James Randi TED Talk: Tears into Psychics

I accidently discovered this one.  James Randi gives a 17-minute speech about why parapsychology is not true.  Humorous and skeptical in tone. He also covers his million-dollar challenge and the lack of takers.



posted by Chuck Schallhorn

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Vaccines, Skepticism, Evidence, the Group Mind, and Cognitive Dissonance

I was listening to this on NPR earlier this week and it immediately struck me as a psychological story.  It's important to listen to the woman being interviewed. She describes why she was a "crunchy" mom, one who surrounded herself with like-minded others she met online who shared and confirmed fears about vaccinations and autism.

When she did not vaccinate and her daughter developed autism anyway, she had to reevaluate her stance.  This is her story.  It could be a great tool to examine evidence, the use of skepticism, how groups influence us, confirmation bias, and cognitive dissonance and its reduction.

The photo is of the woman and her children and was posted with the article on npr.org.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2015/02/04/383567862/once-a-vaccine-skeptic-this-mom-changed-her-mind


posted by Chuck Schallhorn

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James Randi and The Secrets of the Psychics

Back in the day, I had this video on VHS and have used it in a variety of ways, from a substitute lesson plan to using it as a prompt and evidence for essay writing on critical thinking.  I converted my VHS to DVD for personal use, by recently found it on YouTube.

I love James Randi and how he uses rationality and critical thinking to poke holes in the methods and claims of psychics.  This is a great addition to any intro to psychology class. In this documentary, he shows how magic can be used to recreate what people claim to do in the name of being psychic, palm reading, horoscopes, faith healing, and more.  Great stuff if you are a skeptic.

Additionally, for those who claim that psychics are real, direct them to his website, http://web.randi.org/.  He also has had the $1,000,000 challenge since the 1980s.  He will give a person that money IF s/he can scientifically demonstrate parapsychological powers.  To date, those who make claims do not take the challenge. To the few who do, they fail.  It is a classic "put up or shut up" scenario.


 posted by Chuck Schallhorn

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Michael Schermer and the Baloney Detection Kit

I have been using this video but just realized I had not shared it on the blog.  It is Michael Schermer, author of these books,

• The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies---How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths, 
• Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time,
• How We Believe: The Search for God in an Age of Science

explaining the role of skepticism in science.  Great words and some cute graphics to explain the important questions in skepticism.

My handout includes this information:

With a sea of information coming at us from all directions, how do we sift out the misinformation and bogus claims, and get to the truth? Michael Shermer of Skeptic Magazine lays out a "Baloney Detection Kit," ten questions we should ask when encountering a claim.
The 10 Questions:
1. How reliable is the source of the claim?
2.Does the source make similar claims?
3. Have the claims been verified by somebody else?
4. Does this fit with the way the world works?
5. Has anyone tried to disprove the claim?
6. Where does the preponderance of evidence point?
7. Is the claimant playing by the rules of science?
8. Is the claimant providing positive evidence?
9. Does the new theory account for as many phenomena as the old theory?
10. Are personal beliefs driving the claim?

posted by Chuck Schallhorn

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