Michael Shermer on Charlie Rose on Pseudoscience, Part 1

Michael Shermer discusses Carl Sagan, science, pseudoscience, and the paranormal on PBS's Charle Rose, during his book tour for Why People Believe Weird Things.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Michael
• Shermer
• Carl
• Sagan
• science
• pseudoscience
• paranormal

[slicingwater]

The human brain is susceptible to all sorts of hallucinations and illusions. Ever drive down a road on a hot summer day and see water or what appears to be water and then when you get close enough it disapears. That is an example of an ilusion.

[simbeau]

@MrXAVIERDB Shermer is neither a nobody nor a clown. He won't give you lottery numbers cause he (and I) know that almost all, if not all, psychics are frauds.

And if you can't see the immense contribution of Carl Sagan to the application of the scientific method to society then you need to read more science yourself. Sagan brought astronomy into America's homes and taught millions of people that evidence is an amazing tool we can use to circumvent these lousy brains of ours.

[Itsokdontpanic]

@simbeau Well said.

[PastorIblis]

Was JFK a Conspiracy Theorist in the speech that got him killed where he said Point blank that there is a Monolithic & Ruthless Conspiracy?

Is it a Theory to quote David Rockefeller's own Memoirs where he says, "His Family has been accused of begin part of a secret Cabal interested in the destruction of the United States. and He says if that is the charge i stand GUILTY & PROUD OF IT!

Are the Georgia Guidestones a Theory?

With the Ten Commandments of the NEW WORLD ORDER?

[phlewis86]

I think that having hope for a better tomorrow is a good thing but it should be done without giving people false assurances. I think it is good to have a healthy amount of skepticism.

[Smithpolly]

@slicingwater I don't know if he coined the phrase but Neil Tyson says there are no optical illusions, There are brain failures.

[MonicaKn17]

His voice is sounds pretty cool for some reason.

[Smithpolly]

@ZenArrow Two types of non-sceptics ...Open Minded and Close Minded.

[ZenArrow]

The mind set on proving is so different from the mind set on disproving. Neither can see the other angle unless they change their mind's goal to the appropriate mode. One cannot just see one angle & think they have the truth. For the mind only sees what it is focused upon looking for. One can always find fault. One can always see apparent truths which seem to back things. The bigger picture requires many angles. Talking to someone in fault finding mode is frustrating, as is often the case here.

[ZenArrow]

Two types of sceptics... Open Minded and Close Minded. One is open to new data and to seek the truth. The other has their mind made up already and won't take any new data. A true open minded sceptic will seek truth and do research... a closed minded one will rest on others laurels and lack the understanding that a truth seeker will have. Some argue for ego... others seek the truth where ever it may lead... a closed mind does not listen, nor does it have ears to see.

[DemokritosAbdera]

@MrXAVIERDB sad troll is sad.

[bleesev2]

@MrXAVIERDB I shall :D