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Sharks do get cancer, people used sharks cartilages in medications because people believe that sharks do not get cancer and that it heals people. There is shown proof that sharks do get cancer and no studies that sharks have actually healed people.

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As is the case for many alternative remedies, dozens of shark cartilage products for a variety of medical conditions are already on the market despite a lack of strong clinical evidence to support their effectiveness.

Although some laboratory studies have shown that shark cartilage may have antiangiogenic properties, it remains unclear whether future research will ultimately clarify troubling questions created by early human trials, some of which included a mixture of scientific conjecture and product promotion.

Folk remedies often carry the weight of convincing anecdotal experience, but the public interest in shark cartilage has been driven more by marketing than science, said Gary K. Ostrander , Ph.D., vice chancellor for research and graduate education at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa. "People want to believe this stuff. They're desperate. They have limited time, limited resources," he said. For some, that belief came from a book published in 1992. In Sharks Don't Get Cancer, author William Lane, Ph.D., argued that the nearly nonexistent occurrence of solid tumors in sharks was because of cancer-fighting elements in their cartilage.

"This is all based on the idea that sharks don't get cancer. Well, it turns out that sharks do get cancer," said Ostrander. He and his colleagues cataloged findings of solid tumors in sharks in a review article, published in the Dec. 1, 2004, issue of Cancer Research , that also expounded on the dangers of pseudoscientific explanations for medical treatments.

Once Lane's ideas came into the public, scientists began raising questions about the results of clinical studies he had conducted on cancer patients in Mexico and Cuba. "None of the work was ever published in a peer-reviewed research journal, and he was just playing with the artifacts," said Ostrander. It also later came to light that the shark cartilage product that Lane was studying, Benefin, was manufactured by Lane Labs, a company run by his son. In 1999, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration pursued an injunction against the company for illegally promoting the product as a cancer treatment.

And when Benefin was tested in a placebo-controlled trial, no benefit was found. "It wasn't well tolerated, there wasn't any suggestion of benefit in terms of quality of life, there wasn't any suggestion of benefit in terms of survival," said Charles L. Loprinzi , M.D., a cancer researcher at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., who published the results of this study in the July 1 issue of the journal Cancer .

"When we set out to do this as a placebo-controlled evaluation ... I would have loved to carry the banner of a positive study," said Loprinzi. But after his study's disappointing results, he is ready to move on. "We're not planning to look further at it, and I wouldn't recommend anyone look further at the product we looked at," he said.

Benefin is just one of many shark cartilage products already on the market. However, some of these are being developed more like pharmaceuticals. For example, AE-941, or Neovastat, a standardized extract of shark cartilage, is currently being studied in a National Cancer Institute-sponsored phase III clinical trial for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer. Neovastat's manufacturer plans to seek U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for the drug.

But comparing Neovastat and Benefin is like comparing apples and oranges, said Charles Lu, M.D., assistant professor at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and principal investigator for the NCI study. "The company has never made any money off of Neovastat," said Lu. "It is being treated as if it were an experimental drug."

Federal law allows natural products such as Neovastat and Benefin to be marketed as dietary supplements, although the companies cannot make specific disease claims for those products. Lane Labs, like many other companies, has taken advantage of that loophole to sell their remedies without clinical studies.

Loprinzi said it is important to conduct clinical trials on these products so that the public can know the truth about whether they work. "It's appropriate for us to look at things that have a high profile that may not have as much scientific basis, but ... a lot of interest among the public," he said.

There is another reason to study popular remedies-sometimes they really do work, said Catherine Ulbricht, Pharm.D. "There might be something to public opinion that suggests something is helping or working," said Ulbricht, chief editor at Natural Standard, an international research collaborative that aggregates and synthesizes data on complementary and alternative therapies.

But when Natural Standard assessed the clinical data that had so far been collected on shark cartilage treatments, they gave these therapies a grade of C for "unclear or conflicting scientific evidence" for use in cancer and in every other application studied.

"I wouldn't take it or recommend anyone take it, "said Ulbricht, who also serves as the senior attending pharmacist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. "I would need well-designed, hard-core randomized controlled trials. And once those were established, if they were positive or negative, I would need more to confirm those," she said.

However, other people may need less convincing, she said. "If I had a life-threatening disease, my take on it might be a little more liberal."

The results of Loprinzi's study were not available when Natural Standard conducted their analysis, but his results aren't likely to improve shark cartilage's grade. Although there are other shark cartilage studies being planned, the evidence is already definitive enough for some people.

"Do we need to do more [shark cartilage] clinical trials in people? I think the data is pretty clear that we don't," said Ostrander, who cites the findings of overseas studies in reaching that conclusion. "Everything that I have seen and read suggests that there's never going to be an effective therapy using shark cartilage," he said. Ulbricht also noted that there were almost no data on the absorption and bioavailability of shark cartilage products in humans.

Although shark cartilage may lack support from clinical studies for use in oncology, some researchers still believe that laboratory studies of shark cartilage's antiangiogenic properties may point to potential cancer-fighting compounds in cartilage.

"There is some rationale for why a shark cartilage product might work, and that is that in the cartilage there are not blood vessels," said Loprinzi. "It is possible that there is some substance in one of the shark cartilage preparations that might have some benefit," he said.

It's also possible that media attention and public pressure have played a role in motivating clinical research into shark cartilage, but that doesn't mean these products have nothing to offer, said Ulbricht. "Only time will tell," she said. "There is new research being published every day in this area trying to elucidate the answer."

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Sharks Do Get Cancer: Few Surprises in Cartilage Research

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As is the case for many alternative remedies, dozens of shark cartilage products for a variety of medical conditions are already on the market despite a la

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the study of the movements and relative positions of bodies interpreted as having an influence on human affairs and the natural world. Astrology has been rejected by the scientific community

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Learn about astrology, zodiac signs, retrogrades, and more! Your world becomes clear once you understand how the universe influences it.

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Tarot, Zodiac, Astrology & Horoscopes | Astrology.com

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Astrology.com provides free daily horoscopes, online tarot readings, psychic readings, Chinese astrology, Vedic Astrology, Mayan Astrology, Numerology, Feng Shui, zodiac 101, sun sign compatibility and video horoscopes.

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Pseudoscience is a proposition, a finding or a system of explanation that is presented as science but that lacks the rigor essential to the scientific method.

