Would anyone else agree...

[billydkid]

Would most of you agree that there is a difference in kind between claims of the paranormal and claims about such things a Nessie or Bigfoot or visitors from other planets? Now, I don't believe in any of these things, but don't you agree that they are not part and parcel of the same thing and shouldn't necessarily be lumped in together under a single banner?

[Nyarlathotep]

Originally posted by billydkid
Would most of you agree that there is a difference in kind between claims of the paranormal and claims about such things a Nessie or Bigfoot or visitors from other planets? Now, I don't believe in any of these things, but don't you agree that they are not part and parcel of the same thing and shouldn't necessarily be lumped in together under a single banner?

I'll agree. I find things like Nessie and Bigfoot to be marginally more beleivable than alien vistors and WAY more beleivable than ESP, magic etc.

However this doesn't mean that they get held to alesser burden of proof. Unles someone comes up with a bigfoot corpse or some other bit of evidence for thier existance, I still wouldn't say hat they do exist.

[Nyarlathotep]

By the way, in practical terms, all the differnce means to me is that I would be a lot less surprised to find out that those things are real. I would be stunned if scientests found definative proof of ESP wheras if they popped up with a live or dead Bigfoot, it wouldn't elicit a response beyond "WOW! that's cool!"

[Yahweh]

Bigfoot isnt exactly "paranormal", then again neither are the claims of urban legends.

While they shouldnt be lumped under the banner of "Paranormal phenomena", they can be considered placed under a more general branch such as "Not real" (from "Not Real", you can divide it into more specific subsections, a lot like the system of Kingdom > Phylum > Class > Order > Family > Genus > Species).

[geni]

Originally posted by Yahweh
Bigfoot isnt exactly "paranormal", then again neither are the claims of urban legends.

While they shouldnt be lumped under the banner of "Paranormal phenomena", they can be considered placed under a more general branch such as "Not real" (from "Not Real", you can divide it into more specific subsections, a lot like the system of Kingdom > Phylum > Class > Order > Family > Genus > Species).
kingdom:almost certinaly not real
Phylum:earth based
class:non human
order:unknow animal
Family:land based
Genus:Ape like
Species: bigus footus

[Ratman_tf]

I think the theme that gets them all lumped into the same category is the lack of critical thinking on the part of the believers. The rationalizations that come into play when their pet belief is scrutinized.
IMHO, and whatnot.

[BTox]

Originally posted by Nyarlathotep


I'll agree. I find things like Nessie and Bigfoot to be marginally more beleivable than alien vistors and WAY more beleivable than ESP, magic etc.



I would say the opposite. It's impossible for dinosaurs to be living in Loch Ness. And extremely unlikely that a large, unknown species of homonids exists anywhere on this planet. However, it is very likely that alien life exists on other planets. Whether they have visited our planet is another matter, but at least possible.

[Blondin]

I think there are sort of 3 categories:
- paranormal: mediumship, telepathy, telekinesis, etc
- pseudoscience: free energy machines, e-meters, etc
- creatures: sasquatch, yeti, bunyips, nessie, aliens, etc

Maybe creatures is really 2 subcategories:
- terrestrial
- extraterrestrial

Oh, and then there's those time-travelling ghosts of alien lizard men with frickin' particle beam weapons attached to their heads, but the only evidence we have of them so far is some droppings.

[billydkid]

Originally posted by Yahweh
Bigfoot isnt exactly "paranormal", then again neither are the claims of urban legends.

While they shouldnt be lumped under the banner of "Paranormal phenomena", they can be considered placed under a more general branch such as "Not real" (from "Not Real", you can divide it into more specific subsections, a lot like the system of Kingdom > Phylum > Class > Order > Family > Genus > Species).

Wow, Yahweh, gorgeous avatar. I think I am in love.

[Abdul Alhazred]

Originally posted by billydkid
Would most of you agree that there is a difference in kind between claims of the paranormal and claims about such things a Nessie or Bigfoot or visitors from other planets? Now, I don't believe in any of these things, but don't you agree that they are not part and parcel of the same thing and shouldn't necessarily be lumped in together under a single banner?

I 100% agree. Folks claiming to have conversations with the dead, that our lives are ordered by the stars, or that a gaseous vertibrate is regulating our morals, is materially different from the claim that there is an anthropoid ape native to Oregon (other than Homo Sapiens).

I could admit to being wrong about the latter, without changing my philosophy. Not so, the others.

[Chaos]

Originally posted by geni
kingdom:almost certinaly not real
Phylum:earth based
class:non human
order:unknow animal
Family:land based
Genus:Ape like
Species: bigus footus

(bold face mine)


The correct Latin term is "pes vastus", big foot. I´d add an "occultus" (mysterious) to it for PR reasons.

So the term is:

Species: Pes vastus occultus

[DangerousBeliefs]

With all such skeptical concepts, there are varying degrees of disbelief and their affect on society.

For instance, let's say Bigfoot really does exist. Ok, so new species are found all the time... no big whoop. I'll go so far as to say evidence suggests further investigation.

The same can't be said for say telepathy. This would have far-reaching impact on science and the world around us. But I'll only go so far as to say it makes for great science fiction.

[Nyarlathotep]

Originally posted by BTox


I would say the opposite. It's impossible for dinosaurs to be living in Loch Ness. And extremely unlikely that a large, unknown species of homonids exists anywhere on this planet. However, it is very likely that alien life exists on other planets. Whether they have visited our planet is another matter, but at least possible.

Which is why I specifically chose the words alien visitors

As Douglas Adams said, space is big. Life existing on some other planet somewhere in the vast universe seems extremely likely, whether that life is coming here is another matter altogether.