I do a lot of researching on a scientific subject before I write a blog (or book). The Internet is a great resource, however most of the material I find is pseudo science. I would guess that 90% is unreliable. So how does one find real facts or findings. Wikipedia is a great start to search for information but it seldom can be used as the final arbiter, however it is a great place to find references after each article which can point the way to more reliable data.
It is important to check the source. Well known universities are more reliable that the “Trump” kind. A doctorate behind a writer’s name can also be an indication of a more authoritative opinion, however I find that one must check if they are talking about their field of expertise. When a neuro-surgeon start taking about creationism vs evolution, his opinion is not any more credible than the average Joe. There are whole areas that get enormous publicity and are investigated many times. For example the field of Para-psychology has many “researchers”. Many claim they have obtained proof of the existence of such phenomena as telepathy, precognition, NDEs, psychokinesis, apparitional experiences and reincarnation. This kind of research is mostly conducted and funded privately. Although so far it has been unable to provide convincing evidence as judged by mainstream academics, they keep on going since it is profitable in many ways by publishing books and niche journal publications for the gullible.
Many Universities have now closed their parapsychology labs, since no conclusive evidence could be obtained after years of research, only the University of Virginia are still studying NDEs and OBEs. (these subject areas I have discussed in my book “Why You Won’t Go to Hell”) and the University of Arizona is still investigating mediums. The private Institute of Noetic Sciences is still promoting parapsychological research. The U.S. National Academic of Science reported that there is “no scientific justification from research conducted over a period of 130 years for the existence of parapsychological phenomena”.
Let me contrast two fields of research to illustrate that we can judge the difference in value between them. Evolution theory is recognized by over 90% of the scientists and therefor very reliable even if further research clarifies and refines the theory, while the majority of Academia can not find enough reliable research to verify the existence of supernatural phenomena. Which research would you prefer to rely upon when debating these areas?
It is important to check the source. Well known universities are more reliable that the “Trump” kind. A doctorate behind a writer’s name can also be an indication of a more authoritative opinion, however I find that one must check if they are talking about their field of expertise. When a neuro-surgeon start taking about creationism vs evolution, his opinion is not any more credible than the average Joe. There are whole areas that get enormous publicity and are investigated many times. For example the field of Para-psychology has many “researchers”. Many claim they have obtained proof of the existence of such phenomena as telepathy, precognition, NDEs, psychokinesis, apparitional experiences and reincarnation. This kind of research is mostly conducted and funded privately. Although so far it has been unable to provide convincing evidence as judged by mainstream academics, they keep on going since it is profitable in many ways by publishing books and niche journal publications for the gullible.
Many Universities have now closed their parapsychology labs, since no conclusive evidence could be obtained after years of research, only the University of Virginia are still studying NDEs and OBEs. (these subject areas I have discussed in my book “Why You Won’t Go to Hell”) and the University of Arizona is still investigating mediums. The private Institute of Noetic Sciences is still promoting parapsychological research. The U.S. National Academic of Science reported that there is “no scientific justification from research conducted over a period of 130 years for the existence of parapsychological phenomena”.
Let me contrast two fields of research to illustrate that we can judge the difference in value between them. Evolution theory is recognized by over 90% of the scientists and therefor very reliable even if further research clarifies and refines the theory, while the majority of Academia can not find enough reliable research to verify the existence of supernatural phenomena. Which research would you prefer to rely upon when debating these areas?
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