Merged The razor of Hitchens and the Spirits!

Calderaro said:
better stop here
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Calderaro said:
no! better stop here
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No, you don't get to stop and reset the debate every time you get backed into a corner.

What happens to the candle flame when it goes out, if there are no spirits? Does a candle flame have a spirit?

Can you elaborate on the quantum mechanics argument you presented, which P.J. Denyer has asked about?

Answer these questions.
 
JayUtah said:
No, you don't get to stop and reset the debate every time you get backed into a corner.

What happens to the candle flame when it goes out, if there are no spirits? Does a candle flame have a spirit?

Can you elaborate on the quantum mechanics argument you presented, which P.J. Denyer has asked about?

Answer these questions.
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I need to study scientific skepticism, I don't have the ability to debate with you! Thanks everyone!
 
Calderaro said:
I'm confused! I'm going to study about scientific skepticism, I don't have the ability to debate, I'll be back in July! Thanks everyone!
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Let me break it down: you said Jay was mocking you; he wasn't; I was offering to be helpful by labelling my mocking posts as such and my serious posts as such, just so you know what is going on.

NB, this is a serious post, it isn't mockery.
 
Carrot Flower King said:
Let me break it down: you said Jay was mocking you; he wasn't; I was offering to be helpful by labelling my mocking posts as such and my serious posts as such, just so you know what is going on.

NB, this is a serious post, it isn't mockery.
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I don't have the intellectual capacity to debate with all of you! I need to study a lot of scientific skepticism! I'll be back in July! I'm serious! Thank you all!
 
Pixel42 said:
Knowledge and understanding are cumulative, Calderaro. Every generation inherits the knowledge and understanding of their parents and then finds out a bit more, understands a bit more, and passes that increased knowledge and understanding onto their children, and so on. There have been periods in history when knowledge was lost, or even deliberately destroyed, but later generations rediscovered it and once again passed it on to their descendants.

The people who first came up with ideas like spirits and chakras, thousands of years ago, did not have access to even a tenth of the knowledge you and I have available to us. They invented such notions in order to be able to make some kind of sense of the frightening world in which they found themselves, and I don't blame them a bit. They had every excuse for believing in such things. You and I do not, because we have inherited a veritable mountain of accumulated knowledge and understanding. It's so huge that it can actually seem a bit daunting, especially when it contains facts that contradict what we would prefer to believe. But it's humanity's greatest achievement, and we have a duty to preserve and pass it on, and even sometimes add a bit more to it ourselves. Choosing to simply turn away from it, in order to spend your life with your head buried deep in a comforting compost heap of ignorance and superstition, is a cowardly betrayal of everything humanity has achieved.

So yes, do some research. But instead of looking for answers in the long debunked and superseded superstitions of the distant past, look for them in the knowledge and understanding which has been painstakingly accumulated by humanity's greatest minds in the centuries since.
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Yes! I need to study scientific skepticism a lot because I am very ignorant! I learned a lot here! A lot of knowledge! Thank you all!
 
Calderaro said:
better stop here
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No. You introduced that argument. You used those words. If you parroted them without understanding them what makes YOU think they're a good argument for the existence of spirits or anything else for that matter rather than a way to dupe credulous marks into believing anything that uses big words they don't understand and don't have the sense to spend five seconds looking up? Why should we waste our time interacting with someone who wants a 'do over' every time they make it clear they don't understand the points they themselves were trying to make?

And rest assured that if you do disappear for five months then come back and start fresh, you don't get to do that. Most of us have been here for years, decades in many cases, we will still be here in a few months. We won't have forgotten and these questions will still be here. Try and start a new thread on the same subject and you'll find the mods will quickly merge it back into this one.
 
Calderaro said:
I don't have the intellectual capacity to debate with all of you! I need to study a lot of scientific skepticism! I'll be back in July! I'm serious! Thank you all!
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Rest assured all these questions will be waiting for you when you return.

