In general, I'm no fan of intellectual whack-a-mole....
What is it that separates everyday trust -- everyday leaps of faith, even -- from the kinds of ironclad beliefs that inspire jihads; crusades; leper-kissing; cathedral-building? How does one become so utterly sure of an idea that rests on so many unproven assumptions?
If Shermer is right (and he is), and that our default setting is to see patterns where they don't exist because the cost of being wrong (that there is no pattern) is usually much higher than the cost of being right (that there is a pattern) then I have some bad news for you.
Sometimes the cost of believing something is true when it is false (being a "true believer") is gravely expensive compared to the cost of a believing something false when it is true (being a skeptic).
Both research studies and clinical evidence from psychotherapy show that a strong belief or expectation about achieving a goal or overcoming a problem can have a powerful impact upon what actually happens in your life.
An overwhelming 83 percent of Americans say that God answers prayers--which raises the question, does prayer work? Is it something that we can even be...
Do you believe in God? Or do you put your faith in science? Some argue that it has to be one or the other--that either you accept scientific dogma...
Santorum and Dolan are at least right on one point. No one should be saying that religious people can't participate in the public square. The reality is, however, the public square has a cacophony of voices.
Have you ever wondered why otherwise intelligent people believe things that don't seem to be grounded in reality or reason?
Is science just a system of beliefs like any religion? ...
Client 9 is unabashedly sympathetic to Eliot Spitzer. Spitzer makes no excuses for either his overweening ambition as the left's lawman against Corporate Corruption or for his biblical-like fall from grace.
Egos clashed on ABC's Nightline when modern-day guru Deepak Chopra entered a week-long debate against arch athiest Dr. Michael Shermer. The debate was...
Consciousness, or God, also permeates creation once it appeared. We know this because we partake of consciousness, creativity, and intelligence. Where could we get those qualities if God, the source of consciousness, were gone?
The Infinite self directs the development of the finite self, and the finite self offers joy and knowledge to the Infinite self. This is the Paradox of partnership resolved. One must overcome the illusion of separation.
Upcoming Caltech Lecture Does God have a Future? A Great Debate Filmed by ABC's Nightline * Event Date: Sunday, March 14, 2010 at 2:00 pm * ...
On Friday, January 15, I received in email from Richard Dawkins explaining that his Executive Director Elizabeth Cornwell has organized a campaign to ...
Once intelligent design squeezes its way into the pages following evolution in our biology books, we might as well add astrology to our astrophysics lectures and toss some alchemy into the chemistry lab.
Dear Friends, On March 14th, Michael Shermer and I will be debating the topic, "Does the Mind Exist Apart from the Brain?" The event will take place ...
For those who aren't familiar with the term, "woo woo" is a derogatory reference to almost any form of unconventional thinking, aimed by professional skeptics.
Deepak Chopra & Jean Houston v. Michael Shermer & Sam Harris Sunday, March 14, 2:00pm, Beckman Auditorium, Caltech A Debate Filmed by ABC's Nightlin...
