The Paracast - UFO's & Paranormal

[smeet]

I'm constantly amazed that people will adamantly believe in things for which there is no concrete evidence and at the same time refuse to believe in things where there is overwhelming concrete evidence.

I have a theory that most people are idiots.

And also, that if you put pants on apes and give them a spaceship, they are still apes.

And of course, that all brontosauruses are thin at one end, much much thicker in the middle and then thin again at the far end.

 

[48thStreetCustom]

I'm constantly amazed that people will adamantly believe in things for which there is no concrete evidence and at the same time refuse to believe in things where there is overwhelming concrete evidence.

I once heard some show on NPR about geniuses and someone said that a common theme among great thinkers is that they all believed some completely asinine stuff. I can't remember the examples but he rattled off a list of things that Einstein, Hawking, Tesla, John Nash, Freud, Edison and others thought. God, UFOs, synchronicity, racial superiority and stuff like that. His theory was that to have the ability to buck convention and think revolutionary ideas, they all had to have this thing in their head that allowed them to believe the unbelievable. They used irrational beliefs as an exercise to train their brains to create neuro pathways connecting things that had never been connected before.

Now I'm not saying UFO nuts are geniuses. I'm just saying that rigid logic can also be limiting.

 

[Munjibunga]

See, there was another example of when I wish there was sarcasm font. When I said "I love it" I didn't mean I agree with them. I meant that I think it's hilarious when the conspiracy nuts flip it around on the skeptics and claim they are the real skeptics. You have to spin a truck load of BS to get to that place.

Then my response isn't for you. It's for the people on the other side of the fence, and unfortunately there is no shortage of them.

 

[Munjibunga]

I looked up theory. It does not mean proof or fact.

If that makes you feel knowledgeable, fine.

theory

1. a coherent group of tested general propositions, commonly regarded as correct, that can be used as principles of explanation and prediction for a class of phenomena:
Einstein's theory of relativity.
Synonyms: principle, law, doctrine.

 

[Stewie26]

When you really think about it, with billions of other planets out there, the mathematical odds is there are other civilizations out there. I know that's not proof, but if I was a betting man, I would have to go with the odds.

 

[Gorn]

When you really think about it, with billions of other planets out there, the mathematical odds is there are other civilizations out there. I know that's not proof, but if I was a betting man, I would have to go with the odds.

There's a difference between believing other civilizations exist, and believing paranormal tomfoolery.

 

[Munjibunga]

I have a theory that most people are idiots.

And also, that if you put pants on apes and give them a spaceship, they are still apes.

And of course, that all brontosauruses are thin at one end, much much thicker in the middle and then thin again at the far end.

When I was flying every week, I used to burden my seatmates (usually a stranger) with an observation. On American Airlines morning flights, they used to give everyone a nice banana. As I was peeling mine, I'd remark, "You know, a chimpanzee sitting in this seat would consume this banana in pretty much the same way I do. What separates us from chimpanzees is that apes like us built this plane."

 

[Munjibunga]

There's a difference between believing other civilizations exist, and believing paranormal tomfoolery.

Well, technically not. There is no evidence for either. In spite of the high probability that other civilizations exist, there is no reason to believe it since no evidence for it has been discovered.

 

[Gorn]

Well, technically not. There is no evidence for either. In spite of the high probability that other civilizations exist, there is no reason to believe it since no evidence for it has been discovered.

Sure. I believe it's likely based on the size of the universe and the relative commonality of life. I'd never claim to know alien life exists, but I believe it. I'm an agnostic alien life believerist.

 

[Munjibunga]

I once heard some show on NPR about geniuses and someone said that a common theme among great thinkers is that they all believed some completely asinine stuff. I can't remember the examples but he rattled off a list of things that Einstein, Hawking, Tesla, John Nash, Freud, Edison and others thought. God, UFOs, synchronicity, racial superiority and stuff like that. His theory was that to have the ability to buck convention and think revolutionary ideas, they all had to have this thing in their head that allowed them to believe the unbelievable. They used irrational beliefs as an exercise to train their brains to create neuro pathways connecting things that had never been connected before.