One example of pseudoscience is astrology, and another is the belief that ancient astronauts built the pyramids.

pseudoscience does not adhere to scientific standards, such as the scientific method, falsifiability of claims, and Mertonian norms.

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By

Pseudoscience is a proposition, a finding or a system of explanation that is presented as science but that lacks the rigor essential to the scientific method. Pseudoscience can also be the result of research that is based on faulty premises, a flawed experimental design or bad data.

The term pseudoscience can refer to a single claim or statement that is purported to be backed by science or data but doesn't stand up under scientific scrutiny. A pseudoscience may also be a complex system, such as astrology, which purports to explain events in the world as brought about and affected by astronomic phenomena. Like astrology, many pseudosciences are relatively harmless. Others, however, may be used to provide "scientific" support for unethical behavior. Physiognomy, for example, is a false science dating back to at least 500 BC that mistakenly correlates physical characteristics with personal traits. Even in modern times, adherents of physiognomy apply its theories to justify and promote inequality and racial profiling.

Pseudoscience may be offered in good faith, simply as a result of misinformation or poor analysis of data. However, scientific methods can also be intentionally applied in a flawed manner to create unwarranted confidence in conclusions that would not be supported by a more rigorous approach. In this case, pseudoscience is sometimes used to promulgate disinformation.

Within IT, data science is particularly vulnerable to flawed assumptions, methods and interpretation. It's sometimes assumed that big data analytics, for example, always yields valid information simply by virtue of the volume of data accessed, and that algorithms are similarly reliable. In both cases, however, the validity of the outcome can only be ensured by the quality of the input and the methods applied to it.

See also: data-driven disaster, falsifiability

Continue Reading About pseudoscience

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What is pseudoscience? | Definition from TechTarget

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This definition explains what pseudoscience is and lists examples. We also discuss why it's essential to ensure that all the elements of research and analytics are appropriate for valid results.

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This is the belief that the earth isn't round, but flat. It's not scientific because scientists have already proven that the earth is round.

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This is Scientific American's Science Talk, posted on March 27, 2020. I'm Steve Mirsky. I'm going to let my guest introduce himself in a moment, because he does a better job than I could.

MM:

So I'm Michael Marshall and I'm the project director of the good thinking society, which is a charity based in the UK. Uh, the whole purpose of our charity is to promote science to challenge pseudoscience. So we'll do work, uh, to forward science education. And then another part of the, the work that we do, which is the bulk of my work, is to find ideas that aren't backed by evidence and find people who are promoting those ideas, find people who are buying into those ideas and to explore them and figure out if anything can be done to prevent people being confused by them, harmed by them misled by them in those kinds of things. So I spent a lot of my time looking at things like alternative cancer kills and the people who promote those and alternative medicine. I've spent a lot of my time going to see people who say they can talk the dead. Who say they can do faith healing.

And then another part of my, uh, my time is spent talking to people who believe in, uh, unusual ideas and who are kind of proponents of them. And that's how I came across the flat earth world, uh, is through my, uh, slightly odd, uh, hobby. Uh, at the time before I was working full time as a, as a skeptic, it was a hobby of mine to, um, be in rooms filled with people who disagree with me. To just understand what brings people to ideas that I would look at and say, well, this can't be true. These kinds of fringe and extreme and unusual beliefs. Um, what brings people to believe them and what kind of paths lead people there? What evidence supports, uh, supports their position in their minds and how do they engage with the world with that worldview and try and have conversations.

I've got a podcast where I talk to people who have kind of fringe beliefs and instead of having a conversation that a lot of people would have, if they are a skeptic about something and they're talking to a believer where you shout at them and tell them they're wrong and point out all the evidence and tell them, and it gets into quite a volatile discussion sometimes instead of that, I try and have a civil and polite chat to try and explore the gap between us. So I say, I don't believe in this idea of yours, but I'm really interested to figure out why I don't believe it and why you do so let's have a conversation. So I have these kinds of civil discussions and that's kind of how I came across a that the flat earth theory and the idea that there are people walking around today who think the world is flat.

SM:

It's really interesting and serendipitous that we're sitting here because I knew that there was some flat earthers out there and I just thought it was kind of strange and funny. And about a week ago, I discovered a friend of mine who is very well educated, she's got a doctorate in biochemistry and, uh, she has a sister who's also very intelligent and very well educated. And my friend told me that her sister is a flat earther and that her sister is very indignant about the, uh, idea that, um, we don't take them seriously. And she said something to the effect of, this is hearsay that we're getting from me right now. That, well, you know, if you looked at the evidence, then you'd know that what you've been told isn't true. So all of a sudden I became fascinated with the flat earth people and then just on Twitter and I hadn't, I had not been a follower of yours until I saw this tweet that somebody I follow must've retweeted a, that you had just given a talk in Edinburgh where I had been. And, uh, so I reached out to you and it turns out you live in Liverpool and here I am in Liverpool today. So, uh, that's why we're here talking. So tell me what do the flat earth people, uh, think and why do they think it?

MM:

So you've got to sort of unpack that question a little bit because it's very easy for us to see, uh, the flat earth movement as one singular cohesive movement. And that's how I first thought about it when I first came across it in 2013 and when I came across the flat earth society in the UK. And so I had a conversation with the vice president of the flat earth society. And I assumed, as you probably have in your mind, that people who believe the world is flat think that the world is a disc. And in the center you've got the Arctic circle, then you've got all the continents of the world sort of splayed out to fill the circle. And an Antarctica is like the edge of the disc. But what I found out that when I first spoke to the flatter society is that not everyone in the flat earth world has that version of the world in their heads.

Some do believe it's a disk, but others believe that, yes, there's Arctic circle in the middle and there's the land masses around it. And then on Antarctica is the ice around the edge, but instead of it being a discreet disc, some people believe, in fact Antarctica just goes on forever in all directions. And so they believe that the earth is actually an infinite plane in all directions. That bisect reality, which is a really lovely idea.

SM: What does that mean?

MM: So it will go on in North, South, East, West, just go on forever and there is the above and the below, but there's no way of getting from the top to the bottom because it's just infinity of all ice in all directions forever. So there's no way of getting below the earth. And so this was a, when I first came across the flat earth moving in 2013 this was quite a vociferous debate that was going on.

