Fryeburg Academy Physics

A few Honors classes today got a few problems like this:

Use any arithmetic operation +-x÷or () to make these numbers equal 24.

3, 5, 6, 7 (answer [6-5+7]x3=24)

This is a common game that is great for building logic skills and number sense. If you’d like to play more on your own, try this link. It’s good for your brain.

At the end of the school year, I hope you’ll have not only an understanding of physics, but also some sense of how the world works, and how the process of science works as well.  One of the most useful skills anyone can have is the ability to approach life with a critical and skeptical thought process, using logic and some good old-fashioned common sense.  I’ve already posted a link to an episode of a podcast called Skeptoid, where the author (who has no scientific credentials, by the way) does some research into a host of pop culture fads and phenomena.  As you might guess from the title, he’s a skeptic, which doesn’t mean he automatically doubts everything he sees or hears.  Instead he keeps an open mind, researches the topic, then makes a decision based on his research.  When you actually look at the facts behind things like alternative medicine, hauntings, UFO sightings, and other paranormal events, there’s not much that will hold up to serious scrutiny.

What I would like you to think about for today is the title of this post: what’s the harm?  Specifically, let’s look at Sylvia Browne, one of the most well-known psychics in the United States.  She makes predictions of the future and claims to talk with the dead; she appeared regularly on The Montel Williams Show, has appeared several times on Larry King Live, has written numerous books about spirituality, and will even do a psychic reading for you over the phone.

You can probably guess how I feel about Ms. Browne (and psychics in general), but I’m not here to tell you what I think.  I want you to make your own decision.  Here’s a link to a video of Sylvia doing her thing in front of a live audience.  This video was posted by an apparently genuine believer, and I have not watched it.  As you watch it, think about the following questions:

• What information do we need to prove her statements?
• What prior information does she need to have to make these claims?

Psychics always create a lot of controversy, and Sylvia is no exception.  There is a website called Stop Sylvia Browne that aims to do just that, and she even has a Wikipedia article just about the controversy.  Skeptics everywhere seem to hate the woman and are actively trying to discredit her claims of psychic powers.

So here is the question: what’s the harm?  What does it matter if she tells some people that their loved ones are living peacefully on the “otherside?”  Why bother trying to stop the woman if she tells people what they want to hear?  For one, because she’s making a lot of money by doing it.  Her books are always popular, and she charges quite a pretty penny for a phone consultation: $850 for a conversation that lasts 20-30 minutes.  That something near $2000 per hour.  I would bet that the people who call for advice don’t have that kind of money.  So I ask again: What’s the harm?  You decide.

Have you ever been in a discussion with someone who just doesn’t seem to respond to logic?

“There’s nothing in the water supply that causes rainbows; it’s a natural phenomenon that happens with any water and the right lighting,” you say.

“But the government is always trying to control what we think and say, so they must be behind it,” says dbootsthediva.

Notice how the response doesn’t really address the question?  This is what’s known as a non-sequitur, a response that doesn’t really have anything to do with anything at all.  This is just one type of logical fallacy, and if you do any amount of debating or intelligent discussionizing you should be familiar with these.

This link is to an episode of a podcast called “Skeptoid,” which addresses common beliefs from a skeptical point of view. This episode deals specifically with logical fallacies, non-sequiturs and the like, and is an entertaining way to spend a few minutes.  Read the transcript or listen to the episode (about 15 minutes), it’s worth your time.

Let me know what you think!

By the way a skeptic isn’t one who automatically doubts and discries everything; instead a skeptic says “Show me proof.”  If you listen to episodes regularly (you can subscribe with iTunes) it’s tempting to think that this guy doesn’t believe in anything at all, but he actually researches the topics and applies a little common sense. I can’t really find fault with what he says, even though I don’t agree with him on everything.