Here Be Dragons

Here Be Dragons is a free 40 minute video introduction to critical thinking. It is suitable for general audiences and is licensed for free distribution and public display.

Most people fully accept paranormal and pseudoscientific claims without critique as they are promoted by the mass media. Here Be Dragons offers a toolbox for recognizing and understanding the dangers of pseudoscience, and appreciation for the reality-based benefits offered by real science.

Here Be Dragons is written and presented by Brian Dunning, host and producer of the Skeptoid podcast and author of the Skeptoid book series.

Captions are available in over a dozen different languages. Just click the CC button.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• science
• critical thinking
• skepticism
• education

[OrderoftheWhiteHand]

fus ro da!

[BlondeVagabond28]

Who cares if he promotes his book. Seriously. The guy is trying to blow away the fog of superstition and ignorance. Funny enough if he were a conspiracy theorist or spiritual teacher no one would raise an eyebrow. Hell, people buy Eckhart Tolle books when they are advertised on Oprah, and they are absurd.

[chiffarius]

bbooooorrring

[markperlman93]

@VolodiaTheElder proof by verbosity

@Manofry ad hominem

@mullahnasruddinQQ can I see some scientific evidence of one of those working?

@cashox3 ad hominem, and he did explicitly say that science is the method of learning and that we do not know everything.

Good job Dunning.

[VolodiaTheElder]

@Manofry Roger that. He should haven't touch that subject. Why didn't he ask the following Qs. (1) Why did the government destroy evidence (against law)? (2) Why GW had 2 hold hands with Cheney 2 get together with the Commission? (3) Why the Commission gave bogus report?, (4) Why the terrorists appeared alive later on, (5) WTC7? (6) WMDs? (7) OBL, etc. He felt for the same BS he criticized: Lab Coat. The equivalent is Armany suit of the politician. Reality is: "They did it" Dr. Alan Sabrosky.

[Manofry]

Video was fine until he gives us the retarded 9/11 example. The people there said the "things" that crashed didn't look like big airplanes. More like missiles or small airplanes. And they didn't know they were "big airplanes" until the media gave them that information. No, normal people don't answer your question like that, unless you're in a very bad circle; if so, I'm sorry for you, but you had the bad luck of meeting people who can't argue politely.

[mwarrenkelly]

Great video. I applaud his effort and hope that it got through to some of the poor people who naturally lack simple critical thinking skills. Keep up the good work.

[giskiepictures]

This man thinks he is a sceptical. but he has only chose a side.

It is not 'cause homeopathy is bullshit. Doctor Freud was right that we are or sexual frustrated

The golden path is the one in the middle

[mullahnasruddinQQ]

It is really annoying that this guy tosses "raindances" and "witch-burning" in the same pot.

That is neither morally nor scientifically correct.

If you are unwilling to differntiate properly please don't present yourself as someone pointing out the evidence!

[cashox3]

this guy is quite bigoted (when he talks of the ancients) and to be honest seems to be far too at home in what modern science has to propose, when we well know that there is much abuse in scientific circles. he says the ancients are why slavery existed, the concept of the flat earth ... still today we are often misled by our belief that we understand everything - as long as we admit to still making mistakes even in our modern society, only then can we consider ourselves to be moving forward.