And it was quite a schism really. And so they had the, the flat earth society at the time, it was largely a forum where they would bring forth their proofs of one version of this theory or another. And I also think there's another schism going on in the movement at the time, which is between one side, which are people who genuinely really believed the world was flat. And the other side, which absolutely did not believe it, but enjoy the intellectual pursuit of arguing a position they need to be false. And so they would find quite esoteric and off the wall proofs that most people wouldn't think of. And so when I first came across it in 2013 there were people waiting into these arguments who believed the world was round but had never thought about it before, but just assumed in a sort quite an arrogant way that they must know better than anybody who's ever thought about it and come to a different conclusion.

And so they were stomping into these arguments saying, well, what about photos of the earth from space and what about this? And what about ships going over the horizon thinking, well this is the gotcha, but not realizing that those were the first things they'd thought about, that they thought that the world, the approved worlds round. And therefore it's probably likely that the people who think the world is flat, I've had the same idea and yet they're still flat earthers, so at least in their mind they must have a good answer to that. That the people who believe the world was round having these arguments didn't have cause they'd never scrutinized the idea. They rejecting it. And so what was happening was I think to a degree, the part of the schism that were just having fun and knew very well the world wasn't flat, but just enjoyed the pursuit of doing that.

They were winning those arguments with people who were coming in and arrogantly assuming that they could answer everything. And in winning those arguments, they were really converting even more people who really believed it. And so you had this kind of effect where it was sort of spiral out of control a little bit, but I think it wasn't, it wasn't viral in the way that in 2013 as a in the way that it was in 2016 and 2017 and I think part of that is because that esoteric off the wall version of proofs can be quite complicated to get your head around. So for example, if you have the disk version, the world and the infinite plane version, both models suffer from an inability to explain gravity. You don't have a spherical mass, you don't have a central mass, you don't have a central point pulling it all to one point.

So it's very difficult to explain gravity in either one of those models. But these people who were doing kind of esoteric arguments were saying, well, what is gravity? Gravity is an accelerant, falls towards the ground, I think 9.8 meters per second squared, accelerates downwards. They said that is identical to a world in which the ground accelerates upwards to meet you. And so when you let go of something, it isn't that it's accelerating downwards, it's a, the ground's actually accelerating up to meet it.

SM: So it's a form of relativity.

MM: This is exactly where they come to. So people would then say, well, if it's, if the ground is the earth is, you know, an infinite plane in all directions that bisects reality and is accelerating upward at 9.8 meters per second squared and always has been since the Dawn of time, you'd hit a problem, which would be the speed of light.

You can't go fast. The speed of light. So people don't have a gotcha for this. And so the people who were putting forth esoteric off the wall trollish arguments would say, well, look at Einstein's theory of relativity as you approach Lightspeed, time itself slows down and the maths in their head works back out again. So yes, we're getting quicker, but time's getting slower and we can account for gravity in that way. And that's quite a complicated idea to get your head around. And so I think the fact that these people were winning arguments was getting, was converting some people to movement, but the way in which they were winning them were keeping people away from the movement because they were quite complex ideas. You couldn't stick them on a meme as you can these days. Here's a picture of the earth. You couldn't explain all that stuff about science, the relativity proven gravity and an infinite plane version of the world.

So I think there was a limiting factor going on and that's why when I first came across the flat earth movement, it was probably still pretty small, pretty unknown. I've been given talks about pseudoscience for the last kind of five, six plus years. And I've mentioned that I came across the flat earth movement and people would always say to me, there's nobody who actually believes that nobody actually, they don't really exist, that people are having fun. So it stayed quite small. And then in 2015 and 2016 a couple of things happened that really ignited a movement. And it was the publishing of two videos on YouTube or two video series on YouTube. Um, one I believe was, uh, Eric Dubay, 200 proofs. The earth is not spending globe. Uh, and the other was Mark Sargent's, uh, uh, 14 videos in his flat earth clues series.

SM: So now, we're going to actually be converting more people.

MM:

Well, it's, they are genuinely worth looking up because what I found really fascinating about the Eric Dubay 200 proofs, the are 200 of them in there, is that, uh, it was published in 2016 so it was three years after we had the, uh, infinite plane and the gravitational kind of explanation via Einstein's theory relative to, so it was three years of what you'd expect to be evolution and sophistication and, but in fact, proof number one, the horizon looks flat proof. Number two, even if you go up a mountain, the horizon looks flat. Proof number three, water, uh, cant stick to a curved surface. It always goes level and you can't get it. So there's no way it could stick to a ball. So they're all very, very simplistic arguments. And there's 200 of them. Um, some of them stick to sort of a pseudo physical properties. Others go to a conspiracy theory.

So I think proof 199 is saying that, well Isaac Newton and Neil Armstrong and Galileo, they were all Freemasons. Therefore the world is flat. And so you have this kind of a, this video and it was also published as a free ebook which collected lots of different so-called proofs of the world being flat that picked from lots of different genre of proof. So if you came to the flat earth, if you, if you were generally interested in conspiracy theory, you'd come to it and you'd find enough conspiracy theory reasons to believe the world is flat in there. If you came to it because you, uh, placed way too much emphasis on the, uh, the, the, your own powers of observation. You know, you can't show me the curve. I'm looking out at horizon. I can't see the curve. You can't tell me my eyes are wrong. If that's your, your style of thinking.

There were arguments in there for you that would tell you that that would support the idea of the world is flat. So I think it kind of covered all its bases a little bit. If you came from a fundamentalist Christian perspective, uh, in a biblical literalism the world is 6,000 years old and created in seven days as per the Bible, uh, which a large part of, of flat earth movement is actually crash creationism in a, in another guys. Um, there were creationist arguments in there that would support, uh, the, the, the idea of the world is flat. So it really did pull together different genre of flat earth arguments into one document. And I think that's why it became quite successful because it had a little bit in for anybody who might be, uh, in any way inclined to doubt the veracity of the round earth theory.

SM: That inclination is usually a preexisting condition.

MM:

I think so. I think so. So a lot of the way that people are stumped, we're coming across this information was through YouTube recommendations. Uh, this is, I think it was a study by the American Academy of sciences at their last kind of convention, which actually went there. The a scientist went along to the a U S flat earth convention and spoke to people there and asked, how did you get into the flat earth movement? And of the 40 people they asked, 39 of them said, I saw it recommended to me on YouTube. And the faulty of said, my son saw it, recommended to him on YouTube and pass it along to me. So it's what's appearing in that right-hand bar of up next on YouTube. So I think when there were people who were looking for moon landing denial videos, YouTube, once these Flat earth videos started getting out there and started having a sensationalist kind of style, so it'd have a sensationalist title, uh, there'd be people, people would come and watch it because they believed it.

