Daylight Atheism » Snake Oil

News Flash: Psychics Still Useless

Ebonmuse — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 17:22:01 +0000

You may have heard about this bizarre story out of Texas this week, where a self-proclaimed psychic called police with a tip that a certain home was the site of a mass grave containing dozens of dismembered bodies, including the bodies of children. A swarm of reporters, FBI agents and Texas Rangers promptly converged on the address, bringing cameras, news helicopters and cadaver-sniffing dogs.

At first they found spots of ... [visit site to read more]

Swimming in a Sea of Pseudoscience

Ebonmuse — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 10:49:14 +0000

This past weekend, I was out at brunch when I saw a rack of free magazines in the restaurant's foyer. I picked out one of them, which as it turned out was a promotional brochure and schedule for something called the New Life Expo to be held in New York City this coming weekend.

I read on, and the further into it I got, the more appalled I was. If you thought that humanity was entering a new and enlightened age, this magazine will ... [visit site to read more]

How to Think Critically XI: The Null Hypothesis

Ebonmuse — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 11:55:15 +0000

So, you may have heard that Rhonda Byrne, author of The Secret, has a new book on the same subject, called The Power. Personally, I'm bewildered. Her first book promised to tell you how to get everything you've ever wanted. What possible room could there be for a sequel?

You might also have heard of the famous athletes who are wearing visit site to read more]

Weekly Link Roundup

Ebonmuse — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 15:01:17 +0000

• It's about time! The SEC has charged a psychic with securities fraud for claiming to be able to supernaturally foretell the direction of the market.

• The staff of IslamOnline, a Cairo-based journalism website that offers a platform for liberal and reformist views, have visit site to read more]

Run Your Car on Water! (No, Not Really)

Ebonmuse — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 16:37:27 +0000

The other day, I came across a pseudoscience site so laughably ridiculous I just had to share it:

http://www.runyourcaronwater.com/

(Warning: Page has sound.)

As the URL indicates, the unknown people behind this site are selling a kit which they claim will enable you to turn your car into a "water-burning hybrid" that can use ordinary tap water as a fuel source. I'll go over the mechanics of why this is impossible in a minute, but first, ... [visit site to read more]

A Critique of the Learning Annex

Ebonmuse — Wed, 07 May 2008 13:50:20 +0000

The Learning Annex is a privately owned continuing-education school in New York. As a resident of New York City, I can testify to its success - its kiosks of free course catalogs are on nearly every street corner in Manhattan. It was ... [visit site to read more]

The Cure for Cancer! (Cure Not Included)

Ebonmuse — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 10:00:49 +0000

The other day, I received a jaw-dropping piece of spam e-mail:

The Detox Box is a remarkable device that uses frequencies to destroy toxins in the body. It's similar to how a singer can hit a note and shatter a wine glass.

According to the e-mail, this marvelous machine is based on the ideas of one Dr. Royal Rife, who lived in the 1930s and claimed to have developed the world's first "virus microscope". ... [visit site to read more]

Popular Delusions VI: Homeopathy

Ebonmuse — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 19:19:54 +0000

Before the advent of evidence-based medicine, a huge variety of quack nostrums and dubious cures flourished. Many of these have faded away with time - and in cases like radioactive water, this was almost certainly for the best. However, some superstitious treatments that predate scientific medicine are still being used today. One of the most prominent is homeopathy.

Invented by Samuel Hahnemann in the early 1800s, homeopathy ... [visit site to read more]

A Daylight Atheism Consumer Warning

Ebonmuse — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 16:06:31 +0000

Consumers, be advised! When you want to know the future or ward off bad fortune through the invocation of magical power, don't trust just any fake dime-store psychic. Be sure to choose only the best fake psychics for all your supernatural needs.

Such is the message of a bulletin issued recently by the United Kingdom's official consumer-protection agency:

The UK's Office of Fair Trading ... [visit site to read more]

The 40th Skeptics' Circle

Ebonmuse — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 01:28:19 +0000

The doors of the Observatory are closed, and an eager crowd has gathered before them, milling about anxiously to await the unveiling of the newest Skeptics' Circle. Your host, Ebonmuse, steps up to a podium beside the doors and addresses the crowd thusly:

"Step right up, folks, to the Daylight Atheism Museum of Superstition and Pseudoscience! Dare to plumb the most bizarre depths of the human imagination! Marvel at the fascinating beliefs cultures throughout history have dreamed up to ... [visit site to read more]

Popular Delusions II: Talking to the Dead

Ebonmuse — Sun, 25 Jun 2006 15:16:04 +0000

One of the most widespread delusions of our society is the belief in self-proclaimed psychic mediums who assert that they can speak to the spirits of the dead. John Edward, Sylvia Browne, James van Praagh, and Allison Dubois are some of the most popular, and command considerable fame and wealth for their alleged abilities, attracting attention such as prime-time TV shows, best-selling books, and personal consultations for which they charge visit site to read more]

An Oft-Asked Question

Ebonmuse — Fri, 24 Mar 2006 23:35:15 +0000

Turn on the TV, turn to the back pages of a newspaper, or peruse the best-seller lists, and you're almost certain to come across one of those angels in human form, the psychics. Every day they display their powers to the wonder of believers and the astonishment of skeptics, presciently predicting startling information such as, "The body will be found near water", or "I see the letter 'R' in connection with you."

Though these incredible insights revolutionize the lives of many, it is ... [visit site to read more]