The Fallacies of Astrology and UFOs

[Rasta_Man]

I don't know of many members who are consider themselves devoute astrologists, but I noticed that UFO belief is common.

This is an episode of Astronomycast. They usually deal with cosmology, astrophysics, geology and such, but this is a special episode on some more... fallacious topics.

Here is the the clip description and the link below. It high quality audio, and both speakers are very articulate.

Check out the astronomycast if you have an interest in big history and science.

we brought in a special guest to help debunk some of the pseudoscience that people mistake for astronomy. Dr Steven Novella from the Skeptic's Guide to the Universe gets to the bottom of astrology and UFOs, and why they're not real science.

Audio Clip link: http://media-c01m03.libsyn.com/podca...ast-070604.mp3

[chicken]

rasta,,,, i think your a alien,,,, because you posted on a different thread that roosie oddonel was fine!!!!!!

im sorry dude but you ruined it for me by that pic. you posted,,,, you have a shot at redemtion,, but it will take a while.....

when i see a post by you,,,, thats all i can think of.....

[dynasty]

Originally Posted by chicken

rasta,,,, i think your a alien,,,, because you posted on a different thread that roosie oddonel was fine!!!!!!

im sorry dude but you ruined it for me by that pic. you posted,,,, you have a shot at redemtion,, but it will take a while.....

when i see a post by you,,,, thats all i can think of.....

relevance?

and rasta, thanks for this.

[Rasta_Man]

Originally Posted by chicken

rasta,,,, i think your a alien,,,, because you posted on a different thread that roosie oddonel was fine!!!!!!

im sorry dude but you ruined it for me by that pic. you posted,,,, you have a shot at redemtion,, but it will take a while.....

when i see a post by you,,,, thats all i can think of.....

Well, actually, I'm a highly advanced computer intelligence. My mainframe is sitting in an MIT lab, and this is an elaborate experiment in the psychology of both humans and AI. It's going very well actually.

Originally Posted by dynasty

and rasta, thanks for this.

Anytime, I'm glad you enjoyed it

[chicken]

i hear ya my friend,,,, im just bustin your balls,,,,,

actually when me and you think of '' nasty bitch'' we come to the same conclusion,,,, roosie.....

i liked your old avatar better!!!

[Palmer Eldritch]

Originally Posted by Rasta_Man

Well, actually, I'm a highly advanced computer intelligence. My mainframe is sitting in an MIT lab, and this is an elaborate experiment in the psychology of both humans and AI. It's going very well actually.

ha! i called it months ago.


good listen btw

[CH3VELLE]

Originally Posted by Rasta_Man

I don't know of many members who are consider themselves devoute astrologists, but I noticed that UFO belief is common.

This is an episode of Astronomycast. They usually deal with cosmology, astrophysics, geology and such, but this is a special episode on some more... fallacious topics.

Here is the the clip description and the link below. It high quality audio, and both speakers are very articulate.

Check out the astronomycast if you have an interest in big history and science.

we brought in a special guest to help debunk some of the pseudoscience that people mistake for astronomy. Dr Steven Novella from the Skeptic's Guide to the Universe gets to the bottom of astrology and UFOs, and why they're not real science.

Audio Clip link: http://media-c01m03.libsyn.com/podca...ast-070604.mp3

i consider myself a UFOlogist, meaning that this is a subject which greatly interests me. i have recently just witnessed my first UFO ever, as a matter of fact.

..."and why they're not real science."

well what IS real science exactly? science that us humans are only aware of? yes i think so.

people think im crazy for believing in the existence of aliens, but then again, the majority of the human population thinks im crazy for believing in some "stupid santa claus" like God. so this is nothing new to me.

[Rasta_Man]

Originally Posted by CH3VELLE

i consider myself a UFOlogist, meaning that this is a subject which greatly interests me. i have recently just witnessed my first UFO ever, as a matter of fact.