Some people watch it cause they thought it was silly. Some people watched it because they wanted to scrutinize it on a point by point basis and watch it five times in a row to really get to the grips of every single argument. So they could write an article about how wrong it is. YouTube at the time said that it didn't say there's three distinct audiences with three distinct agendas. It says there's one audience of three times the size. So this is a pretty good video because loads of people are watching this all the way to the end. And so once YouTube saw that it started recommending it to people. So you'd be watching a video about moon landing denial and YouTube would say, I think someone who's a bit into moon landing denial might also be into the flat earth theory and it would float it there as a suggestion.

And if people clicked it, that solidified that link a little bit and the more people clicked it, the more that became solidified. And I think that's how a lot of people find their way in. And then it's because it became such a solid link. I think it even went beyond people who are already looking for conspiracy theory, uh, ideas. Um, you had people who'd be looking for videos of the, of the earth from space and they might see this video and then then they might watch it. And then that kind of strengthens those relationships. So YouTube had this kind of arguably accidental, I don't think they were deliberately doing it, but had this algorithm that was recommending sensationalist and extreme ideas regularly to people who were searching for things that weren't necessarily about that. And I think that did serve as a, as a recruitment tool and those two videos and the responses to those, those two videos and video series from Mark Sergeant, Eric Dubay, that really ignited a movement because I think they came around with just the right time or the wrong time in our perspective, uh, that it captured, uh, that YouTube algorithm in full flow.

SM:

Uh, so what do just, I'm interested specifically in the videos you say of, uh, the earth from space or the moon. What's the response? Those are all faked?

MM:

Yeah, pretty much. So, uh, I, I've, I've had lots of conversation with flat earthers and when you bring up those visual pieces of evidence, they'll say, well come on, you can't trust visual evidence. And they say photographs for example, you show me a photograph from of the, of the earth from space. I'll show you a composite job, I'll show you a Photoshop job, I'll show you a hoax. And they'll say that NASA even admits that those four photographs are composites, is that, will they are composites. But even if they are, composites, they're composites of what their comes into photos taken from space. It's just they're taken with a camera that isn't far enough away to get the entire earth and in one goal. But you're going to see snapshots of the earth and then you come, you compose those together because you've got a two dimensional representation of a three dimensional object.

You're going to have to sort of stitch those together a little bit, but just cause it's a composite, it's gotta be it composed of something you're saying. It's a composite doesn't throw out the fact that this is actually a genuine photo as well. Um, and so they will talk a lot about how, uh, we can't trust NASA. That's a big, big part of it. NASA's part of the conspiracy, some lots of the flat earthers that I've met, I went along to the UKs flat earth convention and spent three days in a hotel in Birmingham with 160 flat earth, one of the most genuinely enjoyable weekends of my entire life. Really, really fun. Um, and I went there not to tell them they're wrong and not to be superior, but to really understand what brings people to that movement. Um, but what I heard lots of time was that well, NASA is evil.

NASA is a tool of the government, a tool of the Illuminati, a tool of the new world order. Um, they rely on their budgets so they need to keep that money rolling in, which is why they keep churning out material that suggest the world is round. Um, some people even believe that NASA is a tool of Satan. Uh, and they have all sorts of convoluted uh, explanations as to why that is. Uh, one of my favorite explanations was one of the speakers at the flat earth convention an Argentinian conspiracy theorist who said, we know for a fact that the UN is a front for the one world order because if you look at the Spanish name for the UN, it is the O N U and if you read that backwards it's U N O which is Spanish for one. And therefore we know for a fact the UN is a, a front for the one world order because the reverse name of it in Spanish is Spanish for one.

And my friend I was at the convention with leftover and said does he realize that UN is already French for one?

SM: That logic that numerology, when you connect the dots like that is so it's so intriguing.

MM: It is. And so they'll see that and they'll say, well, look at the, uh, look at the image, the logo of the U N and you have the flat earth, you have the Arctic circle in the middle, you have all the continents around it. And so let's say, why would the UN have the flat earth as their local? If it isn't true that the world is flat? And I had this conversation with the flat earther and I said, well, what else would you want the UN's logo to be? And it's, well you could, if the earth is really round, you'd show it from the side.

Okay, but then which countries are you not putting on? Do you want to show America and not Europe? Do you want to show the Northern hemisphere and not show Australia? Right? And so he said, well, okay, fine. So you show up from the top. But if that's the case, why isn't that Antarctica on the UN's logo, it's missing. And his idea for that is because Antarctica is either the disk around the edge or it's where the dome that surrounds the world is. And I said, well, Antarctica isn't a nation. This is the United nations. It isn't a nation. You know, there's good reasons. If you, if you sort of sense check these ideas, but if you're presented them in a way that says the U N is a front for the Illuminati and the one world order, and here's proof, look at their logo, therefore flat and you're not, then encouraged to sense check your ideas to uh, to look for ways to doubt yourself, to look for ways to disprove your theories rather than looking for evidence that proves them.

You end up in a place where all you're doing is confirming your ideas further and further and further. And this is what we see. We see it in our lives all the time and we're guilty of it all the time. But I think we're guilty of this. This is a movement that's specifically guilty of it.

SM: Does Heliocentrism hold and the other planets are flat disks or something as well or are they?

MM: yeah, it depends on who you talk. So it's not just that there's the disk version and the infinite plane version. There's actually lots of, there's a myriad of different versions of the, the flat earth and the universe beyond it. So some will believe that we're flat. But the universe around it is pretty much as is, that's quite a niche belief in the flat earth world. Um, some believe that, uh, many believe the sun isn't very far away, so it's very hard to, to uh, justify the solar system as conventional science would have it with a flat earth belief, especially a flat earth belief that may be rooted in creationism and therefore has this kind of earth as the center of everything kind of way.