Calderaro said:
no! i think she can help me study scientific skepticism! i'll be back in july! thanks everyone!
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If you think it will help. However, your use of AI to date has been ineffective and apparently limited to trying to get it to feed you arguments against skepticism. AI will certainly do that, but it seems to be regurgitating its training data that includes bad, illogical arguments. This is the limit of AI. It will synthesize new answers based on its training data, but if its training data contains bad arguments then you will just get creatively rephrased bad arguments.
 
Calderaro said:
I believe in life after death, and I want to convince skeptics to believe in life after death!
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Some people decide what they want to believe, and then look for reasons to believe it. If they can't find good reasons, they make up bad ones. If they can't find evidence, they decide to interpret ordinary, everyday experiences in bizarre and convoluted ways so they can pretend they are evidence, even though they very obviously are not.

Other people look at the world around them, and everything that has been learned about it by generations of humanity's greatest minds. They do their best to understand it, and then they decide what to believe about it. Even if it's not what they want to believe - for example, even if they would really like to believe that their consciousness is going to continue to exist after their brain dies - if everything they've learned tells them otherwise then they (however reluctantly) conclude that it is not true.

You are the first type of person, and the sceptics here are the second type. You need to understand that the reasons that are sufficient for you to believe in life after death are nowhere near adequate to convince sceptics. Even if you spend the next six months asking AI how to convince us and trying to understand a bit more about science you are unlikely to come up with arguments and evidence that will convince us, because far smarter and better informed believers than you have already tried and failed. Because there are no good arguments, and there is no good evidence, for believing what you believe. I'm sorry, but there it is.
 

What are the benefits of scientific skepticism?​

Benefits of Scientific Skepticism​

Scientific skepticism is a critical approach that emphasizes questioning and evaluating claims based on empirical evidence. This methodology offers several significant benefits across various domains, particularly in scientific research and public discourse.

1. Promotes Objective Evaluation​

Scientific skepticism encourages scientists and researchers to remain objective by systematically questioning all information and claims. This practice helps ensure that conclusions are based on sound evidence rather than personal biases or assumptions. By maintaining a skeptical outlook, scientists can critically assess their own findings and those of others, fostering a culture of rigorous inquiry and validation

2. Enhances Scientific Rigor​

Skepticism is foundational to the scientific method, which relies on the null hypothesis—assuming a claim is false until evidence proves otherwise. This approach helps prevent the acceptance of unverified claims, ensuring that only well-supported findings contribute to scientific knowledge. As a result, skepticism acts as a safeguard against misinformation and promotes the advancement of credible science

3. Encourages Continuous Revision of Knowledge​

Scientific knowledge is not static; it evolves with new evidence and insights. Skepticism allows for the revision of established theories when new data emerges, thereby enhancing the adaptability and accuracy of scientific understanding. This openness to change is crucial for the progression of science, as it encourages ongoing inquiry and exploration

4. Protects Against Pseudoscience​

By fostering a critical mindset, scientific skepticism helps individuals discern between credible scientific claims and pseudoscientific assertions. This is particularly important in an era where misinformation can spread rapidly through various media channels. Skeptics advocate for evidence-based decision-making, which can mitigate the influence of unproven beliefs and harmful practices

5. Informs Public Discourse​

A skeptical approach cultivates a more informed public capable of making better decisions regarding health, science, and policy issues. By promoting critical thinking skills among the general populace, scientific skepticism encourages individuals to question claims they encounter in everyday life, leading to more rational discussions and decisions

6. Fosters Innovation​

Skeptical inquiry can drive innovation by challenging existing assumptions and encouraging creative problem-solving. Innovative thinkers often adopt a skeptical stance towards information presented to them, which allows them to explore alternative solutions and perspectives that may not be immediately apparent

In summary, scientific skepticism plays a vital role in promoting objective evaluation, enhancing scientific rigor, protecting against pseudoscience, informing public discourse, and fostering innovation. By encouraging critical thinking and evidence-based reasoning, it contributes significantly to the advancement of knowledge and societal well-being.

