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Why people believe weird things | Michael Shermer
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Why people believe weird things | Michael Shermer

Introduction

In this section, Michael Shermer introduces himself as the director of the Skeptics Society and talks about their work in investigating claims of the paranormal, pseudo-science, and other forms of non-science.

Michael Shermer's Role and Purpose

  • Michael Shermer is the director of the Skeptics Society and publisher of "Skeptic" magazine.
  • The Skeptics Society investigates claims of the paranormal, pseudo-science, fringe groups, cults, and various forms of non-science.
  • Their focus is on distinguishing between science and pseudo-science, as well as identifying bad science and non-sense.

Debunking Bad Ideas

In this section, Michael Shermer discusses how skeptics are often referred to as debunkers due to their role in challenging false or unsupported claims. He also compares their work to that of Ralph Nader in exposing bad ideas.

Challenging False Claims

  • Some people refer to skeptics as debunkers because they challenge false or unsupported claims.
  • The skeptics' role is similar to that of Ralph Nader in exposing bad ideas and replacing them with good ones.

Example of a Bad Idea

In this section, Michael Shermer presents an example of a bad idea - the Quadro 2000 Dowser Rod. He explains how it was being sold to high-school administrators for detecting marijuana in students' lockers.

The Quadro 2000 Dowser Rod

  • The Quadro 2000 Dowser Rod is a plastic device with a Radio Shack antenna attached to it.
  • It was marketed for detecting marijuana in students' lockers by tilting towards specific lockers.
  • The device was tested and found to be ineffective in accurately detecting marijuana.

Testing the Dowser Rod

In this section, Michael Shermer demonstrates how the Quadro 2000 Dowser Rod works and humorously tests it for detecting marijuana in students' lockers.

Testing the Dowser Rod

  • Michael Shermer demonstrates how the Dowser Rod tilts towards a particular direction when used.
  • He humorously asks a volunteer to empty his pockets as part of the demonstration.
  • The Dowser Rod's ability to detect marijuana in students' lockers is shown to be unreliable through testing.

Remembering Hits and Misses

In this section, Michael Shermer discusses how people tend to remember successful predictions or hits while ignoring failures or misses. He emphasizes the importance of considering both hits and misses in scientific analysis.

Hits and Misses in Science

  • People often remember successful predictions or hits made by psychics, astrologers, etc., but forget about their failures or misses.
  • In science, it is crucial to consider both hits and misses when evaluating claims.
  • Keeping track of both hits and misses helps determine if there is any statistical significance beyond chance.

Testing the Dowser Rod (Continued)

In this section, Michael Shermer explains how they conducted a controlled experiment with two opaque boxes containing marijuana and nothing. The results showed that the Dowser Rod performed at chance levels, similar to flipping a coin.

Controlled Experiment with Marijuana Boxes

  • Two opaque boxes were used for testing - one containing government-approved THC marijuana and another with nothing.
  • The Dowser Rod correctly identified the box with marijuana 50% of the time, which is what would be expected by chance.
  • This demonstrates that the Dowser Rod's performance is no better than random guessing.

The Future of Intelligence

In this section, Michael Shermer discusses the theme of the current issue of "Skeptic" magazine, which focuses on the future of intelligence. He mentions that contrary to popular belief, people are actually getting smarter over time.

The Future of Intelligence

  • The current issue of "Skeptic" magazine explores the topic of whether people are getting smarter or dumber.
  • Contrary to common assumptions, studies show that intelligence has been increasing by three IQ points per decade.

Science and Religion Compatibility

In this section, Michael Shermer addresses the compatibility between science and religion. He compares it to the compatibility between science and plumbing, emphasizing that they are different domains.

Science and Religion Compatibility

  • Science and religion should not be seen as incompatible but rather as separate domains.
  • Comparing science and religion compatibility is similar to comparing science and plumbing compatibility - they serve different purposes.
  • Science is a way of thinking about things and seeking natural explanations for phenomena.

Extraterrestrial Intelligences or Photoshop?

In this section, Michael Shermer presents a humorous example involving crop circles to illustrate how skeptics approach extraordinary claims. He emphasizes the importance of considering more likely explanations before assuming something is out-of-this-world.

Crop Circles Example

  • Michael Shermer presents a hypothetical scenario where extraterrestrial intelligences create a crop circle to promote skeptic.com.
  • However, he suggests that it is more likely that someone using Photoshop created it rather than extraterrestrial beings traveling vast distances.
  • Skeptics prioritize considering more plausible explanations before assuming something is supernatural or extraordinary.