And you know, the sun was created on, on one of the days after the earth, it was already created. And so some of that belief that instead of the sun being millions and millions of miles away, it's actually quite nearby and much smaller. And that's how they account for time differences across, uh, across the world. How you account for seasons, it's just that you're further away from the sun at that point. Um, others believe that the world is a disk, but it's under a dome. Um, which again goes back to the biblical idea of the firmament from and being the roof on top of the world. Um, one of the, one of the, the, uh, piece of evidence I've heard brought, uh, for that, uh, firmament idea for that domed theory. A idea was from Mark Sargent who said, uh, if you look at the gravestone of Werner Von Braun, so Von Braun, obviously the, uh, the, the Nazi scientist smuggled out of Germany after the second world war by operation paperclip installed towards the head of the U S space program. Um, his V2 rocket technology is partly responsible for, for America getting into it, getting to the moon first. Um, but if you look on his gravestone, it references Psalms 19 one. And if you look up Psalms 19 one, it reads, the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth his handiwork. So it says Mark Sargent, why would the father of space exploration have on his gravestone a reference to the biblical roof on top of the world, if not a post deathbed confessional? Here's what of saying, there is a firmament and the only way to get me out of Germany was to go along with their hoax.

Now I would argue the reference is much more about the first bit of the heavens declare the glory of God for a man who saw his technology has been the key to the heavens. It was the, the way that men put mankind, unlocked the sky. Um, but if you're a flat earther or you see that gravestone, and this is proof then that there is a roof on top of the world and if you believe there's a roof on top of the world, then it starts to ask questions about what is space beyond it. And so I spoke to Mark Sergeant about this and he said, well, the sun or moon is still there, but they're much closer and they're separate bodies with their own separate light sources. And the way we know that, he said, it's because sunlight is warm and Moonlight is cold. And I said, what do you mean by that?

He said, well, sunlight, obviously warms you. He said, yeah, that wasn't a bit undisputed. Uh, he said, Moonlight. He said, if you go out in the night with a thermometer and you put that in shadow and take a temperature reading, and then you move it away from the shadow into the open clearing and then take a temperature reading, the temperature drops. And that's because the Moonlight is cooling the thermometer down. Well, what's actually happening is your first temperature reading is in shadow and therefore in a shaded area. And then to get into Moonlight, you have to move it out of a shaded area and expose it to whatever, whatever other winds and things you have. And that's a, that's the reason for it. Um, and so when, my favorite things about Mark Sargent's theory actually is that like many flat earthers, he was a conspiracy theorist who believed in all sorts of conspiracies beforehand.

So, uh, JFK was assassinated by the government or by an insight. It was an inside job. The moon landing was never real. Uh, he believed there was a civilization used to live on Mars who carved a face on a rock on Mars. All the, all the kind of classic stuff. And so when I spoke to Mark, I thought one of the ways to try and understand, um, what counts as a standard of evidence and how do you sense check? I thought I'd ask him, was there ever a conspiracy theory that you used to believe in that you now no longer believed to be true? And I thought maybe this will help me understand where you can come back from an idea. He said, well, it's funny because I used to, he said, I used to always wonder why are all these different conspiracies true? And then I realized the world is flat.

It all made sense because I thought, why did the government killed JFK? It's because they knew that we couldn't get to the moon. So the moon landing had to be faked because you can't get past the firmament because the world is flat and under a dome. So he said it was like, um, the, uh, the, the flat earth is kind of the Rosetta stone of conspiracy theories to a degree. It makes all the rest of it make sense. But he said there's one thing that no longer makes sense to me because I no longer believe that there's a face on Mars. And I want to meet the guy who came up with that cause I really want to know who's behind him. And I said, yeah, that's cause you no longer believe in Mars. That's cause you believe that the planets and the stars are just projections on the dorm. So you have a different view of the universe depending on what version of a, of the flat earth you, uh, you believe in. What are some of the,

um, most popular, um, Co conspiracy theories? You know, the, the flat earthers also believe in, are they anti vacs predominantly?

Yeah. So this is where I think it gets quite important for me because, uh, when I spent time at the, at the, the flat earth convention, when I've talked to flat earthers and then talk to people who are, you know, scientists and skeptics about it, they all say, well, at least the flat earth is harmless. And I think the problem is, uh, the flat earth beliefs don't exist in isolation. So one of things that really surprised me actually at the, at the convention that I went to was how little material was about the flat earth. So the Argentinian, uh, conspiracy theorist that was presenting that I mentioned before, he was talking not only was the a one world order and Illuminati that was, you know, run by Satan and, and various of the tools of Satan. But he was also pointing out how dinosaurs were faked and how it was a, the dinosaurs were invented by an artist who looked at, who looked at our giraffes and rhinos and crocodiles and sort of mixed the three together to create dinosaurs. But he also said, if you want to know who's really got the, what's really going on behind the world, read the book, the protocols of the elders of Zion and that will tell you what's going on. And

SM:

there you go. Now, now you're really at the end. One of the good roots.

MM:

Totally. And what surprised me was I was shocked to hear this hugely influential antisemitic hoax document. Uh, the protocols, elders designer, a fake that was created to stir antisemitism. I was shocked to hear that brought up on stage at this convention where I was expecting to hear about the flat earth, but I think I was the only one who was shocked. No one else seemed to bat an eyelid. And so we do see these different conspiracy theories clustering together. And uh, I spoke to a journalist actually at the, at the convention that weekend and they were having a lovely old time interviewing people saying, Oh, isn't this fun? Isn't it silly? Said, well, it is fun, but if you really want to know what's going on, just see that couple over there with the baby. Ask them if the baby's vaccinated, ask them in that baby was ill tomorrow.

Would they go and see a doctor or would they believe that big pharma is a tool of oppression and evil and moneymaking, all this kind of stuff. You know, one of the speakers at the convention, as well as being a flat earther and as well as being a nine 11 truther also believes that you can cure all manner of diseases, including HIV and AIDS by drinking or injecting your own urine. And this is, these are ideas, these are the ideas that are sort of bedfellows. And so I think a flat earth is in some ways, it's just the most visible of a, an ecosystem of conspiracy theory. Uh, and I think if you really want to try and, uh, help people challenge their own beliefs in the flat earth, you have to see it as such. You can't see it in isolation. You have to try and look at the, the wider pattern that it fits within.

SM:

Uh, this is so fascinating. Um, and you're obviously a tremendous talker. So why don't you, why don't you promote your podcast.