Now I'm not saying UFO nuts are geniuses. I'm just saying that rigid logic can also be limiting.

I am saying all UFO nuts are nuts. I don't dispute that it is remotely possible that some UFOs are extraterrestrial, but since there is no evidence for it there's no reason to believe it.

 

[jmverdugo]

I know there is no proof but I still find it very interesting. I also think that to believe that something doesn't exist because there is no proof of it existence can be as ignorant as to believe something exist but not having any proof of it. It may very well be that we just don't have the knowledge and tools to see or find the proofs. Science and technology are still very young.

But no, I don't listen any radio show about it.

 

[Munjibunga]

Sure. I believe it's likely based on the size of the universe and the relative commonality of life. I'd never claim to know alien life exists, but I believe it. I'm an agnostic alien life believerist.

I'll believe it when a grey points his ray gun at me and shoots me.

 

[Gorn]

I know there is no proof but I still find it very interesting. I also think that to believe that something doesn't exist because there is no proof of it existence can be as ignorant as to believe something exist but not having any proof of it. It may very well be that we just don't have the knowledge and tools to see or find the proofs. Science and technology are still very young.

But no, I don't listen any radio show about it.

There's a difference between "I don't believe aliens exist" and "I believe aliens don't exist". I'm an aleprechaunist. I don't believe leprechauns exist. That's different from saying they don't exist.

 

[Munjibunga]

I know there is no proof but I still find it very interesting. I also think that to believe that something doesn't exist because there is no proof of it existence can be as ignorant as to believe something exist but not having any proof of it. It may very well be that we just don't have the knowledge and tools to see or find the proofs. Science and technology are still very young.

But no, I don't listen any radio show about it.

I didn't say I believe they don't exist. I'm saying I don't believe they exist. If you don't know the difference, I can't help you. Science is not that young. Ever hear of a guy named Galileo? Copernicus? Michelangelo? Even the ancients studied science, if primitive.

Believing in things for which there is no evidence falls into the category of superstition. I'm not superstitious.

 

[StereoPlayer]

I think those against the OP should start their own thread...

It's sorta like trolling.

 

[petrus61]

There's really nothing better than cruising home at night from work alone and listening to this this type of programming. It's like crack for the soul.

 

[jasmangan]

If that makes you feel knowledgeable, fine.

theory

1. a coherent group of tested general propositions, commonly regarded as correct, that can be used as principles of explanation and prediction for a class of phenomena:
Einstein's theory of relativity.
Synonyms: principle, law, doctrine.

You suggested to look up the word theory. I did. I noted that the definition did not use the words "proof" or "fact".
This seems to upset you even though I cast no dispersions on your pontification's. It seems to me your real issue is with Marion Webster.
Carry on.

 

[Munjibunga]

You suggested to look up the word theory. I did. I noted that the definition did not use the words "proof" or "fact".
This seems to upset you even though I cast no dispersions on your pontification's. It seems to me your real issue is with Marion Webster.
Carry on.

Merriam-Webster. Aspersions. Pontifications (no apostrophe - it's plural, not possessive). You must not have seen the part that says "Synonyms: principle, law, doctrine." You can struggle with this all you want. I can understand your resistance if it threatens your beliefs.

 

[Munjibunga]

Sure. I believe it's likely based on the size of the universe and the relative commonality of life. I'd never claim to know alien life exists, but I believe it. I'm an agnostic alien life believerist.

I believe it's highly likely that life exists elsewhere in the universe. I don't believe life exists elsewhere in the universe. I'm just a plain agnostic.

 

[Munjibunga]

There's really nothing better than cruising home at night from work alone and listening to this this type of programming. It's like crack for the soul.

I prefer Phil Hendrie.