Monday, May 21, 2012

Don't Believe

My latest post at Mysterious Universe on why belief is the bane of Forteana.

As I note at the start of the article:

"Just a few days ago, I was chatting with a colleague in the field of Cryptozoology about what the creatures of Loch Ness, Scotland really are – presuming they do exist, of course! I found it pretty enlightening that he got quite defensive over my remark that maybe the beasts are not still-surviving plesiosaurs - as so many, including pretty much the entire Scottish tourist industry, want or hope them to be. When I suggested the possibility of giant-eels roaming the deep waters of the old loch, a distinctly frosty atmosphere developed. Why? I’ll tell you why: because I had dared to question his carefully developed and nurtured belief system."

As I point out in the MU post, there's nothing wrong with believing in something. But it's when people make the leap that belief equals evidence that they cross the line...

1 comment:

  1. Great post Nick. I think there's more chance of The Ramones inhabiting Loch Ness than a plesiosaur! I think being a Fortean is about being open minded but also having a balance of scepticism and belief. There clearly is no evidence that a dinosaur is roaming the loch, and there's no reason there should be but the worrying aspect is the fact that some people accept no other theory. The consistent reports such a sturgeon.

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