ccplumb@watnot.UUCP (Colin Plumb) (11/17/86)
I think the basic source of a lot of beliefs in "supernatural" events stems from a misapplication of Occam's razor. Given two equally valid explanations, I'll choose to believe the simpler. As a matter of fact, I'll choose simplicity over some degree of validity. This is a fairly common attitude. (An awful lot of theoretical work is done using this premise.) However, there can be disagreement on the subject of what is "simple". I find the fundamentals of physics simple. Even gauge theory and quantum mechanics is simple in a way. Others don't think so. They prefer to think in terms of human behaviour - psychic powers are "fickle", or "shy", or depend on the "attitude" or "vibrations" of witnesses. This may lead to a confusing system of beliefs, but some find a mathematical approach even more confusing. Thus, we have people passionately defending ideas they can grasp against ideas they can't. The annals of science are full of examples of this - the birth of quantum theory is one example. Still, even the opponents of quantum theory were intelligent enough to recognize the work others had done as valid. They didn't scream about organized conspiracies to keep facts covered up, as some of the more extreme psi believers have done. I have no objection to people having beliefs that are utter nonsense. If they try to tell the public about them, I can pay no attention. If they try to tell me about them, I can tell them to shut up. If they try to tell *anybody* that these beliefs have a basis in reality, and present them as fact, I get very angry - whether these beliefs are about psychic powers, creatonism, or green men from Mars building the pyramids of Giza. This sums up my objection to people posting articles about psychic powers in sci.physics. I hope future posters will be more careful about the claims they make on the subject. -Colin Plumb (ccplumb@watnot.UUCP) Zippy says: Once, there was NO fun... This was before MENU planning, FASHION statements or NAUTILUS equipment... Then, in 1985.. FUN was completely encoded in this tiny MICROCHIP.. It contain 14,768 vaguely amusing SIT-COM pilots!! We had to wait FOUR BILLION years but we finally got JERRY LEWIS, MTV and a large selection of creme-filled snack cakes! P.S. My pet irrational belief is that faster-than-light travel is somehow possible - but you won't catch me trying to prove it.