Blog #3 || Flat Earth Theory

 7/28 

Surprisingly, humanity has known that the Earth is a sphere for a long time. It is a myth that medieval Europeans as a whole thought the world was flat and the earliest documents found involving the theory that the Earth is round are from 4th Century B.C. written by Plato. It is a myth that Pythagoras discovered that the world is round. Despite this, there are still debates to this day on whether or not the Earth could really be a completely different shape: totally flat. One of the earliest groups to lead with the argument that the world is actually flat was a commune run by a British author named Samuel Birley Rowbotham in the 1830’s. He wrote a novel called “Zetetic Astronomy: Earth Not a Globe” that was published in 1865. There isn’t a whole lot of information on what exactly went on in this commune, however we do know that members believed that Earth was a circular disk with the North Pole at the center. Nobody paid much attention to the group and they were considered to be harmless. 

The “Flat Earth Theory” as a more modern concept began in the 1950’s with the formation of the Flat Earth Society. The group is based in Britain and originally had less than 4,000 members. Because of the influence of the internet and social media in the early 2000’s, the organization launched to the rest of the world and held annual conferences. Researchers studying this movement believe that the main appeal of the group to people is mistrust in scientific sources, conspiracy theories, social media and the spread of misinformation, and loyalty to a community. This is still an ongoing issue. On April 8th, 2024, an eclipse occurred that spanned across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada which sparked an influx of misinformation from self-proclaimed “flat-earthers” which had to be publicly debunked.    

"Flat Earth: How did Youtube help spread a conspiracy theory?"

BlogPost # 2 The Slenderman

I enjoyed reading up on the Jersey Devil and the other supernatural beasts, I wanted to inform (and warn) you all of the one being that haunts me while walking through the woods…. The Slenderman.

The Slenderman is a very tall, thin individual observed to be between 7 to 14 feet high and is usually seen wearing a black suit with a white featureless face. Some observations have seen tentacle-like appendages emerging from his back. These are thought to help capture and manipulate his victims. Prior to camcorders and cell phones most thought the Slenderman’s MO was to capture children and young adults and impale them on trees allowing them to bleed out before removing their organs. With more documented cases it appears that nowadays he tends to target individuals who encountered him as children, often stalking them for years. He does this so subtly that the targets are often unaware of his presence for months, years, or even decades. Typically, the victim remains oblivious to his attention until it's far too late. Due to the contagious nature of Slenderman’s attacks, a victim might not even realize they are causing others to be targeted, as they themselves may be unaware they are being stalked.

Slenderman possesses a number of supernatural abilities including teleportation, the ability to shorten or lengthen his arms at will, and mind control. Additionally, when in the presence of the Slenderman, people have reported being afflicted with the “Slender sickness”. The sickness can cause nausea, paranoia, nightmares, and coughing up blood along with nosebleeds. Unfortunately, at this time there is no surefire way to get rid of the Slenderman once he picks you. It doesn’t seem as though he can be killed, nor banished. The only known way of minimizing his presence once he’s found you is to try and not let your fear overcome you. Acknowledging his presence without showing fear seems to keep him at a distance, as it feeds off of your fear and negative emotions.

In conclusion, while the Slenderman remains a terrifying figure, understanding his methods and characteristics can help us stay vigilant. Whether he is a product of our darkest fears or something more tangible, the key to surviving his presence lies in managing our fear and staying informed. Remember, knowledge and a calm mind may be our best defenses against this mysterious entity lurking in the shadows. Stay safe, stay aware, and may you never find yourself in his sights.

 

 

Blog Post #1 Medical Quackery on Amazon, Cure Yourself Fast!

After reading up on the Q-Ray ionized bracelet I went on a deep dive to try and comprehend how the product could actually achieve what it was claiming, long story short…. there is no actual data to show any efficacy other than a placebo effect. Interested in what other products I could find, I hopped on amazon and started looking. Let me tell you that there are thousands of medical miracle products available to purchase on amazon, from miracle weight loss drugs, to healing crystals, even a do it yourself acupuncture kit. How do these blatant quackery products thrive, and what role does the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) play in regulating these products?

The dietary supplement industry, which is valued at billions of dollars, is a significant player in the realm of medical trickery. Unlike pharmaceutical drugs that must go through rigorous testing and a long approval process before being allowed to market, dietary supplements have no such restrictions. If the products are “safe” and the ingredients are labeled properly, these products are not required to prove any sort of efficacy. They can simply slap a “These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.” and they are good to go.

