The Skeptologists (new TV show debunking pseudoscience)
Offline I searched this site, but couldn't find anything about The Skeptologists...
http://skeptologists.com
New Television Pilot: It's a Wrap!
We all would love to believe that aliens have visited us, that there was a second gunman on the grassy knoll, that certain gifted people can move objects with their mind. But belief is not enough. Like any accepted science, these ideas must stand up to experimentation. Belief alone is not proof. That is where we come in.
We are The Skeptologists.
We're not willing to just accept stories of the paranormal or supernatural. We want proof. Each week, we'll take on a handful of wild claims -- from the Bermuda Triangle to Bigfoot sightings to haunted houses -- and apply accepted scientific practices and experiments to see if these ideas really hold up. Whether in the field or in the lab, we'll literally put these subjects to the test in the hopes that one day we may find something that can't be explained. Each episode will investigate one or more popular paranormal, supernatural, or other type of phenomena, in favor of evidence-based science.
Executive producers Ryan Johnson (American Dragster) and Brian Dunning (Skeptoid).
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What do you think, is it going to be good? Will they get a network deal?
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Brian Dunning is good on the Skeptoid podcast, and he also made that 40 minute "Here Be Dragons" video that's on YouTube. I think it will be good. I just wonder if it can be seen on a channel many people are able to get.
Matt Shizzle has been banned from the Rational Response Squad website. This event shall provide an atmosphere more conducive to social growth. - Majority of the mod team
The question is, is it acceptable to explain the phenomena only by already known facts? Yes, if they resist to dogtorize the evidence a bit.
A honest skeptic must also know how to say "I don't know yet" or "I don't have an explanation for the whole phenomenon yet". Because, such a TV program of the inerrant white coat cult does what it can to stay inerrant. What can be explained by a contemporary method, is explained, and what can't, is doubted, ridiculed, or attributed to a completely different problem. And it's not a shady, suspicious practice, it's automatic and approved "choosing the most probable explanation".
If the examined evidence is presented as doubtful, crazy stuff that the Skeptologics and any sane person can't believe for a moment (yet very mysterious and intriguing), then, wow, what a surprise, that in the end of the epizode it's all exposed as a fantasy or a trick.
These guys would be most convincing, if they would really find, as they hope, something they can't explain. If they can't, then they failed, they're still drifting in the safe waters and picking easy targets. Yeah, it may be a good TV show, I like a popular (and a bit less popular) science, but the purpose of the TV show is to expand the knowledge, not to recycle it.
Beings who deserve worship don't demand it. Beings who demand worship don't deserve it.
Any show that makes Luminon feel threatened must be a good thing.
Besides, the show has Dr. Phil Plait. He's a cutie.
"Anyone can repress a woman, but you need 'dictated' scriptures to feel you're really right in repressing her. In the same way, homophobes thrive everywhere. But you must feel you've got scripture on your side to come up with the tedious 'Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve' style arguments instead of just recognising that some people are different." - Douglas Murray
ROFL!!
I'm surprised Luminon only posted a few paragraphs. I thought sure that there was some kind of super duper conspiracy about how skeptologists are part of the illuminati, and have been planted by space aliens to send out special psychic messages to other members of the elite Cardassian Hit Squad from Andromeda who are going to make slaves out of the whole human race.
Then again, I don't actually read any of Luminon's posts anymore, so maybe he did mention it...
Atheism isn't a lot like religion at all. Unless by "religion" you mean "not religion". --Ciarin
http://hambydammit.wordpress.com/
Books about atheism
Now, now...let's not get catty here.
You know, we have "theist" tags, "agnostic deist" tags, even "troll" tags. Luminon is a dedicated poster with a unique point of view and he deserves at least the recognition we give the returning theists. I'm thinking "crank", or "tin-foil hat" or "highly impressionable".
"The whole conception of God is a conception derived from ancient Oriental despotisms. It is a conception quite unworthy of free men."
--Bertrand Russell
What Would Kharn Do?
Said the pot to the kettle.
I like "Tin Foil Hat Brigade" but it's kind of long...
Atheism isn't a lot like religion at all. Unless by "religion" you mean "not religion". --Ciarin
http://hambydammit.wordpress.com/
Books about atheism
I'm trying to restrict my graphomania, if I have any. I'm glad you appreciate it.
Btw, I don't wear a tinfoil hat, it wouldn't sit well on my head, it's already occupied by my half meter long hair. Search the tin foil hat images on Google - almost all men there are either short-haired, or bald.
Neither I ever said anything about a tinfoil hat or illuminati, these are dumb stereotypes, present mainly in Anglo-American culture. Not where I live.
I don't feel threatened JillSwift, I just wonder why these scientists should bother, when it will be all exposed as false anyway. I like a constructive work more, the basic premise is, that contemporary knowledge is not enough to explain all phenomena. Admitting that is the first step to expanding the knowledge.
I hope there will be something constructive about that TV show. I'm worried that there won't be any real unusual phenomenon, because the authors will pick only those they can explain. But it's hard to say now. Is there any list of what did they work on? There's only a "hunting ghosts on Queen Mary" photo in their gallery.
Beings who deserve worship don't demand it. Beings who demand worship don't deserve it.
"Anyone can repress a woman, but you need 'dictated' scriptures to feel you're really right in repressing her. In the same way, homophobes thrive everywhere. But you must feel you've got scripture on your side to come up with the tedious 'Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve' style arguments instead of just recognising that some people are different." - Douglas Murray
At the bottom of the Skeptologists web page it says the following....I mention this in case anyone has something brilliant they want to say which might help them get broadcast.
"As we start editing and finishing the show, we’re working on ways that the community at large can show their support for this program and support good, responsible and intelligent TV programming. Click on the “Support The Skeptologists” link and send us an email telling us why you want to see a show like this on TV. We will present these submissions to the networks during our pitch to show them the type of support that we really have for a program of this nature."
Wonderful, so much for "ancient wisdom", go go "modern scientific wisdom" .... We are way way more knowledgeable today than our ancients, well sadly not everyone. Even our general intuition has increased, after all we live longer.
Thanks Matt, "Here Be Dragons" - The Movie 41 mins
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKdG7yGi0KA
Google also "Skeptologists" and "Skeptoid"
Atheism Books.
...Speaking of pots commenting about kettles...
This show sounds superb (for a modern TV show that isn't a cartoon, anyway). I'd bet they won't tackle the big dogs like organized religion, though (somebody's gotta get that free pass...)
- Leon Trotsky, Last Will & Testament
February 27, 1940
You're probably right on that one. For one thing, Brian Dunning's something of a pussy on the subject of religion and he's a producer, and I'm sure that will show through. Shermer's the biggest name they've got right now and he's pretty mellow as well. They clearly want to capitalize on the success of Mythbusters and P&T's Bullshit and make some of that sweet TV money cake. Nothing wrong with that, but we're still a long way from somebody showing Root of All Evil? on American TV.
"The whole conception of God is a conception derived from ancient Oriental despotisms. It is a conception quite unworthy of free men."
--Bertrand Russell
“Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” Yoda