2 posts tagged “paranormal”

"Superstition the product of evolution"

"Religion and other forms of magical thinking continue to thrive - despite the lack of evidence and advance of science - because people are naturally biased to accept a role for the irrational, said Bruce Hood, professor of experimental psychology at the University of Bristol.

"This evolved credulity suggests that it would be impossible to root out belief in ideas such as creationism and paranormal phenomena, even though they have been countered by evidence and are held as a matter of faith alone."

"Festival attacked over paranormal 'nonsense'"

The British Association was attacked yesterday for giving credence to heretical ideas such as telepathy, out of body experiences and life after death at the largest science festival in Europe.

[...]

"Prof Peter Atkins, of Oxford University, said: 'Work in this field is a complete waste of time. Although it is politically incorrect to dismiss ideas out of hand, in this case there is absolutely no reason to suppose that telepathy is anything more than a charlatan's fantasy.'

"He said it was 'extraordinary that the BA should consider them worth a platform.'"