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Orpheus
Skeptic Friend
92 Posts |
 Posted - 03/04/2003 : 03:05:10
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If SFN had some sort of award for the most influential skeptic of our time, who would receive it? Who would get your vote, and why?
My vote goes to Carl Sagan. He is the spokesperson for the ultimate skeptical toolbox: science. If it weren't for him (especially his TV series Cosmos) many people (including myself) would never have started questioning conventional "wisdom".
Opinions?
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Find your own damned answers! |
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Gorgo
SFN Die Hard
USA
5310 Posts |
 Posted - 03/04/2003 : 06:31:25 [Permalink]
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| Madalyn Murray O'Hair's is the subject of much criticism, but I would say that she was the most "out there" atheist and skeptic. She and James Randi and later Stephen Barrett taught me quite a bit. |
I know the rent is in arrears
The dog has not been fed in years
It's even worse than it appears
But it's alright-
Jerry Garcia
Robert Hunter
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Gorgo
SFN Die Hard
USA
5310 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2003 : 08:15:45 [Permalink]
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| I have to also say that this is an unpopular view here but Noam Chomsky is one of the most influential skeptics (and atheists) of the media and government policy. |
I know the rent is in arrears
The dog has not been fed in years
It's even worse than it appears
But it's alright-
Jerry Garcia
Robert Hunter
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2003 : 10:14:41 [Permalink]
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Carl Sagan and Randi, yes.
I'd like to add Mark Twain and Ambrose Bierce.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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Slater
SFN Regular
USA
1668 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2003 : 10:40:16 [Permalink]
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| Let's not forget all the good work Eugenie Scott is doing |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2003 : 20:20:07 [Permalink]
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| I too would have to go with Carl Sagan. He was a great popularizer of science and the writer of possibly the most important book in any skeptics library, "The Demon Haunted World." |
Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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Orpheus
Skeptic Friend
92 Posts |
Posted - 03/05/2003 : 00:56:16 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Slater
Let's not forget all the good work Eugenie Scott is doing
Not heard of him/her. Elaborate? |
Find your own damned answers! |
| Edited by - Orpheus on 03/05/2003 00:56:54 |
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NubiWan
Skeptic Friend
USA
424 Posts |
Posted - 03/09/2003 : 13:07:33 [Permalink]
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Can't ignore the excellent work of Carl Sagan, for advancing the scientific method, but *sputter* Dotor Eugnie Scott..? If he's the one am thinking of, at least he's an honest, straightforward "theif-in-the-name-of-the-lord," of some note in the Southwestern section of the US of A. If you've not heard of him, consider yourself blessed.
Would have to nomonate Galileo, still. The confrontation of blind faith and the scientic method, that centered around him, is still very much alive and thriving 'in our time...' |
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ktesibios
SFN Regular
USA
505 Posts |
Posted - 03/09/2003 : 13:44:10 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by NubiWan
Can't ignore the excellent work of Carl Sagan, for advancing the scientific method, but *sputter* Dotor Eugnie Scott..? If he's the one am thinking of, at least he's an honest, straightforward "theif-in-the-name-of-the-lord," of some note in the Southwestern section of the US of A. If you've not heard of him, consider yourself blessed.
Would have to nomonate Galileo, still. The confrontation of blind faith and the scientic method, that centered around him, is still very much alive and thriving 'in our time...'
I think it's likelier that Slater is referring to the director of the National Center for Science Education.
Here's a link to a recent article in the SF Chronicle about Dr. Scott and her efforts to keep the distinction between mytholgy and science alive in our schools:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/02/07/EB75914.DTL |
"The Republican agenda is to turn the United States into a third-world shithole." -P.Z.Myers |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
Posted - 03/09/2003 : 14:04:35 [Permalink]
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quote:
Eugnie Scott..? If he's the one am thinking of, at least he's an honest, straightforward "theif-in-the-name-of-the-lord," of some note in the Southwestern section of the US of A. If you've not heard of him, consider yourself blessed.
Indeed. But you are referring to Dr. Gene Scott. Dr. Eugenie Scott has been on the for-front of the battle to keep creationism out of science classrooms and undiluted science (without chicken shit omissions) in them... |
Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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NubiWan
Skeptic Friend
USA
424 Posts |
Posted - 03/09/2003 : 14:19:08 [Permalink]
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Thanks for the correction, Kil, that's a relief to know.  |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 03/10/2003 : 08:03:51 [Permalink]
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Let us also not forget the author of The Panda's Thumb. Few scientists have ever suffered as many attacks as Stephen J. Gould.
"A man may known better by the vituperation of his enemies, than by the praise of his friends."
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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Infamous
Skeptic Friend
85 Posts |
Posted - 03/10/2003 : 11:23:11 [Permalink]
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Carl Sagan...a good skeptic, but something's not right about a guy who says he doesn't believe in extraterrestrial visitation and then spends millions of dollars on SETI. And he did have moments of extreme gullibility. He was the ultimate popularizer of astronomy, though, rivalled only perhaps by Sir Patrick Moore.
James Randi...hahaha...all that guy's ever done is screw up public opinion beyond any hope of repair, and further increase the divide between scientists and believers in the paranormal.
I choose...the thousands of unknown skeptics who, without any publicity, are still no less the thinkers. |
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Slater
SFN Regular
USA
1668 Posts |
Posted - 03/10/2003 : 11:58:21 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Orpheus
quote:
Originally posted by Slater
Let's not forget all the good work Eugenie Scott is doing
Not heard of him/her. Elaborate?
Oh, you haven't heard of Eugenie? Then you have a real treat coming, she's brilliant. She heads The National Center for Science Education ( http://www.ncseweb.org/ ) over in Berkely. Try a web scearch and you'll find Creationists attacking her left and right. She has one of the sharpest minds (and tongues) of our time. |
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I learned something ... I learned that Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate Halloween. I guess they don't like strangers going up to their door and annoying them.
-Bruce Clark
There's No Toilet Paper...on the Road Less Traveled |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 03/10/2003 : 13:17:27 [Permalink]
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quote:
James Randi...hahaha...all that guy's ever done is screw up public opinion beyond any hope of repair, and further increase the divide between scientists and believers in the paranormal.
I am curious. How exactly has Randi "increased the divide between scientists and the believers in the paranormal?" Randi is not and has never claimed to be a scientist. He is merely a magician who debunks the claims of such charlatans as Uri Geller, et al. He is very good at what he does; indeed good enough that some unsuccessful lawsuits have been aimed his way. Bullshitting the public is big business and he's been cutting into profits.
I think he fills a valuable niche that few scientists will bother with. What geologist wants to trouble himself to challenge the dowsers, for example? It's not worth a scientist's time.
And further, what does public opinion have to do with science? The great majority of the public is scientificly illiterate, myself included (I gots no degree in anything).
Edited for the usual. Probably missed some of it. |
"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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| Edited by - filthy on 03/10/2003 13:19:30 |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
Posted - 03/10/2003 : 13:30:28 [Permalink]
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| I'm also curious about that Randi comment, and the comments about Sagan, too: Why would a disbelief that ETs have come and visited Earth imply that there ought to be a belief that searching for radio signals from ETs is a waste of money? If I'm not mistaken, Sagan was pretty darn sure that ETs exist, but that they don't show up here with anal probes. |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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