Comments on: Change a life

By: Planetologist

Planetologist — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 19:09:50 +0000

I’ve been a skeptic since I was a kid, but I never thought to get involved in the skeptical movement until I started listening to podcasts. SGU, Skepticality, Atheist Experience… which led me to Bad Astronomy. Then I was hooked. As I said on my blog, I thought for a long time about starting somehow in the skeptic/science internet media, but I didn’t know how. And besides, who the hell am I to think I could just waltz in and start posting?

But after listening to podcasts and reading blogs for a couple of years, and then this summer going to TAM, I realized that it was important for me to try. Only time will tell if my efforts totally suck.

Phil, thanks very much for coming to take a look. Next TAM, I’m buying you a white russian or three.

By: Hrd2Imagin

Hrd2Imagin — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 14:49:07 +0000

A little over a year ago, at a time where I was beginning to question my Catholicism, I discovered Podcasts. As a fan of Penn & Teller, I stumbled upon “Penn Radio” and heard you debating Joe Rogan on the moon hoax, which led me to Bad Astronomy.

About the same time I also discovered Astronomy Cast, The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe, PZ, Skepchick, and a host of other science podcasts and blogs. Every so often on your blog or in a podcast, someone would belittle religion and at first it was like a real sour spot in an otherwise tasty apple. Then I started to investigate why all of you smart and talented people thought so little of religion. Within about 6 weeks, I was an atheist. Turns out, I’ve always been a rationalist, just never knew the tools of skeptical thought.

My life has changed dramatically in the past year or so thanks to you and everyone else on the Skeptical websphere.

Be sound.

By: Godless Geek

Godless Geek — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 19:27:01 +0000

I was at the Sketpicism 101 panel on Friday and it was great seeing all of you guys up there. I didn’t make it to any other panels, I had my hands full throwing parties the whole weekend, but I was really glad to see the great turnout to the track. It makes me happy that we have a direct answer to the X Track now

By: The Perky Skeptic

The Perky Skeptic — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:13:30 +0000

Hi Phil! I, too, was one of the teeming DragonCon skeptics who gathered excitedly to see you and James Randi and the other AMAZING skeptics assembled in Derek’s awesome Skeptic Track! (I was the long-haired extremely-excited-to-be-there woman who kept eating Richard’s musk sticks–godawful, yet strangely addictive!)

Well, DragonCon inspired me to take up blogging, too! So now I am (perhaps none-too-shockingly) The Perky Skeptic, where I can use lots of caps and exclamation marks to exude my enthusiasm for critical thinking onto the blogosphere WILLY-NILLY!!! Thanks SO much for being such an inspirational figure in the skeptical community, and for being such a clear explainer of astronomy! You’re a joy to read and to listen to!

By: Troy

Troy — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 22:50:34 +0000

As the saying goes, the pen is mightier than the sword. Education is an effective tool to remove the blinders of pseudoscience that is so prevelant in our society. I think the first mandate of a journalist is skepticism, unfortunately pseudoscience is what we usually get. I regard Sagan and Randi as my heroes. I’ve never met them, and likely won’t but that is the foundation of my outlook on things. I wish I was a better propogator of skepticism, I don’t think I’ve changed many minds myself.

By: SLC

SLC — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 21:49:40 +0000

Re Radwaste

As I understand the story about Governor Palin relative to the alleged book banning incident, she approached the individual who headed the library board for the town library and inquired as to the procedures for banning books. When that individual essentially told her to get lost, Mayor Palin fired her. Pressure from the community subsequently forced the mayor to rescind the firing. It is apparently true that the mayor didn’t specifically state what books she wanted to ban.

By: TravisM

TravisM — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 21:20:40 +0000

I’m glad to have shook your hand at the even at the Cincinatii Observatory today! You helped me gain a grasp on reality and I thank you for it, again.

Keep up the good work Phil!

By: DCB

DCB — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 18:33:05 +0000

Not all skeptics are the ages of most of the readers and writers of this blog. I am almost 75 and made the trip from what you call “woo woo land” to reality on my own over many many years of feeling that somehow I didn’t really belong where I found myself. When I found this blog about 2+ years ago it was absolutely thrilling to find mostly like minded people. I’m not quite young enough to enjoy the “in your face” type of dialogue I still find it a breath of fresh air knowing there are many questioning folks. I don’t know how old Randi is but he feels like a friend to me. I now know there are many skeptics my age and even if I don’t know anything about Dr. Who (actually I seldom watch TV) and I don’t catch all the jokes, I read this blog religiously (oh dear, bad pun) and hope you continue to teach reality to everyone.

By: Rick Grimes

Rick Grimes — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 17:26:06 +0000

Yes,The Great Randi is directly responsible for changing my life. About 10 years ago when I heard him say he wanted to be sure he was experiencing everything to it’s fullest reality is when the switch flipped in my head. I feel I owe him a great deal and I would love to be at the next TAM to thank him personally. If you’re reading Randi, THANK YOU!!!!

