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When the ball is lifted into the air it gains potential energy. Gravity hungers for this energy and reaches out with the force of greed to suck the energy towards it. When the ball hits the floor gravity is disrupted because gravity existed before man made objects. This disruption causes...

"From a critical thinking perspective it is important to recognize that when we talk about conspiracy theorists we are referring to a thought process, not necessarily the notion of conspiracies themselves. Often when I write about conspiracy theories (invariably, actually) there will be one or...

Hrmm, what the kids are listening to today sounds a lot like what I was listening to in the 90's.

Nope, I'm saying that pointing to one thing as evidence for another thing is simple, easy, and works for any hypothesis. It doesn't take a denier or a shill to find "you should believe in my conspiracy because other conspiracies have happened" to be less than convincing. It only makes sense if...

You know, there is nothing wrong with noticing a commonality and asking if it contributes to the cause. The problems start when anyone who isn't convinced gets labeled a denier, a sheep or a shill. Any professional investigation works in the opposite direction. Seek out information and ways...

Right, hes taking a rule imposed onto reality by the universe and applying it to the universe itself without justification. But even if the universe did have a beginning, or, as they say, something came from nothing, that still doesn't explain why his logic wouldn't apply to the proposed...

Science is a process. Logic is part of the structure of that process, but I would say logic falls in the necessary but not sufficient category. The problem with logic is that it works on a garbage-in garbage-out rule. Part of science is making sure what you put in isn't garbage. One can be...

"The Chewbacca Defense is any legal or propaganda strategy that seeks to overwhelm its audience with nonsensical arguments, as a way of confusing the audience and drowning out legitimate opposing arguments. It also has, intentionally or unintentionally, the effect of confusing the opponent so...

I remember when this thread was vibrant and alive, before the dreadful wind and rain.

I'm not sure what "side" any of us are supposed to be on. Some of us believe, some of us don't, and all for our own reasons. The topic of how matter gives rise to consciousness is worth pursuing, but the fact that we cannot currently explain it would seem to have no bearing on the existential...

While there have been quite a few studies conducted over several decades suggesting that higher intelligence correlates with lower tendency toward religiosity, I don't think it's fair to suggest there is some stark demarcation line between 129 and 130. Studies have also shown that factors like...

"Joseph Mercola is an osteopath and a frighteningly popular alternative medicine guru and (more or less) cult leader. He advocates and takes seriously more or less any idiotic crackpot or anti-science idea he comes across, including but not limited to flu-denialism and anti-vaxx. He has claimed...

This is what we call agnostic. A gnostic person says that they know. An agnostic says that they don't know. Many people would describe themselves as agnostic. The confusing thing is that knowing someone is agnostic still doesn't tell you if they are a theist or an atheist. That's because...

I think it's creepy no matter the explanation. The woman seems genuine in her reporting and she was reluctant to believe a paranormal explanation, so I don't think it's a hoax. I also don't think the voice is just background noise like so many crappy EVPs on youtube. I think someone was in...

So, a woman is having trouble with being tired at work. She starts using a phone app to monitor her sleep, suspecting she may snore or have sleep apnea. One of the features is that it records any sounds it detects during the night. She quickly learns that she talks in her sleep just about...

As I said, the mechanisms are well understood. That doesn't mean we know everything, but the knowledge we do have is comprehensive and narrowed down to the nitty-gritty. It's not just a stab in the dark. There is still room among the data argue about the specifics of the processes, but to...

Right. I can understand your line of thinking. You assumed that because experience is what squelched your skepticism, it should be that way for anyone. That is understandable, and I don't find it insulting. But the flip-side is the implication that skepticism is nothing more than lack of...

Yep, it happens all over the world, and can even be reproduced in a clinical setting. It's known as sleep paralysis. The biological and psychological mechanisms for this phenomenon are actually well understood. Of course, knowing the explanation doesn't make it any more pleasant for the...

Skepticism, for some, arises from knowing all of the ways in which human cognition is susceptible to such beliefs. Most of the experiences described by believers would not be enough to convince many skeptics. Frankly, the idea that skepticism is nothing more than ignorance, or lack of...