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Why People Believe Weird Things
Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time | Michael Shermer
6 posts | 9 read | 19 to read
Revised and Expanded Edition.In this age of supposed scientific enlightenment, many people still believe in mind reading, past-life regression theory, New Age hokum, and alien abduction. A no-holds-barred assault on popular superstitions and prejudices, with more than 80,000 copies in print, Why People Believe Weird Things debunks these nonsensical claims and explores the very human reasons people find otherworldly phenomena, conspiracy theories, and cults so appealing. In an entirely new chapter, "Why Smart People Believe in Weird Things," Michael Shermer takes on science luminaries like physicist Frank Tippler and others, who hide their spiritual beliefs behind the trappings of science.Shermer, science historian and true crusader, also reveals the more dangerous side of such illogical thinking, including Holocaust denial, the recovered-memory movement, the satanic ritual abuse scare, and other modern crazes. Why People Believe Strange Things is an eye-opening resource for the most gullible among us and those who want to protect them.
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TheBookgeekFrau
TheBookgeekFrau
Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time | Michael Shermer
post image

#NewYearNewBooks #WhyInTitle

tagged users iconEggs, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
Eggs Looks so interesting 🥰 13mo
TheBookgeekFrau @Eggs I was a whole other person when I read this back in the 20th century🤣😂 But from what I remember - it was very interesting! 13mo
41 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
readingjedi
readingjedi
Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time | Michael Shermer
post image
Mehso-so

This wasn't quite what I thought it was going to be. As interesting as it was I wanted something different from what it gave me. I wanted more 'why' from a psychological perspective. There is a section on disordered thinking & faulty reasoning/logic but it simply explained the different types rather than how these states come about. What kinds of minds believe weird things & what processes/experiences bring it about? WHY, GOSH DARN IT!! 🤣🤣🤣

Reggie There was this short story on zombies I read where zombies came about because of people‘s collective consciousness. Because we thought about them enough they appeared. In the same story they said it was the same reasoning for UFO‘s. Because they‘re always on the mind of people somewhere you have more sightings. It was interesting. This sounds interesting. (edited) 4y
vivastory It's still on my TBR, but I think the following might be more of what you are looking for. I loved his book Ghostland
[tagged book]The Unidentified: Mythical Monsters, Alien Encounters, and Our Obsession with the Unexplained
4y
69 likes2 comments
blurb
readingjedi
readingjedi
Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time | Michael Shermer
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Starting this one today. It's only been on my shelf for a mere couple of decades - what's the rush! 😅🤦🏼‍♀️😭

I believe there is a revised edition so this one might be a little out of date but still very relevant to these strange times we're living through.

Sace Just had a conversation this week about understanding people's ideas (not accepting them mind you), but I really struggle because sometimes people are coming at me with some nonsensical baloney. 4y
readingjedi @Sace I know, right?! Like the Flat Earthers. How on (the definitely spherical) earth do people come to such bizarre conclusions? What is going on in their brains?! It HAS to be a joke, right?! 4y
Sace @readingjedi and it's really freaking me out how much influence some of these ideas seem to have lately. 😳😱 4y
llcoolnate Lately or always? From bestowing your sins on a goat to kill it and be forgiven to selling indulgences for lighter post-life sentences to finding golden tablets in Missouri to riding a chariot into the sky to believing whatever is on tv stations...constant moronic behavior since inception I'm afraid. I agree flat earth seems silly. What's scary is how its minor comparitively 😬😬 4y
WorldsOkayestStepMom This sounds like something I'd find HIGHLY interesting! 4y
89 likes4 stack adds5 comments
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arlenefinnigan
arlenefinnigan
Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time | Michael Shermer
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#Superstition #OctoberXFiles @cinfhen @Robothugs

34 likes
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BookishBelle
BookishBelle
Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time | Michael Shermer
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#somethingforsept day 15: #weirdbooks This book was recommended to me as I left the religion of my youth. I chose it because it has weird in the title and it represents in a small way a weird time in my life.

MrBook I read this book! As is typical with a book of this nature, some things I agree with him on and others I don't, lol. 8y
BookishBelle I feel the same way. Of course, it has been a long time since I read it. 8y
8 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
Joshsandaker
Joshsandaker
Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time | Michael Shermer
Pickpick

Had to read this a few years back for a philosophy class and I found it a very hand guide for the anti-science, huckster era we live in. A bit snarky at times (written by the creator of Skeptic magazine so...) but very interesting and informative.

1 like1 stack add