By: Beelzebud

Beelzebud — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 16:36:27 +0000

Demon Haunted World by Carl Sagan is what I credit for making take a serious look at some of the woo-woo ideas I once held.

If only the man were still alive so I could thank him personally.

By: madge

madge — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 16:34:47 +0000

I wholeheartedly agree. Doubt and question everything! That is the way we learn. Onwards and upwards.

By: JennyW

JennyW — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 15:44:11 +0000

You’re doing great things with this blog. I just wish I’d known about you when we still lived in Boulder! We’ll just have to time a visit with one of your talks, I guess. =)

By: Radwaste

Radwaste — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 15:41:10 +0000

Guys, try to remember this: don’t stop thinking when you see something that agrees with you on the surface. You’re still subject to something called “confirmation bias”: the tendency to rate ideas higher when they agree with you.

Above, there was a mention of Sarah Palin and banning books. Superficially, you may want to believe that she would do that because she has professed to be a Christian. However, the list going around includes books that weren’t out yet when she was supposed to be pushing to ban them. It was a hoax, which many people will believe in its entirety. It is still possible that banning books is a wish of Sarah’s, and you should be alert for that even though the office of VP will prohibit her from expressing that wish, but you really need to think about the people who would promote the hoax. Are those liars better people?

The whole point of being an habitual thinker is to keep thinking. Some of the ideas you have right now are probably wacko. You have to have the integrity to admit that when you find it out.
In short, question everything.

By: mike koz68

mike koz68 — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 15:30:43 +0000

You certainly have some big shoes to fill. James Randi was the last piece of a confusing puzzle for me- how could so many older, wiser adults be so wrong and I was right? Randi investigated all these claims for years and found no validity, that was good enough for me and he offered the million dollar challenge, which should have more of a presence. I wish this challenge was more well known in the non-skeptical population as I think it would convince a lot of fence-sitters.

By: RL

RL — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 13:03:08 +0000

No and yes.

By: Thomas Miller

Thomas Miller — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 11:17:43 +0000

Dr. Plait, I can honestly say that upon discovering your first book and your blog after, you have changed my life for the better.

By: sandswipe

sandswipe — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 04:39:41 +0000

Keep up the good work, Phil. You’re really changing lives.

Just don’t forget to balance out these articles with more like your two-part series on why there are no green stars. There’s no better advertisement for science then nature itself.

By: TheBlackCat

TheBlackCat — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 04:10:28 +0000

Phil is also single-handedly responsible for turning me from a dedicated woo to a skeptic. I was reading about the moon hoax and that led me, by sheer luck, to notice his book sitting on the shelf at my university book store. I bought it, and was told that it was good I did because that was the only copy and they were sending it back to their distributor after the store closed that day. That book, and the suggested reading list at the end, quickly turned me into a skeptic. If I had gone to the bookstore a day later who know how long it would have been before I learned about skepticism. Months, years even.

By: LTUAE42

LTUAE42 — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 03:58:15 +0000

I’m putting up my own skeptic blog at http://stoopidreality.blogspot.com. Not likely that I’ll change the world, but I still want to do my part. Wish me luck.

By: Bart

Bart — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 03:11:33 +0000

I’m skeptical of Haas’ assertion that it’s Adam Savage’s quest to build a replica of the *Maltese* Falcon.

By: The Chemist

The Chemist — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 02:21:14 +0000

I’ve never changed anyone’s life. I don’t think so anyway. I’m still young though, I might have to get working on that.

By: Meandering

Meandering — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 01:14:39 +0000

Well, Phil, I was one of those people who came up to you at Dragon*Con. I’m back in school (as a 32-year old!) to get a degree in Astronomy and hopefully a Ph.D. My goal is to do public outreach and education. I never would have come to this path had I not run across you on the internet years ago.

Thanks again.

By: GumbyTheCat

GumbyTheCat — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 01:06:05 +0000

Jewel, the main impetus for change came from within the ex-creationist herself. I just happened to be talking to someone who was secretly filled with doubts about “creation science”, and since she discoursed in a civil and non-combative manner I saw I was dealing with someone who was actually willing to listen and learn something. That free exchange of ideas does not often happen with fundamentalists. Just be aware that your mom is no better or worse a person for her beliefs. I personally don’t care if someone is a creationist as long as they don’t try to make it a political or educational agenda. Too bad so many do.

By: Michael L

Michael L — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 00:13:38 +0000

Phil, this is OT, but check out this story… hackers have hacked into the LHC already:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/09/12/scicern212.xml

By: Geoff

Geoff — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 00:10:39 +0000

I said it in an email once, but will repeat it here: I discovered skepticism and re-discovered my love of science because of you.

Thank you.