MM:

I've got a couple of things that I do, but the one in which I talk to people who, uh, who put forward ideas that I disagree with is called be reasonable with the idea being that I'm there to be reasonable to put forward a reasonable face to it. And so, um, I've talked to all manner of people from people who believe the world is flat to people who believe the world is hollow. I wish that's a really interesting interview because that goes in places in, in, in the same way that you might not associate, uh, antisemitic hoaxes with the flat earth belief. The hollow earth belief goes into some of the key risk positions too. And that's well worth the listen. Um, and I've interviewed people who believe they can talk to the dead and, and many of the things like that. But I've also interviewed people who are promoting, uh, the drinking of bleach as a cure for cancer, uh, and people who are putting forward white supremacists beliefs, uh, anti-feminist beliefs and some pretty extreme positions.

And the, the, the idea of the show really is to kind of understand the way we as people structure our beliefs. Cause I think the structuring of belief is very, uh, is very similar. The details of the beliefs change. And I think that flat earth is a, is a great way of examining the, the, the nature of belief, um, untainted by the possibility that it might be true. And then once you, once you really examine that and understand that once you've understood that the factors that influence people's beliefs, you can sort of lift that entire framework up and then lay it over some of these other beliefs that are much harder to point to a single fact that disproves it. So I think, yeah, understanding people who hold fringe or extreme positions is a useful thing. If we want to try and limit their influence and bring people back to a more reasonable position.

SM:

And, of course, bleach is back in the news, as some people have been recommending it as an anti-coronavirus gargle. Do not, under any circumstances, do that.

That's it for this episode, get your science news at our website, www.scientificamerican.com. Where all of our coronavirus coverage is out from behind the paywall, available free.

And follow us on Twitter, where you'll get a tweet whenever a new item hits the website. Our twitter name is @sciam. For Scientific American's Science Talk, I'm Steve Mirsky, thanks for clicking on us.

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Flat Earthers: What They Believe and Why

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Michael Marshall, project director of the Good Thinking Society in the U.K., talks about flat earth belief and its relationship to conspiracy theories and other antiscience activities.

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The Earth is round and has been proven to be round a hundred times over. Everything we know about Earth is based on the fact that it is round. From the weather, to the atmosphere, it all leads to the fact that the Earth is round.

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In the late 17th century people believed that the earth was hollow. And many people believed that instead of the many layers inside the Earth that there was a whole other world inside of the Earth. This theory was/is prominent in mythology/folklore/legends. But the Schiehallion Experiment has since proved this hollow Earth theory wrong.

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People think that on Dia de de los muertos , people who have passed away come back to life. Many people believe in this, but there is no real scientific evidence that they come back to life.

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Fortune tellers use tarot cards, which are believed to have significant meanings in their lives. This is a belief that has no scientific evidence towards this. Additionally, fortune tellers use horoscopes that can typically be applied to anyone.

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Fortune-telling is the spiritual practice of predicting information about a person’s life.[1] The scope of fortune telling is in principle identical with the practice of divination. The difference is that divination is the term used for predictions considered part of a religious ritual, invoking deities or spirits, while the term fortune telling implies a less serious or formal setting, even one of popular culture, where belief in occult workings behind the prediction is less prominent than the concept of suggestion, spiritual or practical advisory or affirmation.

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Tarot cards are not actual true readings, but reflective tools. They're like your personal life coach, helping you see your life from a fresh perspective.

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Audio Version (Press Play & Scroll Seamlessly Through the Article ▶️🎶)
Picture this: you're sitting across from a stranger, a deck of ornately decorated cards spread out between you. They pull a card, their eyes meeting yours as they begin to interpret its meaning.

And just like that...they've unraveled a hidden truth about you - one that makes your heart pound and your mind race. Is it sorcery, guesswork, or a higher power at play?

This is the fascinating world of tarot card reading.

From ancient times, tarot cards have been shrouded in mystery. They've guided seekers, provided insight, and stirred controversies.

But in the midst of all these, a question lingers: Are tarot card reading true?

Tarot card readings have a long and fascinating history. They have been used for centuries as a form of divination and self-exploration, providing guidance and insight into our innermost thoughts and emotions.
But how much of what we perceive in a tarot reading is genuinely reflective of our destiny, and how much is mere chance or coincidence? Let's find out.
Table of Contents

The Essence of Tarot Reading

To answer the pressing question, "Are tarot card reading true" we first need to understand what tarot card readings really are.

A standard tarot deck contains 78 cards, each bearing unique imagery and divided into two categories: the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana.
The Major Arcana represents significant life events or stages, while the Minor Arcana deals with everyday situations.
Tarot cards are not a magical tool that can predict the future with certainty. They are more of a psychological tool that reflects our subconscious mind.

The images on the cards serve as symbolic representations, and the interpretation of these symbols can reveal inner truths and provide clarity on our path.

Are Tarot Card Reading True or Mere Superstition?

The skepticism around tarot readings isn't surprising. Like any practice steeped in spirituality and mysticism, it has its fair share of critics. To determine if tarot card readings are true, we must evaluate what 'true' means in this context.

If by 'true,' we mean that tarot cards can predict specific events with 100% accuracy, then the answer may disappoint you. Tarot cards aren't prophetic tools but guidance instruments.

Now, imagine a friend - let's call her Anna - pulls out a deck of tarot cards at a get-together.
When you ask a question, Anna shuffles the deck and draws a card (or more) to answer it. But she's not pulling rabbits out of a hat or waving a magic wand. She interprets the card's symbolism in relation to your question and current circumstances.

The magic is in this interpretation. It's an art connecting universal symbols to personal experiences. It's not about predicting the future but about illuminating the possibilities you may not have considered.

To sum up, tarot cards work as a reflective tool. They're like your personal life coach, helping you see your life from a fresh perspective.

The true magic of tarot cards lies in their ability to help you explore your inner world and guide your path. In the end, you're the one steering your life's ship; tarot cards are just the compass.

Common Myths Surrounding Tarot Card Reading

Alright, let's talk myths.
First off, you've probably heard this one: "Tarot cards predict the future."
Tarot cards are not your personal crystal ball. They don't predict your future; they merely reflect your current situation and potential outcomes based on your actions. It's about possibilities and guidance, not definite prophecies.
Then, there's the myth that "Tarot is associated with dark arts or evil forces."
Dramatic, right? Truth be told, tarot cards are simply tools, and they aren't inherently good or evil. Their 'power' comes from the intentions of the user. So no, your friend Anna isn't summoning dark forces at your weekend party.
Another common misconception is that "You need psychic abilities to read tarot cards."
Nope, not necessarily.

While some readers might have a knack for intuition or empathy, anyone can learn to read tarot cards.

