Recent content by anthromom

I did introduce myself to PD and gave him my credentials. I believe I also sent him a copy of my resume, although I am easily discovered merely by typing my name into Google (or, even better, Google citations). My credibility is not at issue, especially given the types and number of...

I agree with you, but for the life of me I can't figure out why "Ufollywood" is peopled by some of the types we find there. For example, why Bill Birnes? There is absolutely nothing charismatic about him. In fact, he's downright unappealing and (as evidenced by a Paracast show featuring...

Hey Angelo. Glad to meet another skeptic.

I don't know if he's got schizoid personality disorder, but he definitely has his own agenda and is simultaneously preventing anything that might move that agenda forward. You know, right and left folks interested in UFOs-UAPs are screaming, "Why won't real scientists get involved?" But maybe...

Well, I don't know what other "brights" would think, but to me the word "superstition" is a mere gloss for beliefs that don't conform with our own. Michael Shermer, the expert on knowing everything about events he did not witness, would certainly say they were dogs.

It's not about political correctness, it's about real folks, and nowadays a lot of the kids of those real folks live in cities with internet access and iPods.

Chris, be very careful what generalizations you make. I was NEVER in what I would consider a "backwater, superstitious African village," only using the word superstitious to illustrate how the missionary down the road might have thought -- not what I thought. I would never, ever criticize...

Tyder001, I think our brand of skepticism has much in common. If somebody tells me people believe in gods because there is good data that a "god spot" in the brain produces the experience of perceiving a higher power when probed, I will acknowledge that such a spot most likely exists. But I...

Philip, to answer your question about my experiences in the village and how they might fit into my essentially scientific world view -- I saw what I saw. It is a fact, correct? Do I know what it means? No. Would the villagers' possible interpretation of evil spirits or a bad omen have been...

A "real" skeptic (as opposed to a "debunker") wants to be intellectually honest. That's part of what it means to be a skeptic. A "real" skeptic will be interested in how one's own mind can trick, and work to defeat that within oneself. The problem with so many of the well-known skeptics is...

It's interesting that folks are identifying skepticism with such things as close-mindedness and arrogance -- because some skeptics are closed-minded and arrogant. That's basically the same kind of error that the closed-minded skeptics make about people interested in UFOs -- hey, as far as...

My role as an anthropologist was not to change anyone's world view, but to come to understand what was going on there. My area of research (demography and fertility) didn't require that I understand anything but the subject matter I was studying, but I was there long enough and deeply enough...

So if James Randi counts himself as a "Bright," that makes Brights "Another Debunker Rapid Response Squad"? That's the same logic as saying all people who listen to the Paracast are "true believers." My absolute "favorite" skeptic of the ilk you describe is Michael Shermer. He closed his...

Actually, what I said is that I STRIVE to keep my mind free of magical beliefs, then qualified the next phrase with a statement about the failings of the human mind. Several years ago, I made a conscious decision to try to rid my mind of magical views of events. Sure, it's an uphill battle...

I'm one of the UFO-curious who is primarily a skeptic/atheist in "real life." I'm not a true believer in anything, not even skepticism. My world view is evidence-driven and I strive to keep my mind free of magical beliefs and (as far as any human can prevent it, given the nature of the human...