Beyond belief skepticism, science and the paranormal
Whether ghosts, astrology or ESP, up to 80 per cent of the population believes in one or more aspects of the paranormal. Such beliefs are entertaining, and it is tempting to think of them as harmless. However, there is mounting evidence that paranormal beliefs can be dangerous - cases of children dy...
Otros Autores: | |
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Formato: | Libro electrónico |
Idioma: | Inglés |
Publicado: |
Cambridge :
Cambridge University Press
2009.
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Edición: | 1st ed |
Materias: | |
Ver en Biblioteca Universitat Ramon Llull: | https://discovery.url.edu/permalink/34CSUC_URL/1im36ta/alma991009798169906719 |
Sumario: | Whether ghosts, astrology or ESP, up to 80 per cent of the population believes in one or more aspects of the paranormal. Such beliefs are entertaining, and it is tempting to think of them as harmless. However, there is mounting evidence that paranormal beliefs can be dangerous - cases of children dying because parents rejected orthodox medicine in favour of alternative remedies, and 'psychics' who trade on the grief of the bereaved for personal profit and gain. Expenditure on the paranormal runs into billions of dollars each year. In Beyond Belief: Skepticism, Science and the Paranormal Martin Bridgstock provides an integrated understanding of what an evidence-based approach to the paranormal - a skeptical approach - involves, and why it is necessary. Bridgstock does not set out to show that all paranormal claims are necessarily false, but he does suggest that we all need the analytical ability and critical thinking skills to seek and assess the evidence for paranormal claims. |
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Notas: | Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015). |
Descripción Física: | 1 online resource (xi, 202 pages) : digital, PDF file(s) |
Bibliografía: | Includes bibliographic references (p. 186-195) and index. |
ISBN: | 9781107207707 9780511849596 9781282651388 9786612651380 9780511689574 9780511691058 9780511692178 9780511690310 9780511688829 |