Help reconstruct Japan
developed by JhackAbout Skeptikai
Skeptikai defends science and exposes pseudoscience. Living in Japan also allows for an interesting opportunity to discuss fascinating stories that go unnoticed elsewhere. Psychological phenomena and intriguing cases from around the globe are also regularly highlighted.
Should You Let Your Kid Date in Middle/High School? Science Gives a Surprising AnswerYoung love can show you things about yourself you've never known. It can bring you to…
In Japan, Strangers are More Likely than Family to Give CPR for Cardiac ArrestWhen it comes to Japanese people giving CPR to someone suffering a cardiac arrest, it…
Power and Rape – Part 2: How to Create a Breeding Ground for Sex OffendersAs I mentioned in Part 1, rape is tolerated in the military because the acknowledgment of…
Power and Rape – Part 1: Rape in the Military is a Career Killer… for the VictimIf you ever wanted to know just how bad "blaming the victim" can get, look no further than the…
Does Chewing Gum Help You Concentrate?If you want to be a rocket scientist, you might want to start chewing that stick of gum.…
Possessed by Demons, Animals, and Nonsense"Japan doesn't have that stuff. That's more of a Western thing." Just like I constantly…
SATIRAN – Part 3: “Judicial Theatre,” or Judgment for the 2010 IsraeliIn May 2010, the "Gaza Freedom Flotilla" was sent to give humanitarian aid and…
Study: Close Relationships Aren’t Necessarily BetterIt makes sense, doesn't it? The closer you are to someone, the better your relationship…
Are Religious People More Charitable, Generous, and Altruistic than Atheists?According to a Canadian study from 2008, religious people are "more helpful, honest and…
Gender, Age, Socioeconomic, and Cultural Differences in Social Networking Site UsageOnline social networks has become an interesting platform for research, and hundreds if…
Category Archives: Skepticism
Why Haven’t We Found the Missing Link in the Fossil Record? Science Answers!
War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. -George Orwell
If evolution is such an incontrovertible “theory,” then why haven’t we found the “missing link” yet? A compelling question – if not boldly ignorant. In fact, creationists ask this question all the time, falsely asserting that there is a lack of evidence to support evolution. This article is going to look at why we don’t have all the information we want on the fossil record, and what the whole question of a “missing link” really means.
Posted in Biology & Evolution, Culture, Science, Skepticism, Technology
Tagged creationism, evolution, fossils, God, religion
Leave a comment
The 2013 Pigasus Awards
Every year, the James Randi Educational Foundation gives awards to recognize the special few uncritical thinkers who do more to peddle pseudoscience and damage the public in ways that only celebrities could. Below are five “winners” of various categories whose success in nonsense have given actual science communicators like myself a greater challenge – not only to inform the general public of the way things are, but to do so while battle the faulty preconceptions caused the non-scientific thoughts and beliefs caused by such purveyors.
Posted in Aggregators/lists/rankings, Biographical, Culture, Media, Science, Skepticism, Technology
Tagged alternative medicine, cancer, conspiracy theories, pseudoscience, reiki
Leave a comment
Did Jesus ‘Want’ to be Nailed to a Cross?
I’m pretty sure the answer to the question in the title is “no,” but there are many things I don’t know about religion. For example: Why is it that some Christians celebrate Easter by eating bunny-shaped chocolates (often after an informal hunt) and painting eggs, while others celebrate it by carrying a gigantic wooden cross up to the point well they will be literally nailed to it in a fashion that was – to my knowledge – reminiscent of how Jesus was forced to a few millennia ago? And for that matter… what part of that makes it “Good Friday?”
Possessed by Demons, Animals, and Nonsense
“Japan doesn’t have that stuff. That’s more of a Western thing.” Just like I constantly have to remind Westerners how they’re horribly wrong about the bizarre and ridiculous stereotypes of Japan, I had to show my Japanese friend that she was totally wrong in her idea about “us” and “them.” The notion that only Westerners believe in exorcisms and demonic possessions is simply wrong. In addition to the many stories I mentioned in an earlier post about exorcisms in Japan, yet another case occurred recently in Japan where the belief in possessions reared its ugly head.
