Do you think that skeptics should have their own section under this (Alternative) category?

Question

Hanna: I agree that civility would be outstanding.

I disagree about the belief statements though sure there are many on here like "are ghost real? " but both skeptics and believers could contribute to science by answering questions like "what would be a good experiment to test for ESP?" or "what level of against chance would be accepted?"

Instead skeptics attack the work done so far and offer no suggestions to improve it.

This is where the belief in it's not real so don't bother comes in but that is not science.

I have said previously I give credit to Ray Hyman which helped create protocols for the AutoGanzfeld yet firmly does not believe in ESP (that is a skeptic and a scientist)

Answer 1

theres nothing wrong with having skeptics here...yes some things can be explained that are not paranormal, where people think it could be paranormal, or they really want it to be paranormal...theres nothing wrong about that...but when they keep saying its not possible...there are no such things as ghosts and when your dead you are dead nothing more..there is no after life..that gets a bit annoying, why they keep bothering with the same answers i really dont know...how can one say its just not possible...how does anyone know what exists after death, why because THEY have never experienced anything so that makes it a FACT that its not possible...i find that really closed minded...or the fact that they keep saying science cannt prove it, there is no evidence....science doesnt yet know everything...science isnt god that has answers to everything...science is just people trying to work out how things work...i know science has taken an INTEREST into the paranormal specially starting with orbs...scienctists are now saying "orbs are a concious form "...instead of skeptics being closed minded wouldnt it be better if we could all work together to trying to figue out paranormal activity instead of just writing insults...i agree some times there isnt much to work on or people make up stuff just to get attention, or just been silly about the whole thing...i also hate how people dodge up photos and videos it spoils it for the ones that are real...if paranormal didnt exist i dont think there would be so many people out there in the world that have taken an interest in it and go looking for it to capture some sort of evidence...scienctists wouldnt waste their time...i truelly believe in time we will make some sort of discovery into it..better than what we have now, and as technology gets better...i know from my experiences it does exist, and im not talking about just hearing a tap on the door or feeling someone watching me..ive seen and experienced so much more than that, and caught a beauty on a photo...and thats just me alone, let alone millions of other people that have experienced something paranormal...and i mean really paranormal...so it would be a better place here if we could all work together and share our experiences and ask questions to see if someone else has experienced the same thing...if they have no answer and just insults then they shouldnt even bother answering nor even look at the questions or read others stories if they say IT DOES NOT EXIST....i dont have interest in other topics here so i dont even worry about going there and reading about something that doesnt interest me...is it really worth the 2 points to have no understanding of the topic or give out insults.......anyway thats my 2 points worth  LOL...

Answer 2

PSI, you're one of the best things about the YA Alternative category, but I think some skepticism is healthy. Of course, not all skeptics are the same. Some are simply negative and even a bit smug. Others are quite intelligent and well-meaning and are probably concerned about con artists and the like. I know I don't like the idea of someone being duped out of their money by a phony "psychic".

As for me, I believe that psychic phenomena exist because of one experience. I don't think I have any "powers" and I am still searching for an answer as to how it happened. I'd probably be a skeptic otherwise (although I'd try to be a reasonable one). I find it easy to remember that not everyone has had such an experience.

In short, if the skeptics don't lower themselves to ridiculing others and can respect other opinions, I'll try to return the favor.

Without the "to the death" part...

I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it.

Voltaire

You know what I mean!

Answer 3

Yes, then I could go there and harass them like they do to us here. LOL

Wow! Deep thinking Brooklyn

Answer 4

The problem is, there is no question you can have that is not a statement of your belief in this section.

Then the dichotomy of belief attack each other. A civil discussion could be enjoyable if everyone accepted that beliefs are not going to be changed and go about discussing topics of paranormal n a civil manner.

Answer 5

Skepticism is just another word for being "close-minded." I am glad that no matter what is presented to me, I can have my own opinion but yet be open-minded enough to wonder if there is some truths to the paranormal or anything out of the ordinary.  I am also open-minded enough, that when I believe in something wholeheartedly, I will still take what others have to say that may oppose what I believe because I just might learn something.  Either their negative opinion will reinforce my belief or pierce a hole in it-just enough for me to re-examine what I believe. I want to know the truth-period.  So, therefore, I listen to both sides of the story and then form my own opinion but yet I remain open to suggestion regardless.  But I do not think it is fair to ATTACK non-skeptics anymore than I think it is fair for us to ATTACK skeptics.  We all just might learn something from one another. Who knows.....That is my opinion on this subject.  Take it or leave it.

Answer 6

Skepticism would go under the philosophy section. But if you are an extreme skeptic then you do not believe you can have knowledge about the internal or the external world. Therefore, who is to say that Yahoo!Xtra Answers and Questions actually exists?

Answer 7

yeah, that would give them nothing to do, in their own section of only like thinkers, they would all agree and have nothing to do.

I agree, they are ill and need this section.

I love that line"this is the science and math section"

I never see any of those guys over in the science or math questions.. only over here telling others they are silly for their beliefs.

how scientific.

Answer 8

Skepticism is not science, not even "other" or "alternative". Science is based on the (so far confirmed) assumption that complete knowledge about the workings of nature can be found. We do not have a counterexample to this fundamental experience (and please, nobody say quantum mechanics, unless they are dead bent on proving publicly that they don't know how quantum mechanics works), thus skepticism comes up short when arguing with science.

As has been pointed out... the most important question for the hard core skeptics is why he or she should even bother to get up in the morning since it is uncertain that the world even exists or that this empty feeling in their probably imagined stomachs is real. Maybe skeptics can be asked to "file" under religion and/or mental health, depending whether they are here to preach or to seek council?

;-)

Answer 9

Yeah, we need our own club!  No skeptics allowed!

Answer 10

Skeptics are valuable in any discussion.  They help all of us to rethink our data and examine our assumptions.  We need to have skeptics in every discussion of science, of politics,  and in every discussion that presents a world view.  I welcome the true skeptics in this section.

I do not welcome name calling, ridicule, or repeated attempts to dismiss the experiences of others.  Many (but not all) of the skeptics I've seen on this site follow their beliefs like it is a religion, and then profess themselves scientists.  Blind faith in anything, even science, is not conducive to learning, teaching, or advancement of any kind.  

I appreciate those who respond to the experiences of others and question their conclusions constructively.  If we answer each other with respect, this forum could produce a valuable body of knowledge.  Thanks for the question!

Answer 11

No, this is the math and science section.

What you really mean by skeptics is someone who takes a realistic, or scientific approach to paranormal stuff.

I think if you have that much of an issue with reality you should be posting in the folklore and mythology section, not the math and science section.

Many people here value logic and reason over myth and old wives tales.

Believers value myths and old wives tales over logic and reason.

Go figure.

Answer 12

A skeptic according to Randi, Just doesnt believe now with the evidence to date.They are open to believing at the moment reasonable evidence is presented.

The people on here ore not skeptics, they have already made a decision there will NEVER be evidence presented, so why they stay around is kind of weird, just to keep telling others they are wrong?

very sad individuals

Answer 13

They used to irritate me..even almost make me angry. Now I'm getting used to them & sometimes they make me laugh. (Hay...maybe they're brainwashing me!!) ya' think?  Please don't let them...bring me back to reality...that these spiritual things really do happen. (not that I want them to..I don't) I just wish the skeptics would be a little more creative and once in awhile give some "evidence" to prove that they're right and we're wrong.

Answer 14

No, it's not needed. Science itself is a skeptical method of inquiry. The entire Science section is already the skeptical section, and you're in it.