Bigfoot, What's the harm?

[Morchella]

There are already five threads about Bigfoot on the front page of this section. I don't care enough to read a single one. Bigfoot is kindergarten skepticism. With all the pseudoscience really causing harm like quacks and SCAM, why is everyone obsessed with Bigfoot. I see no harm having naive Bigfoot hunters combing the woods. Where do they bother anyone outside this forum? At least they get outside some. So much fretting about Bigfoot only means that someone has way too much time on their hands.

 

[Resume]

Delete

 

[Resume]

There are already five threads about Bigfoot on the front page of this section. I don't care enough to read a single one. Bigfoot is kindergarten skepticism.

Then why start another one? Pining for kindergarten?

With all the pseudoscience really causing harm like quacks and SCAM, why is everyone obsessed with Bigfoot.

Everyone?

I see no harm having naive Bigfoot hunters combing the woods. Where do they bother anyone outside this forum? At least they get outside some. So much fretting about Bigfoot only means that someone has way too much time on their hands.

It's all fun and games until they start shooting each other. Wait, that's still fun and games.

 

[Dinwar]

I see no harm having naive Bigfoot hunters combing the woods.

Really? You don't see the potential for harm when you have a bunch of people running around a woods hunting something roughly human sized and human shaped?

The thing that immediately springs to my mind is a hunter shooting a human thinking it's bigfoot. Hunters sometimes mistake humans for deer and shoot the human (don't wear white underwear during deer season); with bigfoot it's even more likely, due to the similiarities.

Secondly, bigfoot degrades my science. It's an attempt to describe a species, but done so poorly as to become satirical of itself. Unfortunately, the general public doesn't really understand the difference between what bigfoot believers do and what biologists and paleontologists do. Thus, prevelance of bigfoot belief degrades the standing of my science in the eyes of the public. I don't like that; I take it rather personally when my field gets attacked.

Finally, there's the shere waste of it all. The amount of money spent on bigfoot could do wonders if applied to actual research. And bigfoot is BORING compared to some of the stuff that's really out there. Seriously, what's an ape compared to a walking colloney of bryozoa? To borophagus? To a member of the Ediacaran Fauna? How about the polar bear/brown bear hybrids in Europe? Fungi that cover square MILES? Animals that have mastered immortality? All of those things are (or were) real, they existed, in some cases they still exist! Yet funding that could go to studying these organisms gets funneled to "studying" something that doesn't exist. It'd be more useful to simply burn the money; at least that way the people spending it wouldn't actually be undermining science.

 

[Dinwar]

It's all fun and games until they start shooting each other. Wait, that's still fun and games.

The issue is, I like to hunt. I'd rather not be shot at again. (I don't think the previous times were due to bigfoot--I think they were due to immegration restrictions, frankly--but still, it's not my favorite passtime). As a rather scruffy, gangly human about the right height, belief in bigfoot among others puts me at rather a disadvantage.

 

[William Parcher]

With all the pseudoscience really causing harm like quacks and SCAM, why is everyone obsessed with Bigfoot.

In spite of there being many Bigfoot threads there aren't a large number of different members posting in them. It's only a handful of the JREF members doing most of the posting on the Bigfoot topic.

I don't think Bigfootery has been very harmful to society in general. It is predominantly viewed as being a goofball hobby for some nerds and rural folks. But it doesn't need to be harmful to still have intrigue for skeptics. There always seems to be something going on or some new claim or report to talk about. There's no way to stop or prevent Bigfootery so we just talk about how the proposed evidence is no good and how Bigfoot believers are gullible and are also probably hoaxers too.

 

[LSSBB]

Promotion of things like Bigfoot, the Long Island Medium, and UFO garbage all add to the cloud of woo currently engulfing society. It's so massive a problem that it takes all manner of critical thinkers to combat it and keep from overwhelming all of us in a goo of dumbness. I don't bother with bigfoot much either, I got my own woos to combat. I am glad there are others who do combat it. We all got each others backs.

 

[Resume]

In spite of there being many Bigfoot threads there aren't a large number of different members posting in them. It's only a handful of the JREF members doing most of the posting on the Bigfoot topic.

I don't think Bigfootery has been very harmful to society in general. It is predominantly viewed as being a goofball hobby for some nerds and rural folks. But it doesn't need to be harmful to still have intrigue for skeptics. There always seems to be something going on or some new claim or report to talk about. There's no way to stop or prevent Bigfootery so we just talk about how the proposed evidence is no good and how Bigfoot believers are gullible and are also probably hoaxers too.

When asked if he ever tired of debating the religious, Hitchens said "No because you never know what they're gonna say next."

It's sort of like that, and your signature.

 

[Dinwar]

Promotion of things like Bigfoot, the Long Island Medium, and UFO garbage all add to the cloud of woo currently engulfing society. It's so massive a problem that it takes all manner of critical thinkers to combat it and keep from overwhelming all of us in a goo of dumbness.

While this is a bit hyperbolic, it certainly strikes a true chord. Belief in bigfoot undermines rationality, in that it teaches people to accept arguments without supporting evidence. Humans are creatures of habit; if we become acustomed to accepting arguments without evidence to support them, we are more willing to accept other unevidenced claims. Given the current culture, we do need to emphasize rational principles as much as possible, and one of the requirements for that is to leave no "out" for people. ALL woo is evil. ALL irrationality is wrong. The minor stuff isn't necessarily overtely harmful (bigfoot certainly is, but for the sake of discussion we can assume it isn't), but it's certainly undermining efforts to put rationality in the forefront.

