Episode 57: Ghosts and Apparitions, Part 1
In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem Newman swaps ghost stories with Greg Christensen, Ian Leung, and Mark Forkheim. Also on this episode, Gem chats with PZ Myers about religion, skepticism, and the supernatural.
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program promoting secular humanism and scientific skepticism presented by the Winnipeg Skeptics and the Humanists, Atheists & Agnostics of Manitoba.
Links: Solstice Party (22 June 2013) | Drinking Skeptically (11 June 2013) | Ghost of Carl Sagan Warns Against Dangers of Superstition | Dualism | Sleep Paralysis | Apophenia | Pareidolia | Pharyngula | PZ Myers and Steven Novella on Atheism and Skepticism (PZ, Novella, PZ, Novella) | The Happy Atheist, by PZ Myers
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I had the under the covers thing too when I was a kid. I was scared of vampires actually. People get over that particular fear but somehow still manage to believe in the supernatural. I think it has to do with confirmation from society.
Uh, why did you have that non skeptical ideologue Myers on your podcast?
Good question! Possibly because you and I don’t share the same opinion of PZ Myers, and I don’t consider him a “non skeptical ideologue”?
Here’s a question- If PZ is a skeptic, then why did he say on his blog he is no longer a part of the skeptical movement? It is kinda obvious between his behavior and his own admission. How much proof do you need?
You and this other commenter seem to be conflating PZ’s refusal to self-identify as part of the skeptic movement (which he announced after this interview was recorded, incidentally, and which struck me as little more than a fit of pique) with his being “non skeptical”.
In any event, the criticism is a non-starter, as we’re happy to have non-skeptics on the show if we believe that they have an interesting perspective to share (we’ve invited Winnipeg’s paranormal group onto the show, for example; sadly, they’ve not responded to our overtures). In this case I was eager to discuss PZ’s recent discussion with Steven Novella concerning what many view as arbitrary limitations imposed on the exercise of skepticism.
Incidentally, I’m getting fairly sick of the anti-PZ and anti-Rebecca brigade. I’ve found them both to be friendly, interesting, and gracious (despite the fact that I don’t always agree with them), which is very often more than I can say for their detractors. If you have specific comments you’d like to make about the content of the interview or the ideas discussed therein, please chime in! But if you’re looking for a place to rant about what an ideologue PZ is, kindly do it elsewhere.