SCEPCOP Forum

So is there a study that you find particularly solid or not?

I'm saying that this particular type of evidence lends itself to skeptical nitpicking and requires a certain amount of trust in the original investigators for you to change your mind. I cannot conceive of you ever trusting the abilities of anyone associated with psi research.

I'm having trouble understand what your are getting at: are you suggesting that the research isn't well controlled and we should just take the researcher's word for it? Is there any other area of science where you'd advocate just trusting the researcher?

Arouet,
The case studies, by definition are not completely controlled and involve reports by investigators. They cannot address absolutely every objection that a skeptic might think of, so you would have to trust that their overall thoroughness was sufficient and that they were reasonably objective and did not miss obvious things that a skeptic might question later.

I have an objectivity test for skeptics.

What is the weather like outside of my building?

Arouet,
I'm sorry. You are just not grasping this. I give up.

Something i do not understand. How could any of you say
you are NOT a skeptic? You all must be. You have not spent all your money on every device or product that touts itself as “zero point energy” or “lenr canr cf”
or you would not be on this forum you would be homeless! what about magnet bracelets? I know each and every one of your “BELIEFS” STOPS somewhere. It has to or you would be broke! I think the major problem is you are confusing skepticism with criticism. Most of the skeptic arguments i have found to be valid skepticism and i must say have added to my knowledge (looking things up to verify what they say) than any of the believers! Sometimes you just have to be honest. Not hiding behind some kind of conspiracy theory. just be honest. If you believe the world is run by some conspiracy how will you ever know who’s conspiracy it is!
You ARE a skeptic if you have ever looked at the tires of a used car!
You are a skeptic if you have ever looked down to see if your stepping in doo doo!
You are a skeptic if you do not click on an internet pop up that says "you have viruses click here to clean them up"!
You are a skeptic if you look to see if there is water in the swimming pool before you jump in!
And of course on ands on!
So what is your point about being skeptical?
Do you mean just being skeptical about certain issues?
Which of course is going to vary among individuals.
Is there ANYTHING we can agree on that you would be skeptical about?
To me if you put something out there about being anti-skeptical it is going to strike a chord with someone.
My point is ALL of you are anti-skeptical about something

For some its GOD
Others Mind Reading
Ghosts
remote viewing
Dowsing
Homeopathy
Horoscopes
Free Energy Devices
Magnets
20 cent bracelets that help your balance
Talking to the dead

To me you all pick whatever you are anti-skeptical about
and then rant at skeptical people who pretty much reject your particular belief!

Meanwhile when you are at the used car lot you are pretty much "full patho skeptic mode"?
You never shop for an item based on its specifications?

I can see why the JREF would excite most of you because yes they are skeptical of most of that!
I can not see why asking for proof is wrong!
or looking at the tires of a used car (or maybe see if it actually runs)

EVERYBODY is a skeptic! (maybe not so much the neanderthals?)