 

[River]

There are already five threads about Bigfoot on the front page of this section. I don't care enough to read a single one. Bigfoot is kindergarten skepticism. With all the pseudoscience really causing harm like quacks and SCAM, why is everyone obsessed with Bigfoot. I see no harm having naive Bigfoot hunters combing the woods. Where do they bother anyone outside this forum? At least they get outside some. So much fretting about Bigfoot only means that someone has way too much time on their hands.

Have you watched any cable television lately? There are many shows out there promoting bigfoot as a real entity currently. Skeptics should be interested, and seeking to set straight the misleading footer talk. There are a lot of newbies out there that may benefit from seeing this "nonsense" explained rather than eat up all that you see on television from the PhD types that speak on the shows endorsing bigfoot as a real entity. Yes, it really is "out there" as a belief, but so are many other belief based woos. (take a look at religion, with the invisible man speaking to so many, or ghosts, reptilian aliens etc.) Bigfoot is one of many. It should be, and is addressed by skeptics.

That said, there are plenty of threads to post this in already. (bigfoot follies as one example)

 

[Morchella]

Bigfoot hysteria is a vestige of the old "Skeptical Inquirer". Back then there was a lot of worry about psychics and such that can do harm but not a lot compared to SCAM medicine or the giant elephant in the room, religion. The SI coverage of those topics was pretty scant. Randi would not touch religion until just a few years ago. Taboo I guess.
I'm not hearing much about Bigfoot hunters accidentally shooting people. The general population outside this forum doesn't give a rat's a-- for Bigfoot. Those gomers have moved on to Duck Dynasty.
Skepticism to me is going after the beliefs that do the most harm. All the Bigfoot stuff just looks like a giant circle jerk.

 

[Resume]

All the Bigfoot stuff just looks like a giant circle jerk.

Yet you're here in the circle talking about it.

 

[GT/CS]

Morchella,
Do you want to discuss something or just rant?
Why is this issue so important to you?

 

[Dinwar]

The SI coverage of those topics was pretty scant. Randi would not touch religion until just a few years ago. Taboo I guess.

It's possible to be a rationally religious person, so this makes sense. Many religious people merely disagree with atheists on one or two basic premises; accept those premises, and the rest of their theology naturally follows.

Skepticism to me is going after the beliefs that do the most harm. All the Bigfoot stuff just looks like a giant circle jerk.

Problem is, that's merely playing whack-a-mole. It's more effective to hit them all at t he same time.

 

[MikeG]

There are already five threads about Bigfoot on the front page of this section. I don't care enough to read a single one. Bigfoot is kindergarten skepticism. With all the pseudoscience really causing harm like quacks and SCAM, why is everyone obsessed with Bigfoot. I see no harm having naive Bigfoot hunters combing the woods. Where do they bother anyone outside this forum? At least they get outside some. So much fretting about Bigfoot only means that someone has way too much time on their hands.

The alternative is to give them a free pass. Why would anyone do that?

You are right though about one thing....at least some of them are getting out into the woods. There, you never know, they may even spot some REAL wildlife, and learn something new about the natural world. That's a good thing.

Furthermore, well argued scepticism works. I am far from the only interested "neutral" who has been walked through the evidence, or lack thereof, by members of this board (not always gently!! ) before arriving at a fully-sceptical viewpoint. For each of us who post there may be dozens or hundreds who don't, and making a good argument for the sake of the non-posting curious is actually something of a public service in my view. This is why I occasionally get a little irritated with the tone in some threads at some times.....but hey, robust sceptics can sometimes get bored saying the same thing over and over again for 10 or more years, so I understand.

 

[barehl]

I see no harm having naive Bigfoot hunters combing the woods. Where do they bother anyone outside this forum? At least they get outside some. So much fretting about Bigfoot only means that someone has way too much time on their hands.

Belief in recovered memories--what's the harm?
Alien abduction--what's the harm?
Ghost hunting--what's the harm?
Psychic Advice--what's the harm?
Homeopathy--what's the harm?
Creationism--what's the harm?
Flat Earth Theory--what's the harm?
Sexism--what's the harm?
Denigration of gays--what's the harm?
Removal of science from school curriculum--what's the harm?
Making Secretary of Faith a cabinet level position--what's the harm?

Why are any of these different from Bigfoot?

 

[LTC8K6]

There are already five threads about Bigfoot on the front page of this section. I don't care enough to read a single one. Bigfoot is kindergarten skepticism. With all the pseudoscience really causing harm like quacks and SCAM, why is everyone obsessed with Bigfoot. I see no harm having naive Bigfoot hunters combing the woods. Where do they bother anyone outside this forum? At least they get outside some. So much fretting about Bigfoot only means that someone has way too much time on their hands.

You can ignore threads, so why don't you ignore bigfoot threads, and any other threads that you don't care about?

 

[Pterodactyl]

Personally, I love the bigfoot threads and they're why I joined the forum.

I find the misguided efforts of the proponents very entertaining, but also enjoy the debunkings of latest proposed evidence. Also I work in a capacity where I sometimes get asked about or (rarely) get reports of bigfoots, so actually it helps professionally to keep on top of the latest bigfoot news. And I'd much rather do that here than on a bigfoot messageboard.

 

[Resume]

Personally, I love the bigfoot threads and they're why I joined the forum.

I find the misguided efforts of the proponents very entertaining, but also enjoy the debunkings of latest proposed evidence. Also I work in a capacity where I sometimes get asked about or (rarely) get reports of bigfoots, so actually it helps professionally to keep on top of the latest bigfoot news. And I'd much rather do that here than on a bigfoot messageboard.

So you're MiB?

 

[Pterodactyl]

MiOliveDrab.