Category: Skeptically Yours

Phil Plait – A Bad Astronomer

A few of you have asked where I get my information on Science and Astronomy.  I know Astronomy is a Science, I list it separately because I spend 2/3 of my reading time on Astronomy alone.  There are many great websites and blogs on the Internet.  Many of them will be linked on www.possum-holler.com still scheduled to go online soon.

One that I like in particular is Space Daily.  They send out daily e-mails on on the latest space science news, www.spacedaily.com.  Check it out.

The website and blog I’ve read the longest is Dr. Phil Plait’s, www.badastronomy.com, now a part of Discover.  I was on his e-mail list before blogs were around and read his newsletters.  DON’T be fooled by the name Bad Astronomy, he’s passionate about Science, especially Astronomy and is a well known Skeptic.  The name Bad Astronomy is a play on words.  His first book is called Bad Astronomy, where he debunks all kinds of anti-science gibberish, especially the moon landings.  It’s amazing to me that so many people believe we never went to the moon.  They are easily fooled by anti-science nonsense and Phil does an excellent job explaining why they are wrong and how we, as a nation, achieved this remarkable feat.  I strongly recommend his book to anyone.  I will occasionally steal ideas from his blog like the post showing the Science/Astrology picture on the post Anti-Science HaHa.

His second book I purchased last month, an autographed copy from The James Randi Education Foundation, www.randi.org,  – Death From The Skies.  This book details ways the world could end, from Gamma Rays to Asteroids explained in laymen terms.  I haven’t read it yet, but it has received good reviews and with his sense of humor should be excellent reading.

The reason I thought to let you all know about Phil is his latest post says he will be in Phoenix today.  No, I’ve never met him and don’t know why he’s here.  Mere mortals like me just stand in the shadows and suck out all the fascinating information from scientists.  It just keyed into my brain to let you know about him.

bob

Robert Lancaster – The Modern Braveheart

One of my greatest dislikes about people on this planet are those like Sylvia Browne.  If you’re not familiar with Sylvia Browne, look out.  She’s one of those hack psychic readers that prey on the emotions of people looking for answers to life, lost loved ones and so on.  She’s been on a.m. radio late-night and The Montel Williams T.V. show many times dispensing her prognostications to audience members and people who call in asking about job opportunities, murder victims, love, missing children, kidnap victims, etc.  She’s been wrong so many times that in skeptic circles she’s like a bad tune you can’t seem to forget.  She even hung herself live on the radio one time.  News came across that 6 of the 7 miners trapped in a coal mine were alive and she said live on the radio that she had predicted this.  Problem was that the news information was wrong and corrected about an hour later that 6 of the miners were dead with only 1 survivor.  This news correction came out while she was still on the radio.  I’ll try to find the original broadcast to link to.

 

Her claims of helping solve crimes are well documented on her website www.sylviabrowne.com, except that they are totally bogus.  Even many of the individuals and agencies that she “helped” have come forward to disavow her abilities.  She is probably one of the most criticized psychics around, yet she still makes huge sums of money.  Her appearance on the Larry King show is legendary when she not only agreed to talk with Larry, but was on with the original mythbuster himself James Randi.  Randi offered her, or any other psychic, 1 million dollars to take a test and prove their paranormal abilities.  Sylvia Browne agreed to take the test.  www.randi.org.  This was a few years ago and, hold your breath for a great shock, the prize remains unclaimed.

 

A gentleman by the name of Robert Lancaster has a website, www.stopsylvia.com.  We should all be this courageous when we see this type of reprehensible behavior.

 

The worst kind of human predator is the one that preys on the emotionally distraught, like parents of missing children.  Take some time to learn about this woman.

 

Footnote: The Montel Williams Show is going off the air.  You could feel this when the integrity level of the planet went up.  Although he has stated he personally does not believe in Sylvia Browne’s “powers”, he had her on his show because the sponsors liked the ratings.  Can you say hypocrite?

 

 

bob