..."and why they're not real science."

well what IS real science exactly? science that us humans are only aware of? yes i think so.

people think im crazy for believing in the existence of aliens, but then again, the majority of the human population thinks im crazy for believing in some "stupid santa claus" like God. so this is nothing new to me.

Perhaps you should listen to the show.

And you ask "what IS real science exactly", and I think this definition works quite well:

in the broadest sense, science refers to any systematic methodology which attempts to collect accurate information about the shared reality and to model this in a way which can be used to make reliable, concrete and quantitative predictions about events, in line with hypotheses proven by experiment. In a more restricted sense, science refers to a system of acquiring knowledge based on the scientific method, as well as to the organized body of knowledge gained through such research.

and UFOlogy (as you put it) is a psuedoscience, a term which it's literal explicity is extremley generous:

Pseudoscience is any kind of knowledge, belief, or practice that claims to be scientific but does not follow the scientific method. Pseudosciences may appear scientific, but they do not adhere to the basic requirements (the testability and repeatability) of the scientific method.

[chicken]

anytime i work past midnight im listening to coast- to - coast george noory, and art bell...... they are the bomb..... be cool!!!!

[CH3VELLE]

also, for the record, may i just clarify that astronomy and astrology are two different things.

astronomy-general study of the universe and its celestial objects

astrology-is a group of systems, traditions, and beliefs in which knowledge of the relative positions of celestial bodies and related details is held to be useful in understanding, interpreting, and organizing information about personality, human affairs, and other terrestrial matters

just dont want people to confuse these two, as it is quite common.

[Zylark]

Quite true Chevelle (I refuse using numbers as letters. 1337ish BS ). Too many get the two concepts wrong.

A more succinct definition would be:

Astronomy = Science, backed by facts
Astrology = Superstition, backed by wishful thinking

As for believing in UFO's, one have to distinguish between believing aliens exist somehwere, and them visiting us. I have no problem accepting that somewhere intelligent beings other than us exist. Infact I believe there is a plethora of them, in our galaxy alone. Not to mention the rest of the universe.

That is not to say any of them come by for a quick hello, an anal-probe and leaving their calling card in some field of grain. There is exactly zero proof of any visitation as of yet. A lot of imagination, wishful thinking and hoaxes there is, but no confirmed alien visit.

I'd be the first to welcome any such visit (providing they are friendly ofcourse). And when (if) they do come, it won't be much of a secret. I rather like to think that aliens couldn't give a rats ass about earthling politics, and they'd certainly not be biased in any manner. They might even be veterans of the "first contact" scenario, and as such they'd know that secret and mysterious is not quite the path to follow. A big show is the ticket. Make a ruckos, and you get attention.

Some secrets are just too big to be kept. And from our own history we know that when meeting new civilizations, discretion have never been a part of the equation.

[Rasta_Man]

Originally Posted by Zylark

Some secrets are just too big to be kept. And from our own history we know that when meeting new civilizations, discretion have never been a part of the equation.

Yeah, especially from those astrophysics nerds.

[chicken]

i firmly believe in ufo's,,allthough i havebt seen one....

can you really, believe these scientist's and thier '' theorie's''
i mean for years they said mars was ''so hot'' that life couldnt be there..

then here recently they found 2 water puddles.....wtf!!!!!

just think of the shit these 2 mars rovers are finding that theyre not telling us?

[CH3VELLE]

http://www.disclosureproject.org/

[Rasta_Man]

Originally Posted by CH3VELLE

http://www.disclosureproject.org/

Easily falsifiable and uncorroborated testimony, much of which is based on hearsay. That wouldn't even stand up in a court of law, much less from the viewpoint of the scientific method.

It's all based on argumentum ad verecundiam; a logical fallacy that doesn't even hold up in a philosophy debate.


Not to mention they don't offer any tangible or valid evidence.




We've been over the disclosure project before

Too bad, cause it would really validate your ideas, huh?