49 replies to this topic

[scowl]

Judeaous, on 18 January 2013 - 10:36 AM, said:

More like "explained away". With preposterous
Theories derided from "slothful induction", such
as Periodolia and "Mass Hysteria"....  
It's all in our minds!!!  And when it strikes in numbers,
"Mass Hysteria"!!  How convenient.

This is the Fortean misconception of science, that science simply must be able to explain all things immediately otherwise it collapses like a deck of cards. Science can't explain everything people think they see or everything people claim they see. Many classic Fortean incidents like raining fish were eventually explained.

Simbi Laveau, on 18 January 2013 - 12:11 PM, said:

In the 12th century or any time before  ,if someone told the average man,do you know you have little round things in your body ,that keep you alive ? It's in that red stuff that comes out of us when we get cut ...
What would average man have said ?

You're crazy,there is no proof of that,at all .

Actually no one claimed that because no one knew it. This is a strawman argument.

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Man is so arrogant today,that man feels nothing is beyond his oh so sagacious grasp .He has any and all technology ,to be GOD .

That must be why man is no longer creating new technology and science has been abandoned. Yep, we didn't send a probe to Pluto. We've stopped sending probes to Mars. New space telescope? We have Hubble just like God does! New supercoliders? No thanks, we now know absolutely everything about subatomic particles, just like God does.

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When its entirely possible ,the means to measure the paranormal,has yet to be invented on this plane of existance .

The means to measure these things already exists. We have cameras and audio recording equipment and scientists have in fact used these to measure the paranormal. They have shown that paranormal experiences generally have normal explanations and that regular paranormal phenomena tend to immediately stop when such measuring equipment arrives.

It's interesting that you claim that the paranormal exists while also admitting we have no way to verify it exists at the moment. Scientists don't jump to conclusions like that.

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If it took centuries to figure out what blood was ,and how it worked ,it can also take centuries to figure out how to talk to a ghost in day to day life .

Actually it only took Anton van Leeuwenhoek a few minutes with a microscope to discover red blood cells. It greatly helped him that they existed.

[Crikey]

Regarding this thread's title "Do scientists fear the Paranormal", the anser is YES..
A few years ago Brit atheists (fronted by neurotic Dawkins natch) splashed out £150,000 (238,000 US dollars) to have these adverts plastered on Brit buses.
It indicates-
1- They admit they're worried about God
2- They say "there's probably no God" whichshows they're not sure
3- £150,000 was a complete waste of good money.



http://en.wikipedia....st_Bus_Campaign

[Rlyeh]

NiteMarcher, on 18 January 2013 - 06:07 PM, said:

Do  you honestly believe that a foreign policy "think tank" (RAND) founded by the US military & funded in part by the US government would
have invited a "schizophrenic" to come in and view their archives?

Unless they're also psychic, you're assuming they knew.

[Rlyeh]

Crikey, on 19 January 2013 - 06:24 PM, said:

Regarding this thread's title "Do scientists fear the Paranormal", the anser is YES..
A few years ago Brit atheists (fronted by neurotic Dawkins natch) splashed out £150,000 (238,000 US dollars) to have these adverts plastered on Brit buses.
It indicates-
1- They admit they're worried about God
2- They say "there's probably no God" whichshows they're not sure
3- £150,000 was a complete waste of good money.

1. doesn't make sense. Where are they worried about God?
2. So they're honest?
3. How is it any different to the money you waste?

[NiteMarcher]

Rlyeh, on 19 January 2013 - 06:43 PM, said:

Unless they're also psychic, you're assuming they knew.

I'm sure the invitation was extended after a thorough back ground check, validation of credentials, but most likely due to his extraordinary talent in the field of journalism. Where millions of dollars are concerned their is no room for assumption.

[Crikey]

Rlyeh, on 19 January 2013 - 06:46 PM, said:

1. doesn't make sense. Where are they worried about God?
2. So they're honest?
3. How is it any different to the money you waste?

Look at the wording of their advert again, they say "Stop worrying", but Christians DON'T worry, so obviously the message is aimed at jumpy atheists..
And it says "There's probably no God", so the word "probably" means they're flip-flopping and unsure!
As regards wasting money, I regularly give to local good causes, I'd never use it to fund silly adverts on buses..

[Ryu]

Judeaous, on 18 January 2013 - 10:36 AM, said:

More like "explained away". With preposterous
Theories derided from "slothful induction", such
as Periodolia and "Mass Hysteria"....  
It's all in our minds!!!  And when it strikes in numbers,
"Mass Hysteria"!!  How convenient.

Convenient because it is true.
The reason many people hate rational explanations is because it totally demolishes their little boat of fantasy and woo theories.
Once the veil of genies, fairies and boogey-men has been ripped down, they don't like the reality behind it.

