Psychics on Larry King; Ben Stein guest hosting on CNN Headline

[Nevernose]

The state of our nation is frightening. Ben Stein actually had the temerity to discuss what was wrong with American schools. I don't know, maybe when we're trying to present them superstitious nonsense as science and claim that science "doesn't know everything" we shouldn't be surprised when their critical thinking skills are sub-par. And Larry King tonight? Not just one but TWO psychics, and Doctor from Columbia University whose job isn't sp much to skeptical as it is to give scientific-sounding rationalizations for of the psychic bullshit -- and apparently no one is smart enough to see through her like the transparent fluff she's made of. That trio of psychic terror is actually way scarier than Ben Stein.

[salvorhardin]

1. Who was the Doc from Columbia?

Just curious to see who it is and what his/her research record is like.

[Nevernose]

2. Some blonde lady who looked good for the camera

To be fair, I only watched about thirty seconds of each. I get really angry when I see people like this, because I think they're screwing up America even more than the Bush administration.

[TZ]

3. The MSM seems to like to pander to woos

They rarely report science correctly and happily report on pseudoscience with either little effort to get a balanced perspective or even just plain ignore it.
Just last night, my local news station did a decent story on the comeback of measles due to lack of vaccination in this country..It was fine until the end when they flat out stated that the "link between vaccines and autism is still very much under debate".
No its not dumbasses! Not by the experts, only by the anti-vax nuts! But of course we know that all points of view are valid right?
:banghead:

[onager]

5. And that's the way the world ended the first time...

I'm speaking metaphorically. You know, like that Jesus guy. :evilgrin:

All points of view are valid, especially if backed up somebody deeply Spi-r-i-chul and capable of flinging more bullshit than my namesake (the onager).

Being old and cranky, these kinds of threads always remind me of an obscure book published over 40 years ago. (Also being old and forgetful, I often mention it, so I'm sorry if this is another rehash for some of you.)

The title doesn't give you any idea that the author is going to go off on some beautiful rants against wooery. It appears to be a straightforward engineering history and its title is The Ancient Engineers by L. Sprague de Camp.

In writing about the Roman Empire, de Camp describes all its incredible engineering feats: the roads, the aqueduct systems, the keystone and arch multiplied into the domed buildings (basically a bunch of arches stuck together).

But in just a couple of centuries, people in the area formerly known as "Gaul" had completely forgotten who built their market roads. They believed the roads had always been there, eternal, and when asked who built them, the locals would reply: "God."

Then de Camp points out that in the late Roman Empire, engineering withered and died because people lost interest. He blames that on the rise of the Mystery Religions in Rome. Hundreds of them!

Why worry about this temporary world, when there was a much more exciting and spiritually fulfilling world yet to come. Unfortunately, that world was invisible and it only built roads that ended in the air. But it was so wonderful to know that you were one of the elite who might communicate directly with a deity. Er, well, thru the duly appointed clergy, of course, and usually by handing over all those tacky worldly goods you didn't need any more anyway.

One of the Mystery Religions eventually came to dominate, then eliminate all the others. De Camp says this was because it boasted the strictest hierarchy, the tightest organization and "the most incomprehensible logic."

That Mystery Religion was Christianity.

[JI7]

4. Larry King has been weird, he keeps having these UFO shows