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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…
Tag Archives: crime
Hamas-Israel Ceasefire Ends as Gaza Schools Drop Sports for Military Training
I have been following the news regarding the ceasefire between Israel and Gaza that started in November of last year closely. The relationship between the two is incredibly tense, and the violent conflict that occurred then was thankfully over soon. The ceasefire was called, and both sides welcomed the truce, however temporary it may be. Despite the fact that Hamas actually broke the ceasefire by firing 12 rockets into Israel on Day 1 of the truce, it managed to officially hold for about half a year. The ceasefire, however, has certainly ended; and the militarization of the children of Gaza seems to be more determined than ever.
Hungary Solves Homelessness by Finding Places for All… in Jail?
The brilliant move of Hungary lawmakers to criminalize the act of being a homeless person comes as a surprise to some. But this innovative solution to such a complex problem should certainly be known to the world. After all, this effectively makes all the homeless people – and the problems that come with them – disappear. From sight, that is. In fact, from the goodness of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s heart, these people will be given a home for free… in the form of a jail cell.
Power and Rape – Part 2: How to Create a Breeding Ground for Sex Offenders
As I mentioned in Part 1, rape is tolerated in the military because the acknowledgment of rape in a unit will make that unit look bad, not to mention the military as a whole. Therefore, officials try to sweep such information under the rug. In fact, reporting rape is seen as far worse than actually committing it. Now, let’s focus more on the military culture. Not only is it a culture of rape, but also one of partying – a drinking culture. In fact, no matter where the U.S. servicemen go in the world, it seems like they bring their trouble along with them.
Posted in Japan, Legal Issues, Psychology, Science, Sex and Sexuality
Tagged America, Canada, crime, discrimination, military, rape, sex, sexual harassment
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Power and Rape – Part 1: Rape in the Military is a Career Killer… for the Victim
If you ever wanted to know just how bad “blaming the victim” can get, look no further than the U.S. military. It’s clear that blaming and shaming has gone far beyond just making someone have to live with a stigma that they completely don’t deserve – which is bad enough. Rather, the problem is a systematic denial of justice, a protection of the perpetrator, and an outright pursuit of punishing the victim. If this type of discrimination happened in the public sphere, people would be completely outraged; but what is it about this military culture that allows such behavior to go unpunished?
Posted in Culture, Legal Issues, Medicine & Health, Psychology, Science, Sex and Sexuality
Tagged America, crime, discrimination, homosexuality, military, rape, sex, sexual harassment, stigma
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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
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SATIRAN – Part 3: “Judicial Theatre,” or Judgment for the 2010 Israeli Flotilla Raid
In May 2010, the “Gaza Freedom Flotilla” was sent to give humanitarian aid and construction materials to Gaza, but they were unable to. Their Zionist oppressors (Israel) has policed the Gaza borders since Hamas has been in command in 2007. In a valiant act of defiance, the activist ships went full speed ahead, resulting in Israeli intervention that ended in the death of nine activists. ”What happened there was inhumane and intolerable,” said Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. “Nowhere on earth do humanitarian activists come under military attack.” He argued back in 2010 that the soldiers who took part in that operation should stand trial for their actions, and luckily, that trial is now underway.
Posted in Culture, Legal Issues
Tagged court of law, crime, Gaza, Iran, Israel, law, politics, Turkey
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Is Winning the Lottery Going to Change Your Life? Will it Improve It?
The two questions in the title are qualitatively different. One asks the question we all know the answer to. The other one is a bit less obvious. Everyone sees what life would be like with a huge amount of money – glamour, traveling, room service, shopping sprees, power, influence, etc. We have enough TV shows and movies to show us how great life would be like to have money. However, I don’t know of any movie or TV show that shows what the immediate post-winning life is like for people who are not used to possessing such vast wealth. It was reported a few days ago that Amanda Clayton – who I blogged about here, regarding her unwillingness to cancel food stamps even after winning – has died after overdosing on drugs. She’s just the newest member of the list of people whose lives were ruined after winning the lottery.
What Does a Week of Gun Violence Look Like in America?
The reason for carrying a gun in America is an obvious and understandable one: protection. After all, there are lots of weapon-wielding psychos out there in dark masks – just think about what happened at Aurora. This is what one Connecticut man thought yesterday when he saw someone in a black ski mask wielding a knife in his sister’s driveway (the next door over to his house). When he came to investigate, he took no chances, and made the fatal shot. The victim, Tyler Giuliano, was a fifteen year-old high school student. It was also the killer’s son. “It’s something out of a Hollywood script” said one top elected official. I disagree. It’s just an ordinary day in America.
Posted in Activism, Aggregators/lists/rankings, Culture, Featured, Legal Issues, Media, Science
Tagged America, crime, England, gun violence, guns, Lebanon
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If You Study Islam, Be Careful in the U.S.
If you’re studying Islam and you’re going to America, you had better have a squeaky clean record – and even then, you still might get questioned more than a bit aggressively. This is the story of one man who went into the field of Islamic Studies for his PhD, and went through an ordeal that for no reason ended up with him having a permanent record. He was just a regular PhD student from McGill University, and the fact that he had dual American and French citizenship didn’t seem to matter – he was suspicious. Evidently, there’s something wrong with learning more about Islam in America, even when it’s done in Canada.
Posted in Biographical, Culture, Legal Issues
Tagged America, crime, discrimination, education, Islam
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Chaos in the Middle East – Muslims Up in Arms Over Anti-Islamic Film
I stop checking the internet for just a few days and what happens? The Middle East goes absolutely insane. Well, not simply the Middle East, but believers of Islamic persuasion who are up in arms. They’re violently opposing America and all that’s associated with it. Why are they so upset? Another episode of a satirical children’s cartoon, perhaps? Actually, it appears as though what caused this was actually a video that insults the prophet Muhammed. In truth, it’s not so different from a satirical children’s cartoon.