There are some ideas that are so silly that one REALLY wishes they didn’t have to be addressed at all. An article appearing here was my introduction to a new, […]
Category: Science and Nature
Dead Birds. “They” did it.
As a followup to my post Everyone Panic. Or Not., I have an update. The story of mass animal deaths has quelled but not died off completely because people keep […]
Everyone panic. Or not.
A few weeks ago, I moved my desk next to an upstairs window overlooking a Bradford pear tree. For the past 3 weeks, when I sat at the desk during […]
Studying modern day amateur scientists and researchers or “What the hell was that?”
I’m off inside my own head these days… My main project is my Masters’ thesis in Science and the Public. I started gathering data this summer; fall will be consumed […]
The Decade in Cryptozoology: fun, frivolity and frustration
The 21st century in cryptozoology began with promise of scientific investigation and attention. Available technology and dedicated researchers came together over the internet to share ideas and data. Their goal […]
The emotionally and cognitively satisfying anecdote
I used to have a cat. That cat was pretty mean. He hated other people and animals. He messed up my house. I’ll never have another cat because they don’t […]
The red herring
Conclusion to “Sham Inquiry” The coelacanth is a red herring Mainstream science, which is respected and functions very well with its current methodology, excludes those fields who don’t pass muster. […]
Elbowing in
Continuing with “Sham Inquiry” Elbowing in on good science The Journal of Scientific Exploration is the published by the Society for Scientific Exploration which describes itself as “a professional organization […]
Ghost Hunting – Sham Inquiry
Thousands of eyewitnesses report ghostly encounters from ancient history to modern times. Contact with the dead is very much part of our modern culture. With the expansion of television content […]
Cryptozoology – Sham Inquiry
Cryptozoology is “the study of hidden animals” (called ‘cryptids’). More precisely, it is the pursuit of animals that science does not recognize as existing and, in some situations, be considered […]
Pretend science
Playing Pretend Science In order to be technical, like science, pseudoscientists engage in a method of data gathering that is not haphazard or lazy. Intricate collection and analysis is often […]
Weak evidence
Quality of evidence A frequent complaint from the fringe is that the scientific community is dismissive of the actual evidence for their extraordinary claim. Proponents of psi or UFOs will […]
Using Subterfuge
Using subterfuge to build a case Pseudoscience proponents may resort to desperate measures to support and preserve a beloved theory – another sure sign that the theory does not qualify […]
Irrefutable
Science doesn’t work by beginning with the premise and searching for evidence to support it or, holding onto the premise no matter what evidence contradicts it. This is true close-mindedness. […]
Fancy jargon
Fancy jargon and complexity Science is loaded with jargon which serves as an efficient way to get a complex idea across in a neat package. Scientists name everything and give […]
Immutable
Immutable and Closed to Criticism A half-century makes a huge difference in science these days. Consider physics, astronomy and medicine from just 50 years ago. Today’s great pseudosciences are ancient […]
Unorthodox and proud of it
The category of unconventional theories is labeled “maverick”, “fringe”, “frontier” and “exploration” in front of the word “science” to describe the work. (This community is featured on The Anomalist website […]
Sour Grapes
“If you aren’t trying to get to the truth, you aren’t really inquiring” -S. Haack [1] A case of sour grapes We live in a world of science. Because of […]
Mythic Creatures in NYC
I visited the Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns and Mermaids exhibit on Saturday at the American Museum of Natural History in NYC. Here are my thoughts from it. I’ve been to […]