloon boy story. I heard “the father” was a big science guy. So he has a balloon in the back yard. I’m not scientist and just looking at the balloon, it looks to me like it might be able to life the family cat, not the dog, and certainly not the kiddie.
If I lost that balloon, I would have called the FAA for the purpose of aircraft safety but the possibility of my kiddie being in the thing would not have entered my mind, absent god blessing the kid.
Science–knowledge===power.
Maybe you guys should remember this stuff when Adam starts going off on one on the next 2012 end of the world/UFO/swine flu conspiracy theory on NA. I wonder if he even reads this blog.
I myself am a super-skeptic. I like Penn and Teller too.
Regarding education: You know the old saying “You can bring a horse to water…”. I remember in highschool, during biology, a couple of students getting very upset, going on a rant, then storming out of class because the teacher was getting very close to suggesting that something called evolution could change a species over time. They were not required to attended those classes and as far as I know, they passed.
I’ve also heard it is now common for students to get excused from dissecting frogs (or worms) in biology class now because it might offend them.
We had a similar problem in English class when a book we were studying mentioned witches (and witchcraft). Students were allowed to opt out because the controversial subject matter might offend them (or their parents).
We can teach critical thinking. But I guarantee there is a large percentage who will refuse to learn it.
So, after the girl (in the 2nd video) who saw the ghost finished freaking out, no one bothered to go look in the room, and find all the hidden cameras, lighting, glass, etc.
Apparently people who see ghosts are highly gullible and have no sense of curiosity. No wonder they’re easily scammed.
— it is the civic duty of all people of normal (and higher) intelligence to separate idiots from their money.
I kind of liked the tits on the brunette in the second video.
I like skeptic debunking of scams. James Randi is the master of them. From my understanding he is responsible for introducing Penn and Teller.
Much more skepticism here
This is definitely an Alfred1 free story.
Critical thinking is such an important of learning in school. James Randi, the Skeptics Guide to the Universe podcasts and Skeptoid are great learning tools.
Skepticism is fine. A bit “easy” when the subject is voodoo, more difficult when the subject is religion, then often thrown out when the subject is scientific?
Does a skeptic have an opinion on “global climate change” or does he make a leap of faith?
bobbo, I scored a 40 on the test. You 38 was the result of getting caught by the question that was worded just a little off. Since I’m a little off I got it right.
#15–Diesel==congrats. I bow to you. OR==if the test was actually well designed, a perfect score would be thrown out as being purposefully manipulated and not revelatory of true attitudes.
By such appreciation, 38 is actually a higher/more perfect score than 40. Some may disagree, but you have my admiration for reading so attentively.
When it comes to critical thinking or any thinking a lot of groups are against it.
The people that want you to just beleive the book are no different than the people that say big government spending will fix all your ills or the believe the President, Congressman, Preacher, Power figure of choice. Just hand over your money, turn off your brain and they will take care of it.
Which normally means they will take care of them selves and shaft you like the gullible fool you appear to be.
About ghosts… I just want to know why we never see any accounts of an australopithecus ghost?
Or did they not have souls back then to come back from the grave?
Also where are the clovis people and neanderthal ghosts?
Strange how we only hear about ghosts from the 15th century on.
Cursor_
#18 Very interesting question. Especially for the ghost believers.
Darren Brown is righteous
The tax which will be paid for [the] purpose [of education] is not more than the thousandth part of what will be paid to kings, priests and nobles who will rise up among us if we leave the people in ignorance.
–Thomas Jefferson to George Wythe, 1786.
On the surface, I would tend to agree with this website, for the most part. Especially about the paranormal and psychics. But then it goes the other extreme, and discounts all religious belief. So I guess it advocates atheism, huh?
I’m not so will to toss it in concerning God, just because I think Global Warming is a hoax. But I do no longer believe that 99% of these Tv preachers, have any real religious calling from Him. Not when they live in pretty luxurious mansions. Instead of having very modest housing, and using the rest of their donations for the needs of the poor.
I thought this was going to be more about how school students aren’t getting the kind of practical education, to prepare them against the scams of the world. When you think of it. Most of free enterprise depends on such ignorance. School curriculum seems to be designed NOT to prepare kids, NOT to be victims of everything the advertising world can throw at them. Not to mention the US Army.
#22: Atheism is the result of coming to realize that religions, originally developed to explain the world and then to control the ignorant population, are just as invalid as the rest of these scams.
It always amazes me when skeptical people about everything else are unwilling to look at religion and belief in gods with the same critical eye.