[_Only]

I don't think scientists fear the paranormal. I think a lot of the scientific minded individuals who post here ridiculing anyone who thinks in a different manner than scientifically involving the paranormal fear being wrong. A scientist has no fear of finding something new, but a human has a fear of being wrong.

[_Only]

scowl, on 16 January 2013 - 08:37 PM, said:

Do people read books and magazines any more or do they learn everything from youtube?

If the real question was do most people spend time in libraries studying peer reviewed scientific documentation like you, the answer is obviously no. Us common interested individuals do watch videos on our computer when we're sitting and conversing on our computers. I don't know how why these contrasting scenarios are left open to hyperbolic interpretation for you. We all have our interests, not yours. We're still allowed to discuss though, hopefully without fear of being made to look unintelligent in your eyes.

[Archimedes]

Crikey, on 19 January 2013 - 10:27 PM, said:

Look at the wording of their advert again, they say "Stop worrying", but Christians DON'T worry, so obviously the message is aimed at jumpy atheists..

Is that a fact?

I've met orthodox/fundamentalist Christians who were genuinely worried about the afterlife because their versions of Christianity had such strict rules about getting into heaven that they genuinely feared that they and/or their families might do or believe the wrong thing and end up in hell for eternity.

[Seeker79]

scowl, on 16 January 2013 - 08:37 PM, said:

Sheldrakes has abandoned the world of science for the more profitable arena of writing popular books and making presentations to non-scientific audiences.



Do people read books and magazines any more or do they learn everything from youtube?

Crap... I had a big long post for this. But now I see it did not go through.... I'm sorry.. Iphone is great. But I can't keep up because when I'm on my laptop it's business.

[_Only]

scowl, on 18 January 2013 - 06:09 PM, said:

Actually it only took Anton van Leeuwenhoek a few minutes with a microscope to discover red blood cells. It greatly helped him that they existed.

So the microscope was sitting around for thousands of years just waiting for Anton to pick it up and figure out in a few minutes what made up blood? I guess we'll just wait for the next chosen one to find the device sitting around for thousands of years that will let us figure out the paranormal. Silly idea, but not much more than your response. To think that no one had ever wondered what makes up blood until van 'hoek sat down.

[Judeaous]

scowl, on 18 January 2013 - 06:09 PM, said:

This is the Fortean misconception of science, that science simply must be able to explain all things immediately otherwise it collapses like a deck of cards. Science can't explain everything people think they see or everything people claim they see. Many classic Fortean incidents like raining fish were eventually explained.

I'm sure if good ole Chuck Fort knew that science named "The Fortean misconception" after him, heed a-been laughing like a hyena over it, cause that's the kinda man'ee was.  
A true "Hard Working" Supernaturalist was he, a "real world" thinker with enough depth perception to see how ridicules scientific theory can sound in its explanations of the unknown.  
This was a great man, "the father of paranormal research".   If today's para-normal researchers followed in his footsteps, rather then clinging to the skirts of men like Carl Sagen, we might actually get some answers....  Ps.  I would have loved to hear what he would have said about pareidolia.

Sent from my iPhone

[Rlyeh]

Crikey, on 19 January 2013 - 10:27 PM, said:

Look at the wording of their advert again, they say "Stop worrying"

Who are they talking to?

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but Christians DON'T worry, so obviously the message is aimed at jumpy atheists..

lol. So all the Christians who do worry aren't Christians and therefore atheists?
I know for a fact many Christians worry.
But it seems like in your world there are only christians and atheists. Are Jews, Christians or atheists? What about Muslims, are they Christians or atheists?

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And it says "There's probably no God", so the word "probably" means they're flip-flopping and unsure!

Flip-flop means to change your mind on an issue.

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As regards wasting money, I regularly give to local good causes, I'd never use it to fund silly adverts on buses..

Good in your opinion. All you're doing is criticizing what someone spends their money on.

You really didn't think out your reply did you?

Edited by Rlyeh, 20 January 2013 - 07:19 AM.

[Crikey]

Archimedes, on 20 January 2013 - 12:51 AM, said:

I've met orthodox/fundamentalist Christians who were genuinely worried about the afterlife because their versions of Christianity had such strict rules about getting into heaven that they genuinely feared that they and/or their families might do or believe the wrong thing and end up in hell for eternity.

If fundies are going to heaven, I swear I don't wanna go..
They hate my guts, I get messages like this when I try to log back into their forums-
"Your account has been disabled,
Please do not make any attempt to participate further in any of our Communities"

No sweat, they can't get under Jesus's radar-
  "Not all who call me "Lord,Lord" will enter the kingdom of heaven. Then I'll tell them plainly, I never knew you, GET AWAY FROM ME!" (Matt 7:21-23)  






No sweat, they can't get under Jesus's radar