43. From the desk of James Randi

2008-05-09 Alex Tsakiris

Chronicles the email exchange between Skeptiko host, Alex Tsakiris and noted Skeptic, James Randi regarding DogsThatKnow experiment.

Read the entire email exchange

Download MP3 (15:55min, 7.3MB)

42. Chris Carter, Parapsychology, Skepticism and Ideology

2008-05-01 Alex Tsakiris

Part 2 of Chris Carter, Parapsychology and the Skeptics. Examines how the Skeptical community and magazines like the Skeptical Inquirer deal with scientific evidence for psi, telepathy and ESP:

“… you have to remember, the argument isn’t really about the evidence. The argument is about [Skeptic’s] assumptions and their preconceptions. There preconceptions are that these sort of phenomena don’t make any sense and challenge their worldview… so there going to do anything they possibly can to dismiss evidence that challenges their preconceptions.”

Tsakiris: “I don’t agree with you… I think they believe they have examined the evidence and have honestly come to a different conclusion.”

Carter also traces the origins of the Skeptical community and its links to atheism and secular humanism.

 

Featured Interviews:

Chris Carter


 

 


Download MP3 (35:54min, 16.4MB)

41. Psychic Dog Video, Skeptical Bias

2008-04-15 Alex Tsakiris

Host discusses video of telepathic dog experiment recently posted on YouTube:

“if you look at how skeptics look at this stuff, there’s an almost unavoidable urge to make decisions that undermine the results. This can be unintentional. It’s just built into the worldview that these folks have, and it’s very, very difficult to overcome….”

Read the full transcript

Download MP3 (14:04min, 6.4MB)

40. Chris Carter, Parapsychology and Skeptic Bullies

2008-04-09 Alex Tsakiris

Guest: Chris Carter on the scientific argument for ESP, telepathy and other psi phenomena – and how Skeptics misjudge, misinterpret and get it wrong:

“… I think magazines like Skeptical Inquirer and originations like Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP)… the problem is they lump scientific researchers in with all the practitioners of the occult without drawing any distinction between them” .

 

Featured Interviews:

Chris Carter


 

 


Download MP3 (39:10min, 17.9MB)

39. Clive Wynne, Animal Consciousness, Making Friends With Skeptics

2008-03-26 Alex Tsakiris


Guest: Dr. Clive Wynne, on animal behavior research, our tendency to anthropomorphize animal behavior, and whether animal consciousness is an illusion:


“… to me, consciousness is inevitability linked to language. I see there are problems with that viewpoint. I see this as just a tentative intellectual resting place… therefore, since I’m convinced that no other species has language, I don’t other species can be said to be consciousness in the way we are”.


 

Featured Interviews:

Dr. Clive Wynne


 

 



Download MP3 (43:03min, 19.7MB)


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