QUOTE (bleedingelite @ Mar 4 2008, 05:18 PM)

Yes, but the fact remains that we, as non-scientists, basically just take their (scientists') word on it ("it" being pretty much any topic out there). Ask them to show you an atom, or to demonstrate the effects of a neutrino. They're credible sources because we believe in them and we believe that they've done the experiments and we tend to just totally ignore the fact that most of what we take as being given truths about reality set in stone are actually known by the experimenters to be things that seem to be true about reality but which could be shown to be completely false at any given moment.
And you're saying that a reputable scientist wouldn't be able to conclude if something was truly magic or not? If there is real magic, then clearly they would have no possible way of disproving it. Just putting up youtube videos and crap on messages boards saying you are magic isn't good enough, and of course no one can prove or disprove themselves that way. I don't think I have to explain why. The things that are actually "set in stone" as you say are pretty much true. Most of the things that they turn out to be wrong about are actually theories, and not "set in stone" as you so put it.
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And it doesn't just extend to science. How could you possibly know for a fact that anything that we are told on the news or by the government is true? It's simply not possible. We take their word for it. We see a video of Osama bin Laden talking about all kinds of bullcrap and we don't say "Hey, how do I know that's really him?" or "How do I know that this guy isn't just working for our government to play the heel in a complicated plot?" We see and and we, for the most part, believe it. It's possible that almost nothing that our officials tell us is true. It's possible. Do most of us question every single thing that we're told by the news stations about what's happening wherever? No, of course not. That would be edging pretty close to paranoid insanity.
What does this have to do with magic? The government and a reputable scientific academy are too completely different things. I'm not sure where you are going with this one. Scientific findings have certain criteria to match, things the government say, does not. And you are right, I do believe they lie a lot to further their means.
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If my friend comes up to me on Monday and says "Man, I had a threesome with two Miller Lite girls on Saturday night. You should have come!" am I going to say "That's bull! I want proof!"? No, I'm going to slap him on the back and tell him good job. Why? Is it because it's something that's just not important enough for me to care about? Partially. Just like I don't see why you care that these younger kids think that they have psionic powers. Why is it such a big deal to you. Do I not question my friend because he's my friend and I trust him? Yeah, partially for that reason too. I don't want to be that irritating jerk who wants to see proof to validate everything that anybody says. I'll just pick and choose what I believe in on my own terms, just like everybody should.
Yeah well to pick and choose, the more intelligent people don't just go on "faith" they need something to back up what they believe and don't believe.
And again, I'm not sure what you are trying to say about your friend. Again what does that have to do with a reputable scientific academy, and some kid?
The reason this matters is because magic like being described here simply does not exist. And if it did, like I said, someone would have "stepped up".
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I don't think heartagram has powers. But I can't say for sure that he doesn't, and I don't mind that he thinks he does. Hey, good for him, you know? Life for him is probably all the more interesting because of it.
I suppose, or him believing things that aren't true could lead to him developing other problems later on in life. I'm not sure what type of people believe things like this, but they apparently have some issues that needs to be resolved. Just like a schizophrenic person doesn't need to go through life believing his friend Greg is real, someone needs to tell him he isn't. Otherwise he will just have problems throughout life because of it, and could possibly be humiliated. No telling what could come of it. Just like a kid going around saying he is magic, and truly believes he is. People will think less of him.
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And if he makes this video, and it's successful and shows him doing his thing, I'm still not going to be one hundred percent convinced, and I'm sure that none of you will be either. At best, it will be a neat video that shows something that might possibly be telekinesis. You guys are going to give him crap either way.
And if he makes this v
He cannot be successful because it IS a video. Like I said, if you are magic, go to someplace where they can without a doubt, say that you have magical powers. You can find some pretty crazy videos and tricks on the internet. I mean take the top magicians for example, many people probably believe they truly are magic. When actually, they aren't and it is all just very well put together illusions. I'm sure if I was standing right in front of some of them, I wouldn't be able to pick out how they did it. Especially over a video. But if they truly were performing magic, why not have a team of experts come in, take out all the possible things that could aid you, then have you do it. Then I would believe. But they do not do that, because they are professional and they know they are not magic, they are simply illusionists. Tricksters. Same as anyone who posts videos claiming to be magic is. Like I said, go to a reputable scientific academy. Then we will have proof.
(but this would have been done long ago if magic did exist. People like to believe in a fairy tale world though, probably because the real world is so damn sh**ty.)