The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe: How to Know What's Really Real in a World Increasingly Full of Fake in Science and Inquiry

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The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe: How to Know What's Really Real in a World Increasingly Full ...

Steven Novella

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Jan 07, 2019 Suzanne rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-reading-challenge, philosophy, science

This should be required reading for everyone--not just the choir of scientific skeptics.

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Dec 26, 2018 Rusty rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: prose, non-fiction, science

I was having lunch with a very dear friend of mine last summer and, as is often the case, our conversation turned towards religion, the supernatural, aliens, conspiracies and all sorts of fun topics like that. At one point in our conversation I was picking up on a theme in all of these topics, he believes in them all.

Alien ghosts conspiring with devil worshiping billionaires to put aborted fetuses into school lunches? Yeah, sounds legit.

And, to be clear, this guy is no dummy. I generally consi I was having lunch with a very dear friend of mine last summer and, as is often the case, our conversation turned towards religion, the supernatural, aliens, conspiracies and all sorts of fun topics like that. At one point in our conversation I was picking up on a theme in all of these topics, he believes in them all.

Alien ghosts conspiring with devil worshiping billionaires to put aborted fetuses into school lunches? Yeah, sounds legit.

And, to be clear, this guy is no dummy. I generally consider him one of my smartest friends. But at the same time I don鈥檛 think he understands standards of evidence, or burden of proof, or even something like Occam鈥檚 razor 鈥� or, to be honest, why methodological materialism is a necessity when trying to explore the world around us.

And as a friend, he鈥檚 not interested in my PowerPoint presentations on those topics. We鈥檙e having a conversation. But during this real conversation we were having, I did bring up all those things, and he disagreed with me that they are important in uncovering the truth about a claim.

I told him something very close to this: 鈥淚f what you are saying to me is how you really behave when confronted with a claim from someone, then you are at risk of being bamboozled by virtually every huckster that crosses your path.鈥�

He shrugged at that. I hope it was because he was profoundly struck by what I said and needed a moment to reflect on his life, but I suspect it was because he was briefly taken aback by how directly I confronted him on the issue (in person, I鈥檓 usually much more placating than I was in that moment).

But as time goes on, I get increasingly frustrated (and therefore, less patient) at how more and more often, people thrust nonsense in my face and are offended that I don鈥檛 accept it as literal truth. I鈥檓 not personally insulting you if I don鈥檛 think crop circles are actually attempts at alien communication with the citizens of earth 鈥� but when you have people confessing to creating them, then demonstrating how they create them, and doing so in exhaustive detail - why would you think them liars? Especially when there is no evidence to support aliens from space. I mean, there is a whole host of problems that come up when you start seriously looking into the possibility of alien activity. Not the least of which is: why?

Whatever, my point is, if I have one, that this book is much needed. It鈥檚 a pretty good list of all the ways our intuition leads us the wrong way. It鈥檚 about how easily tricked we are, and provides example after example of the myriad of ways our thinking is just flat-out wrong.

I recommend this book. Unfortunately, the people I think need it most are the ones least likely to read it. Too bad.

Also, I鈥檇 point out that the author(s) runs a podcast dedicated to critical thinking. I鈥檝e been listening almost since I first discovered podcasts, somewhere along the lines of 2007 or early 2008. Wow. Time flies. Regardless, I鈥檓 a fan of the show. It may color how I rated the book. I dunno. Just providing full disclosure here. ...more

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Mar 23, 2020 Silvio rated it it was amazing

For a great reading and as a great reference

Refreshing reading particular during these times of quarantine and lot of news and rumors on the virus. Good to put in check any information. I loved also the tone, more if you are a fan of their podcast. As a practical guide to understand your own limitations, how to review any opinion you have and a list of dangerous pseudoscience beliefs. You can read in one go, and also as a reference of logical fallacies and more.

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