Comments on: Outrageous beliefs

By: Kerr Mudgeon

Kerr Mudgeon — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 09:17:34 +0000

Mixter Says:
How about another type of statement? “The source is the bible.”
- Not specific enough. Try this:
“The source is the bible (verse/chapter) as reported by FOX News!”

By: Mixter

Mixter — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 02:24:09 +0000

How about another type of statement? “The source is the bible.”

Mixter

By: andy

andy — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 21:34:47 +0000

Any sufficiently awesome scientific discovery is indistinguishable from outrageousness.

By: earthandbeyond

earthandbeyond — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:28:36 +0000

kuhnigget, I thought the Mayans predicted this graph.

By: Gonzo

Gonzo — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 13:45:39 +0000

I want the t-shirt!

By: Tom Hill

Tom Hill — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 01:44:49 +0000

Don’t forget the chance of your spouse believing something non-outrageous you say.

By: Richard

Richard — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:31:48 +0000

I’m sure there are plenty of reasons to trust Oprah. For instance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4HQOVqyAxM

Well, maybe she can be easily, quite easily,…I mean, totally super-duper fooled. I guess she’s just another celebrity.

By: Harold

Harold — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:22:59 +0000

I believe Feynman recounted a story involving Banach-Tarski or some related theorem from his undergrad days, when some mathematics students explained to him that you could cut up an orange and reassemble it into something the size of the sun (or something like that.) He rejected the whole notion, arguing that if you are talking about cutting up real oranges with real knives, you run into constraints that don't affect mathematical constructs.

By: Harold

Harold — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:16:44 +0000

This reminds me of the X-Files paradox: the people who most embrace the “I Want To Believe / Trust No One” philosophy are most likely to accept as true any random piece of information sent to them in a multiply-forwarded e-mail, and are most likely to doubt anything they hear from an extablished and reputable source.

By: John Armstrong

John Armstrong — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 23:37:49 +0000

I agree with other commenters like llewelly. Tons of true statements are outrageous, like time-dilation, length-contraction, entanglement, the Copenhagen interpretation…

If you want some that really break your head, look at math, and not just physical science. Banach-Tarski is a great one.

By: bsander

bsander — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 23:21:29 +0000

So much win, yet so much fail..

By: llewelly

llewelly — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 22:40:20 +0000

… except to add that if it’s backed by indisputable scientific evidence, it’s not outrageous by definition.

Nonsense, Phil. Evolution is backed by overwhelming evidence, but it’s been outraging people for 150 years. Outrage is rarely the result of careful consideration of evidence.

By: kuhnigget

kuhnigget — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 22:31:57 +0000

Billy Meier predicted this graph in 1987.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 22:25:03 +0000

Ironic, considering that your friend gave this to you.

By: Steve

Steve — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 22:01:34 +0000

A friend of a friend told me this graph is inaccurate.

By: MadScientist

MadScientist — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:54:41 +0000

I forgot to ask: What % of people believe an outrageous statement when presented with a graph?

By: MadScientist

MadScientist — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:49:00 +0000

I like to tell people things that are true but which just don’t seem right. For example: the rising and setting of the sun is due to the spinning of the earth and not the motion of the sun. A more obscure one would be that everyone (at least the living) glows in the dark; it’s just that the glow is infrared so humans can’t see it but some animals (like many snakes) can sense it. Oh, one of my favorites: The Vatican Observatory is in Arizona, USA. There are a lot of jokes and puzzles based on misperceptions and biases – for example, exploting people’s bias that all physicians are male.

By: Turing Eret

Turing Eret — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:46:38 +0000

Chance of Hating a Graph Due to Font Used:

Comic Sans: 100%

By: Arik Rice

Arik Rice — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:27:48 +0000

Yeah, I’d agree with this graph.

It makes me sad that people, when told that scientists have discovered something interesting or wonderful, will suddenly announce that it must really be the exact opposite for absolutely no reason. It’s like there’s some pervasive belief out there that anything scientists say must always be abolustely wrong at all times.

By: Huron

Huron — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:13:16 +0000

I would also add: “Saw it on a youtube video”

By: QUASAR

QUASAR — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:09:17 +0000

Does that graphic only refer to religulous wingnuts?

Where’s the reasoning in this faith intoxicated world, anyway?

By: Bill

Bill — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:06:21 +0000

Larian:
On it’s way.

By: JoeSmithCA

JoeSmithCA — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:05:52 +0000

Well I believe everything I read on the internet. I’m still waiting for my winnings from the Spanish National Lottery but I know they’ll arrive soon!

By: TS

TS — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:04:53 +0000

Okay then here goes: I wrote all of The Beatles’ Songs.

By: Larian LeQuella

Larian LeQuella — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:01:13 +0000

Image blocked. Would anyone care to email it to me at jan dot lundquist AT us dot af dot mil? Pretty please?!