Dismantling Intelligent Design Arguments

In this section, Michael Shermer discusses how a single slide can dismantle intelligent design arguments. He emphasizes that intelligent design lacks explanatory power and does not offer anything testable.

Intelligent Design Arguments

  • A single slide can effectively dismantle intelligent design arguments.
  • Intelligent design lacks explanatory power and does not provide anything testable.
  • Scientists use terms like "dark energy" or "dark matter" as placeholders until further understanding, while intelligent design creationists consider it the end of the causal chain.

UFOs: Alien Spaceships or Illusions?

In this section, Michael Shermer addresses the question of whether UFOs are alien spaceships or simply perceptual cognitive mistakes or fakes. He presents an example of a photograph that turned out to be a hubcap, demonstrating how easily such sightings can be explained.

UFO Sightings

  • Skeptics question whether UFO sightings are evidence of alien spaceships or simply perceptual cognitive mistakes or fakes.
  • Michael Shermer shares an example where a photograph of a supposed UFO turned out to be a hubcap captured with a basic camera.
  • This demonstrates that many UFO sightings can be easily explained without resorting to extraterrestrial explanations.

New Section

This section discusses the challenges of understanding Saturn without a good theory and clear data.

Understanding Saturn without a Theory and Data

  • Without a theory of planetary rings and only grainy data, it is difficult to have a good understanding of Saturn.
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  • Christiaan Huygens had a breakthrough when he developed a good theory of planetary rings and obtained better telescopic data.
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  • The angles at which we observe the rings change as Earth catches up with Saturn due to their relative speeds, confirming Huygens' theory.
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New Section

This section explores cognitive biases and our tendency to see patterns where none exist.

Cognitive Biases and Pattern Recognition

  • People have a tendency to see faces even in random patterns, such as the famous "face on Mars" phenomenon.
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  • Our evolutionary programming makes us highly attuned to recognizing faces, leading us to perceive them even in unrelated objects or images.
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  • Examples include seeing Kermit the Frog in astronomical images or religious iconography in everyday objects like tree bark or cheese sandwiches.
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New Section

This section continues exploring examples of pattern recognition, including religious iconography sightings.

Religious Iconography Sightings

  • Humans are pattern-seeking animals, leading us to perceive religious iconography in various forms, such as tree bark or glass windows.
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  • Examples include sightings of the Virgin Mary on a cheese sandwich and the appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
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  • These sightings often attract large crowds and generate fervent beliefs, but they can often be explained by our innate pattern recognition abilities.
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New Section

This section discusses auditory illusions and the phenomenon of hearing hidden messages in reversed audio.

Auditory Illusions and Hidden Messages

  • The film "White Noise" explores the concept of hearing messages from the dead hidden in electronic phenomena.
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  • There are claims that reversed audio contains hidden messages, such as the famous example from a popular song.
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  • However, these supposed hidden messages are often subjective interpretations influenced by priming and cognitive biases.
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New Section

This section concludes with a positive story about an organization promoting skepticism.

Promoting Skepticism

  • The Skeptics is a nonprofit educational organization that highlights critical thinking and skepticism.
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  • They focus on sharing stories of people doing good things while maintaining a skeptical mindset.
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New Section The Distance from the Edge of the Universe

In this section, Michael Shermer discusses a song by Katie Melua that mentions being a certain distance from the edge of the universe. He also mentions a physicist, Simon Singh, who corrects the distance mentioned in the song.

Katie Melua's Song and Simon Singh's Response

  • Katie Melua's song includes lyrics about being 12 billion light-years from the edge of the universe.
  • Michael Shermer comments humorously on how in America it would be said as "6,000 light years from the edge."
  • Physicist Simon Singh wrote an op-ed piece correcting Katie's song, stating that we know within precise error bars that we are actually 13.7 billion light-years from the edge.
  • After reading Simon Singh's response, Katie called him up and expressed embarrassment for not knowing better. She re-cut her song to reflect the corrected distance.

Updated Version of Katie Melua's Song

  • The new version of Katie Melua's song states that we are 13.7 billion light-years from the edge of the observable universe.

Timestamps have been associated with relevant bullet points to help navigate through the transcript.

Channel: TED
Video description

http://www.ted.com Why do people see the Virgin Mary on cheese sandwiches or hear demonic lyrics in "Stairway to Heaven"? Using video, images and music, professional skeptic Michael Shermer explores these and other phenomena, including UFOs and alien sightings. He offers cognitive context: In the absence of sound science, incomplete information can combine with the power of suggestion (helping us hear those Satanic lyrics in Led Zeppelin). In fact, he says, humans tend to convince ourselves to believe: We overvalue the "hits" that support our beliefs, and discount the more numerous "misses."