So why do so many people purchase these products? Well, when people are looking for a quick solution, not wanting to deal with doctors’ appointments, or expensive medical prescriptions, these dietary supplements sound like a great idea. Additionally, many of these products contain thousands of positive reviews that create an illusion of legitimacy. The branding and choice of words used can trick people into buying as well. I found multiple products with the tag “physician formulated” with no mention of who actually made the product. Reading the product descriptions offers a host of benefits without stating how the pharmacodynamics of the product would work. Companies are able to take advantage of consumers due to their lack of medical literacy and are banking that customers are not going to do their due diligence in researching the product.

It is imperative that customers verify the claims offered by these dietary supplements, as taking them can in the best case my offer nothing but a placebo boost, and in the worst case may actually cause other negative health effects.

(P.s.) I’ll let you know how the self-acupuncture kit goes… couldn’t pass it up on Prime day.

Book Report - 'The Scout Mindset' by Julia Galef

Book Report

General Overview

The book ‘The Scout Mindset’ by Julia Galef is all about how people view the world and the ways in which they make sense of it. Galef distinguishes between the ‘‘scout mindset’’ and the ‘‘soldier mindset.’’ Where she explains that the soldier mindset is about defending prior convictions, arguing to triumph, and shielding one’s pride, while the scout mindset is characterized by principles such as seeking the truth, being receptive, and being truthful. In her opinion, having a scout mentality results in improved decision-making and a more accurate perception of the world. She gives tips on how to develop such a mentality, using examples from psychology, history, and personal experience. Additionally, the book also focuses on curiosity, self-awareness, and the ability to accept that one can be wrong as the major factors that can help a person to grow. 

Favorite Part

Among all the chapters of this book, I like the one where Galef describes how people should update their beliefs in the light of new data. This section was very meaningful because it is focused on one of the crucial aspects of critical thinking and humility in knowledge acquisition. The author uses a metaphor of a scout who has to redraw the map of the territory with the newly obtained information. This ties in with our class on “Pseudoscience & The Paranormal”, in which we learn about the logical fallacy of confirmation bias and the importance of critical thinking. Thus, adopting the scout mentality, we can find out how not to be deceived by extraordinary claims and pseudoscientific approaches. Moreover, the chapter is devoted to the readiness to change the decision and the ability to admit that one is not certain. 

Related

In relation to our class on ‘Pseudoscience & The Paranormal,’ the scout mentality is critical when it comes to paranormal claims. Soldier mentality is one of the things that pseudoscience thrives on, where people maintain their stance irrespective of the realities that negate them. For instance, in our lectures, we learned about how confirmation bias entails people's tendency to search for evidence that supports their paranormal beliefs while ignoring the evidence that does not support such beliefs. The scout mindset then reduces this issue by making us search for all the evidence, including the one that contradicts the assumptions, and this process can be justified on the basis of scientific skepticism, which involves the evaluation of claims in the context of evidence and reason. 

Creative

To add a creative element to this book report, a short video has been added summarizing the key points of the book and how it relates to our class on pseudoscience. The video makes use of visual aids to illustrate the differences between the scout and soldier mindsets and provide examples from our class material.

The link to the video is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3BSS1HK9pc

Extension

Expanding the concepts discussed in the book beyond the class, the principles that Galef promotes can be used in the analysis of such phenomena as fake news and political polarization. In the modern world, where fake news is spread instantly and political bubbles reiterate one's opinions, a scout mentality is crucial. If we aim at the truth and are willing to change our minds when presented with new information, we can have better discourse. It is possible that this approach will assist in the reduction of gaps and increase the rationality of the public discourse, thus making society a more tolerant one.

Blog Post 2 - Weeping Angels

Swarmed by Weeping Angels - Doctor Who

When I was younger, I used to watch a show called “Doctor Who”. The details of the plot are insignificant to this post; however, there was one episode where the characters encountered a paranormal entity known as Weeping Angels. They are monsters capable of sending victims back in time with a single touch. They are incapable of movement while in sight of a living creature. They are turned to stone when the observer’s eye is looking at them, in addition to being unable to move while being watched by another weeping angel. That means that if two of them accidentally make eye contact, they will be stuck indefinitely. The quote describing the dangers of one is described by the main character of this series, as he says “Don’t blink. Blink and you’re dead. They are fast. Faster than you can believe. Don’t turn your back. Don’t look away. And don’t blink. Good luck.” These creatures move with lightning speed when not being watched. They absorb the energy of their victims when being transported back in time. The creatures cover their faces when being turned to stone to avoid looking at another weeping angel’s eyes. This is what gives them their appearance of weeping. A quick glance of them before turning to stone depicts a horrific, monstrous figure with bared fangs and devastating claws.