You criticize artificial intelligence, but in this text you agree with it? Thanks everyone!
 
Calderaro said:

What are the benefits of scientific skepticism?​

Benefits of Scientific Skepticism​

Scientific skepticism is a critical approach that emphasizes questioning and evaluating claims based on empirical evidence. This methodology offers several significant benefits across various domains, particularly in scientific research and public discourse.

1. Promotes Objective Evaluation​

Scientific skepticism encourages scientists and researchers to remain objective by systematically questioning all information and claims. This practice helps ensure that conclusions are based on sound evidence rather than personal biases or assumptions. By maintaining a skeptical outlook, scientists can critically assess their own findings and those of others, fostering a culture of rigorous inquiry and validation

2. Enhances Scientific Rigor​

Skepticism is foundational to the scientific method, which relies on the null hypothesis—assuming a claim is false until evidence proves otherwise. This approach helps prevent the acceptance of unverified claims, ensuring that only well-supported findings contribute to scientific knowledge. As a result, skepticism acts as a safeguard against misinformation and promotes the advancement of credible science

3. Encourages Continuous Revision of Knowledge​

Scientific knowledge is not static; it evolves with new evidence and insights. Skepticism allows for the revision of established theories when new data emerges, thereby enhancing the adaptability and accuracy of scientific understanding. This openness to change is crucial for the progression of science, as it encourages ongoing inquiry and exploration

4. Protects Against Pseudoscience​

By fostering a critical mindset, scientific skepticism helps individuals discern between credible scientific claims and pseudoscientific assertions. This is particularly important in an era where misinformation can spread rapidly through various media channels. Skeptics advocate for evidence-based decision-making, which can mitigate the influence of unproven beliefs and harmful practices

5. Informs Public Discourse​

A skeptical approach cultivates a more informed public capable of making better decisions regarding health, science, and policy issues. By promoting critical thinking skills among the general populace, scientific skepticism encourages individuals to question claims they encounter in everyday life, leading to more rational discussions and decisions

6. Fosters Innovation​

Skeptical inquiry can drive innovation by challenging existing assumptions and encouraging creative problem-solving. Innovative thinkers often adopt a skeptical stance towards information presented to them, which allows them to explore alternative solutions and perspectives that may not be immediately apparent

In summary, scientific skepticism plays a vital role in promoting objective evaluation, enhancing scientific rigor, protecting against pseudoscience, informing public discourse, and fostering innovation. By encouraging critical thinking and evidence-based reasoning, it contributes significantly to the advancement of knowledge and societal well-being.

You criticize artificial intelligence, but in this text you agree with it? Thanks everyone!
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Serious post: You've posted that, but do you understand what it all means?

If not, why do you post it?

Have you spent even a few minutes actually reading it and taking it in?
 
Calderaro said:
I don't have the intellectual capacity to debate with all of you! I need to study a lot of scientific skepticism! I'll be back in July! I'm serious! Thank you all!
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Wonders. That actually sounded sincere.

If you're really serious, if this is not some elaborate t-word act, well then, this here is the starting point you're going wrong at. You seem to think you need some kind of very evolved intellectual capacity to "debate" folks here. I mean, well, intellectual capacity helps: but why do you directly put yourself on the side of "must prove spirits exist", and think that you need intellectual arsenal to fight the good fight with folks here?

What the "skeptic" does is, first and foremost, not choose a position that he'll die defending. What the skeptic does is align himself with what is reasonable, whatever that may be.

(Admittedly that obvious thing one or two otherwise accomplished members here haven't quite got the hang of. So not to worry if you haven't either --- as long as you do it now.)

Make this small shift in your attitude. Then you'll find that you no longer need intellectual arsenal to fight folks here. You'll find the intellectual resources here working to actually help you, help you arrive at a conclusion that is reasonable. Which is what all these people are actually doing, helping you. Not fighting you, so that you need to fight back, but helping you --- when they're not laughing at you, that is.
 
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