It's more about understanding the symbolism, connecting with your inner self, and interpreting the cards' relevance to a person's life situation.
Now, why does debunking these myths matter?
Well, these misconceptions can often create unnecessary fear or skepticism. They might discourage someone from exploring tarot as a tool for self-discovery or cause them to rely too heavily on it as a predictive device. Remember, tarot cards are meant to empower you, providing insights and guidance. They are not about instilling fear or dictating your life.

It's important to see tarot for what it truly is - a beautiful, symbolic language of self-discovery and introspection. After all, there's no room for myth and misunderstanding when we're on a journey to the truth.

Can Tarot Cards be Wrong?

Well, it's not as simple as right or wrong because tarot cards aren't meant to predict exact outcomes. Instead, they're designed to provide insight into your current situation and potential future based on your present actions.

Imagine you're driving and using a GPS. It suggests a route based on your current location and desired destination, but if you take a wrong turn, the GPS recalculates. It doesn't mean the GPS was wrong; it just adapts to your actions.

Tarot cards work similarly. They present a snapshot of your life's current 'route' and potential 'destinations,' but if you change course, so do the potential outcomes.

It's also important to consider that the cards might be highlighting a truth you're not quite ready to accept.

The cards might nudge you towards a certain path or introspection that's been on your subconscious mind, even if you're not actively acknowledging it.

A friend of mine, let's call her Lily, was in a long-term relationship. She loved her partner but also felt a growing sense of unease and dissatisfaction that she couldn't quite put her finger on. She decided to do a tarot reading and pulled out ' The Tower' card - a symbol of upheaval and sudden change.

Lily was initially shocked and feared it predicted an impending breakup. However, when she dove deeper into what the card could mean for her, she realized that it reflected her inner turmoil and the need for change in her relationship. It wasn't necessarily predicting a breakup; instead, it highlighted her suppressed feelings and the need for an open, honest conversation with her partner.

Emboldened by the insight, Lily had a heartfelt talk with her partner about her feelings. They decided to work through their issues together, opting for couples therapy. Today, they are happier than before, having addressed the previously ignored problems in their relationship.

Looking back, Lily realizes that the 'The Tower' card wasn't wrong in predicting turmoil. It correctly mirrored her inner state and hinted at the need for significant change in her relationship. But remember, the tarot card didn't force Lily into a particular action. Instead, it served as a catalyst for introspection and dialogue, leading to positive changes in her life.

This example highlights that the 'rightness' or 'wrongness' of tarot cards really depends on how you interpret and act upon their messages.

They are there to offer guidance and insights, but the choices and decisions ultimately lie in your hands.

Are Tarot Card Readings True?

When we delve deeper into the question, "Are tarot card reading true" we find that tarot cards often reflect truths about our emotional state, our relationships, our hopes, fears, and more.

By tapping into our subconscious and forcing us to confront aspects of our lives that we may prefer to ignore, they can guide us to make more informed decisions.

The authenticity of tarot card readings depends largely on your perspective. If you see tarot cards as fortune-telling tools that can predict precise events, you might end up disappointed.

But if you see them as symbolic guides that help you understand yourself and your life better, you're getting somewhere.

"But where's the proof?" you might ask.

The evidence lies more in personal experiences than in hard science.
People who've used tarot readings for personal exploration or decision-making often report greater self-understanding, clarity, and personal growth.
For example, my friend Xavier was at a crossroads, unsure whether to take a new job offer or stick with his current stable but uninspiring job. He decided to do a tarot reading, and he drew ' The Fool,' a card symbolizing new beginnings and stepping into the unknown.

It resonated with Xavier and encouraged him to take the leap and accept the new job. Today, he's happier and more content in his current career. The tarot card didn't make the decision for Xavier, but it helped him see his situation from a new perspective.

In essence, tarot readings are as accurate or true as you allow them to be. They can shed light on the hidden corners of your life, guiding you toward introspection and informed decisions. But remember, the final choice always rests with you.

Last Words

So, are tarot card reading true? After reading this post, you'll probably agree that it's not a simple 'yes' or 'no' answer.

Tarot card readings might not be true in the literal sense of predicting exact future events, but they can offer genuine insights into the human psyche and our complex lives.

You may be surprised by the hidden realities and truths within yourself, just waiting to be discovered.

In this way, you can say that tarot card readings are indeed 'true.'

But why not experience it yourself?

Pick up a tarot deck, book a reading, or even attend a tarot class. Explore, understand, and let the tarot cards guide your introspection!

Whenever you're ready, there are 4 ways I can help you:

1. Tridevia Tarot Deck: Join hundreds of cosmic explorers and spiritual enthusiasts in discovering the Tridevia Golden Foil 78-Card Tarot Deck, featuring enlightening affirmations in a luxurious collector's box. Embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery and divine guidance.

2. Enlightening Tarot Courses: Join our vibrant community of spiritual seekers and take our Tridevia Tarot Deck courses. Tranform your life and elevate your readings with Tarot Meditations, Manifesting Daily, Creating Flow and Wealth, Unlocking Fertility and more.

3. FREE Mystical Tarot Guide: Yours for Free! This guide will help you master 78 cards in any deck and discover unique spreads for profound insights.🎁

4. Calmoura Tarot Academy: Follow our YouTube channel for eye-opening insightful videos and everyday tarot inspiration to help rewire your brain and change your life.

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Are Tarot Card Reading True or Not? Unmasking the Power of the Cards

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Tarot reading is genuinely reflective of our destiny, but how much is mere chance or coincidence? Are tarot card reading true or not? Let's find out.

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The thought that a medical induced abortion can increase the risk of breast cancer. It has been proven by the NCI (National Cancer Institute) that having an induced abortion has no link to causing breast cancer.

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Many people believe that the rhino horn had some medical purposes such as a curing of fevers, Rheumatism and others. But it would not be the case as rhino horns are the same as finger nails, so it's not special in medicine and from that believe it caused rhinos numbers to decrease.

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Conversion therapy is a dangerous, discredited practice that attempts to change the sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression of LGBTQ+ people. They are grounded in the idea that LGBTQ+ identities are the result of mental illness and can be “cured.” Practitioners try to make LGBTQ+ people conform to a cis-heterosexist, biblical gender and sexual binary.

They're is no proof or scientific evidence that conversion therapy can change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity.

