woo woo

How does science work? And what's all this about quantum mechanics?

Moderators: AMod, iMod

Post Reply
Blaggard
Posts: 2245
Joined: Fri Jan 10, 2014 9:17 pm

woo woo

Post by Blaggard »

There seems to be now an ever growing population of people who are prepared to believe in woo woo, by which I mean crystal healing, Homeopathy, reading tea cups, spiritualism such as talking to the dead, Telepathy and so on but why is this an ever growing people who now reject any sort of practice or practical, who is leading this post modernist crusade against the empirical and why?

Surely by now we should know cold reading is just a fraud and that any sort of so called psychic is just plying a trade to reel in the suckers?

In Barnums time there was one born every minute, it seems now there is one born every second who is prepared to watch nonsense, see nonsense, and even when it is explained how trixters do the nonsense they still believe in nonsense. SO it's a simple question: why are people so gullible still despite knowing all these people are just frauds?
User avatar
The Voice of Time
Posts: 2212
Joined: Tue Feb 28, 2012 5:18 pm
Location: Norway

Re: woo woo

Post by The Voice of Time »

Is the population really growing? Or perhaps a globalized world is just giving more people the chance to act on their lack of rationalized thinking?
Blaggard
Posts: 2245
Joined: Fri Jan 10, 2014 9:17 pm

Re: woo woo

Post by Blaggard »

It's a good point but you have to admit the trend is alarming even taking account of population rises. I know it would be interesting to look at correlation over causation, but I am fairly sure there is a sort of dismissal of reason amongst a larger proportion of many populations than in the past, and I would not be surprised to find the number of people being post post modern is growing...

Of course I can't prove that there is a movement towards the neo pagan, or spiritualist or anti science types, but I am at least fairly sure they are growing and would be surprised if the correlation between population numbers and people who are anti science was in fact not evident.

Nevertheless it poses a unique question I suppose about Zeitgiests, are we getting more gullible, less gullible, or are we just as gullible as ever; if the move towards pro religion anti reason or anti science, new age or otherwise is true, does this show that one now is born every second..? What sort of effect might this anti science "cult" have on the future...

Further more is this sort of roll back going to happen often when we go through an age of enlightenment, and are we somewhat inured to always finding religion in lieu or in spite or of reason because it is a more comfortable choice?

I have nothing against religion, I am a liberal and I believe it is your inalienable right to believe in whatever spirit in the sky you like for whatever reason you might need. But I find the trend of anti science to be somewhat alarming. I don't mean to say I am enamoured of science and reason either, I think it's one of those things where if you reason well you know that the grounding you are exercising is going to be based on not just your bias but the biases of the modus operandi of the day. In as much as I can say though I find when people start to question reason and science, it does not bode well for the human race, going by history.
Post Reply