John Michael Strubhart’s Reviews > The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe: How to Know What's Really Real in a World Increasingly Full of Fake > Status Update

Any business model that depends on an ever-expanding sales force is simply unsustainable.

I’m not saying that being a (reasonably) positive person is a bad thing. Nor am I advocating that one actively squelch a sunny disposition. But don’t expect to think good thoughts and be showered with some sort of cosmic blessing. Unfortunately, the universe doesn’t work that way.

Humans in general are great at coming up with reasons to maintain their desired beliefs in the face of contradictory data. More intelligent and educated people aren’t necessarily better at critical thinking, but they are likely to be more clever and creative in coming up with such excuses—and scientists are no exception.

It is quite possible that, because our brains evolved to give us the very useful illusion of a continuous stream of seamless consciousness, we evolved to not easily grasp our own consciousness. That would require piercing the illusion.

Deepak Chopra is the mayor of quantum woo.

Now that you know how cold readings are done, however, you are less likely to be impressed by the random hits of clever guessing. Even you, Mark.

The lesson of Clever Hans is critical to keep in mind the next time a gushing reporter or enthusiastic researcher promotes the apparently impossible. Such stories often come with the challenge to “Explain that, skeptic!” Give it time.

Clearly, whether or not someone believes what they are reporting says nothing about the accuracy of the information—just that they’re not willfully lying.

Better kill them just to be sure.

All the public hears is, “Scientists report a significant result,” but most of what gets relayed as excited scientific breakthroughs is simply crap cluttering up the scientific journals.