Posted in Abnormal & Clinical Psych, Culture, Japan, Psychology, Science, Skepticism
Tagged America, animals, brain, brainscan, China, crime, exorcisms, spirit possession
Leave a comment
The Brain is Not Simply Split into Two Totally Separate Halves, and Other Lessons on Skepticism
One year ago, I wrote an article that skewered the infographic that one website had been sending to the public. I showed the evidence that contradicted what was claimed, and I ended up busting two persistent myths in that article. The first myth was that the two hemispheres of the brain (right and left) were radically different sections of the brain; the second myth was that people have distinct learning styles, which make some people “visual learners,” while others are “audial learners,” etc. I don’t mind explaining this stuff to laypeople, but there’s something unnerving about the email I got from one of the creators of the infographic.
Posted in Blogging, Media, Neuroscience, Psychology, Science, Skepticism
Tagged brain, movies
Leave a comment
Skeptikai’s 2012 Year-End Review (July – December)
The year has come to an end, and it’s time to look back at some of my favourite pieces from 2012. The latter half of the year has been full of fear, stupidity, and hysteria; but even when it seems that times are the most bleak, it’s best to stay optimistic about our current situation and about the future. So the following articles are my favorites for each month. Click the picture if you want to see the article.
Posted in Aggregators/lists/rankings, Blogging, Culture, Japan, Psychology, Science, Skepticism
Leave a comment
Skeptikai’s 2012 Year-End Review (January – June)
The year has come to an end, and it’s time to look back at some of my favourite pieces from 2012. The first half of 2012 saw lots of misconceptions. For example, hypnosis, neuroscience, intelligence, etc. These are some of the things people constantly misunderstand because of the way they are being reported in the media by people who likewise have only a rudimentary understanding of it.
Should Parents Tell Their Kids “The Truth” About Santa?
Spoiler Alert! Santa is a dangerous alcoholic, suffering from obesity, and doesn’t exist.
Actually only one of those is true. Well, maybe two… but if you pass the age-test, then you know exactly what I’m talking about.
Posted in Biographical, Culture, Japan, Skepticism
7 Comments
The Apocalypse 2012 is Real (…but not at all what you think)
If a credible source told you the precise day you were going to die, it would presumably cause a great deal of anxiety. So maybe you decide to take actions to minimize the chance of this happening. You watch what you eat more carefully, you exercise intensively to stay fit – just in case you need to act swiftly – and you otherwise change your daily routine to stay prepared for any possible difficulties that might befall you on your predicted date of death. This existential preoccupation may alone be the difference between life and death. For example, maybe you were mentally distracted while crossing a street and got hit by a car, or you worked out so much to keep fit that your heart failed because it didn’t have enough time to rest. Or perhaps you couldn’t take the suspense and decide to end your own life. Regardless of the details, it’s this type of anxiety that makes doomsday prophecies come true for individuals.
Posted in Activism, Astronomy & Cosmos, Science, Skepticism
Tagged hoax, self-fulfilling prophecy
2 Comments
Say “Tata” to Unwanted Wrinkles and Slap the Years Right Off Your Face!
Are you willing to pay $350 in the name of beauty? Do you have no sense of scientific literacy and want to get a quick fix? Do believe that anything coming from the “mythical land of the East” is magical? Then welcome to Tata Massage, where trained specialists are waiting to literally slap the wrinkles away! These Thai specialists are waiting to smack some sense into you, and some wrinkles out of you. So come on down to the new store in San Francisco, California, where Tata Massage celebrated their grand opening on October 23rd! Or, you know… don’t.
Posted in Biographical, Culture, Medicine & Health, Psychology, Science, Skepticism
Tagged alternative medicine, America, comedy, prostitution, satire, violence
Leave a comment