Is anyone aware of science organizations that research what many here consider "supernatural or woo" events?
I recently read about the Noetic Science Institute and have no idea if they do scientific research. Using the scientific method.
I suspect much of the phenomena that's unknown will one day be categorized in a science field.
Thoughts? Anyone have experience with this institute?
You might find this interesting: 11 Universities with Paranormal Studies [destinationamerica.com]
I know Stanford is the oldest, and they did work with the CIA on MK Ultra.
Fascinating - bookmarked for perusal.
Here is a just a hint of what they are about. If you are more into what "may" be than what is, It may appeal to you. I looked into them in the early eighties. Not much for science really.
Noetic science is an "exploration into the nature and potentials of consciousness using multiple ways of knowing—including intuition, feeling, reason, and the senses" according to its promoters. Aka, a form of bullshit, most famously promoted by Dan Brown in The Lost Symbol.
Note that noetic "science" and noetic philosophy are distinct. Noetic (from the Greek noetikos, "mental" ) philosophy is philosophy dealing with the mind, intellect, or consciousness. However, this more often goes under the more obvious name of "theory" or "philosophy of mind" these days. Noetic "science" is closer to the pseudoscience of parapsychology and other such New Age fluff as "expanding your consciousness."
Institute of Noetic Sciences[edit]
The Institute of Noetic Sciences is the primary outlet for this form of woo. It was co-founded by former astronaut Edgar Mitchell and former Exxon executive and crank billionaire Paul N. Temple, who is also associated with the fundamentalist Christian organization The Family,
According to the Institute, the core of Noetic Science is as follows:
“”Noetic sciences are explorations into the nature and potentials of consciousness using multiple ways of knowing—including intuition, feeling, reason, and the senses. Noetic sciences explore the "inner cosmos" of the mind (consciousness, soul, spirit) and how it relates to the "outer cosmos" of the physical world.[1]
All of which sounds more like other ways of knowing than science.
Unsurprisingly, noetic science has come under criticism from skeptics and actual scientists, and the organization Quackwatch has placed the Institute of Noetic Science on the "questionable organizations" list.
[rationalwiki.org]
Oh boy! OK crap science says it all.
Thank you will cross that one off the list.
Really good answer.
I would be surprised if there were many. I would actually be surprised if there were any.
Research costs money. Those researchers do not get payed much, but still. Often they need a lab. And heating in the winter. So most sources of grant money have to decide on what kind of research would make that money well spent.
Sure, it may be practical in the discussion with some loonies if there was a long list of scientific papers each debunking, scientifically, another crazy belief about something supernatural. But those researchers could also spend their time researching something that gives actual insight and tells us something we do not already know. Also, the loonies tend to stick to their beliefs anyway, no matter how many scientific articles we point out to them.
So unless some eccentric billionaire tries to get rid of their money that way, I'd say the chances are slim.
No.
Physics, Math, and Chemistry are sciences. Usually areas that feel the need to attach science after their name are pseudosciences...
Yes but with certain sciences the possibilities of time not being linear - of multi-verses etc.... Certainly some experiences might be explained someday? Heck that new theory about being in a computer simulation!
@RavenCT Of course that's true. The Simulation Hypothesis has been around since 2003 or earlier. It is a scientific hypothesis as are theories of time and multiple universes. These might get dreamed up in fiction or by philosophers but if they are proven, it is usually by astrophysicists and other scientists.
James Randi has offered 1 million dollars to anyone who can prove the supernatural. no one has claime the prize yet
Right but my question is "Is anyone trying - scientifically?". He is an excellent debunker of charlatans.
@RavenCT You would have to think of a specific strand of the supernatural and then see what arguments are being made in favour of these claims (ghosts, magic, psychic ability, spiritual mediumship etc). Then see what tests are being done. I know that there are many trying to find evidence for ghosts
Their offer shut down a few years back, but I'm sure there are others.
@RobH86 I do love Derren Brown, he's one of the good guys!
Read up on the work of Michel Persinger and the shaki helmet experiments.
Fascinating. But didn't stand up to a double-blind replication. Thanks!
Many phenomena, such as orbs, are classified "false unknown" which means that rather than a single unexplained phenomenon they are in fact a complex of several explained phenomena.
A sociologist at my university wanted to start a parapsychology group, starting with a focus on electronic voice phenomenon. He had a set of experiments conducted by lay persons that he wanted to follow up on but once the faults in those experiments were explained to him he dropped the idea. I suspect that sort of thing tends to be how serious attempts to study the paranormal end.
What is a woo event? Have not heard that term used this way before?
This is a list of cryptozoology groups. Credible organizations? I would doubt it.
[newanimal.org]
I had a friend recently post a photo of tracks in the snow that were of some "Bigfoot style creature" from her region. I was like "Melted snow which confused the tracks". OMG... But we find new species regularly!
@RavenCT lol
SETI: search for extraterrestrial intelligence--kind of woo...
No, I think it's legit.
Just stupid. I mean, advanced alien civilisations are not going to use radio waves which travel at the speed of light. They are going to use quantum entanglement - which cannot transmit information but might let people know you're there.
Or the only thing to break the light barrier - the power of assumption.
@El-loco I have mixed feelings about SETI. I don't really think it's woo, or even a waste of time, necessarily--but I know some folks do. It's one of those things that I think is maybe a gratuitous waste of resources in a world where people are still starving and dying of cholera...
@stinkeye_a I understand that. I really do.
SETI isn't woo. [seti.org]