Link: https://www.splcenter.org/resources/stories/conversion-therapy-fact-over-fiction/

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A lot of people have a fear of eating GMO food products. People believe that they are unnatural and potentially harmful. However, years of science hasn't shown real evidence of Non-GMO foods having any real benefits in opposition to GMO foods.

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In an era where health consciousness and sustainability are at the forefront of our minds, the demand for non-GMO foods and ingredients has surged. This movement toward natural and unaltered foods underscores a growing public concern over the unknown long-term health impacts and environmental consequences of GMOs (genetically modified organisms). Read on to discover the many advantages of choosing non-GMO foods and ingredients when shopping at the store or online.

Numerous Potential Health Benefits

Consuming non-GMO foods and ingredients is believed to contribute significantly to overall health and well-being. One of the primary advantages is the reduction of exposure to harmful pesticides and chemicals often used to cultivate genetically modified crops. These substances can have various adverse effects on human health, including potential links to cancer, hormonal imbalances, and other serious conditions. Individuals may lower their risk of inadvertently ingesting these toxins by choosing non-GMO, leading to a cleaner diet and potentially mitigating health risks.

In addition to minimizing exposure to harmful substances, non-GMO foods are often associated with higher nutritional content. This is partly because organic and non-GMO farming practices prioritize soil health and biodiversity, which produces crops with a higher level of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. These nutrients are vital for maintaining a healthy immune system, supporting growth and development, and preventing chronic diseases.

Positive Environmental Impacts

Switching to non-GMO foods and ingredients can significantly benefit the environment by promoting sustainable farming practices. Non-GMO agriculture leans toward methods that reduce chemical use, such as pesticides and fertilizers, which are often heavily relied upon in conventional farming. This reduction means fewer chemicals leach into the soil and waterways, leading to a healthier ecosystem. Furthermore, non-GMO farming practices frequently incorporate crop rotation and other natural cultivation methods that maintain soil health and biodiversity. Healthier soils yield more nutritious crops and play a crucial role in carbon sequestration, thus aiding in the fight against climate change.

Ethical and Sustainable

The ethical considerations surrounding the production and consumption of non-GMO foods also play a significant role in their increasing popularity. Many consumers are drawn to non-GMO products because of concerns over the transparency, safety, and corporate practices involved in GMO food production. By choosing non-GMO, individuals support agricultural methods that are healthier for the environment and perceived as more humane and equitable. Additionally, supporting non-GMO and organic farming can bolster local economies, encourage small-scale farmers, and contribute to a more sustainable and equitable food system worldwide.

In pursuit of healthier lifestyles and a more sustainable planet, there are plenty of reasons and advantages of choosing non-GMO foods and ingredients worth considering the next time you shop for the family. Thankfully, the Rise & Puff team is here to help support your healthier lifestyle. Explore our selection of quality tortillas for sale -each and every ingredient we use is natural and GMO-free!

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Advantages of Choosing Non-GMO Foods and Ingredients

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Discover how switching to non-GMO foods and ingredients can support your health and the environment, making a profound difference in your daily life.

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Numerology is the belief that numbers have secret meanings that can affect a person’s life or future. It's based on the idea that numbers from a person’s name or birthday could be added and made to reveal hidden truths. It has no scientific evidence that it's true.

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Throwing a coin in a fountain for "good luck".

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Throwing a coin in a fountain for good luck.

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Throwing a coin in a fountain for good luck.

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The belief that tossing a coin into a fountain will bring you good luck is a tradition that has been passed down for centuries, yet it has never been scientifically proven to actually influence a person’s fortune or future. While many people continue this practice as a symbol of hope, wish-making, or simply out of cultural habit, there is no real evidence that the act itself has any measurable effect on luck. Instead, it remains more of a superstition rooted in history and human imagination rather than a fact supported by science.

-Rosemary B.

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a 19th-century pseudoscience that claimed to help a person's character and mental abilities by studying the shape and protrusions of the skull

https://library.missouri.edu/news/special-collections/phrenology

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Angel numbers are often interpreted as signs that you are being supported, guided, or that your thoughts and intentions are manifesting. They have a spiritual meaning.

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Angel numbers are repeating sequences of numbers, like 111, 222, or 777 that are believed to carry spiritual or symbolic meaning .

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There is no scientific evidence that astrology is true but there are people who believe in it. It is believed by most people to at least be true sometimes but it is scientifically believed to be pure coincidence.

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Flat Earth theory posits that Earth is not a sphere but a flat disk either circular or square shaped. This view was common in ancient civilizations until empirical observations confirmed that Earth is spherical. Despite overwhelming evidence, the belief has resurfaced in modern times, largely through social media and conspiracy driven communities.

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flat Earth, the perception that Earth exists as a flat disk, either circular or square-shaped. This view persisted in the ancient world until empirical observations revealed that Earth's shape was spherical or ellipsoidal. In modern times, however, the notion of a flat Earth has been revived and promoted on social media despite scientific evidence to the contrary.

Traditional conceptualizations

To observe Earth's curved horizon, one must be at least 10,668 metres (about 35,000 feet) above its surface. Since the technology of ancient cultures was insufficient to allow people to reach such heights, the world around them appeared to be flat and stationary. Their perceptions were further reinforced by the movements of the Sun and the Moon, which appear to rise in the east and set in the west relative to a flat horizon, and of the stars, which appear to rotate in a dome overhead.

Different descriptions of a flat Earth can be found in the annals of ancient civilizations worldwide. For example, ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian records describe the world as a disk in the ocean with the heavens arching above it. An Iraqi tablet dated to 1000 bce shows Babylon at the centre of a flat disk, and the Greek philosopher Anaximander (610-546 bce) perceived Earth as a flat disk perched at the top of a cylinder. In Norse cosmology, Earth's flat plane is encircled by an ocean, with a world tree or pillar at the centre. In India some sacred texts describe the planet as a series of stacked flat disks, while others describe it as a horizontal wheel set on a vertical axle. In China Earth was described as flat and square into the 17th century, at which time Western science introduced evidence for the planet's spherical shape ( see also spherical Earth).

Contemporary revival

The idea that Earth is flat seems to have an enduring hold on human imagination. In the 1830s a commune in Britain, led by British writer Samuel Birley Rowbotham, resurrected the concept as backlash against rapid scientific progress. Members believed that Earth was a circular disk with the North Pole at the centre and a wall of ice surrounding the edges of the disk to contain the oceans. The group was regarded as a harmless symbol of British eccentricity.

What would become the modern flat Earth concept emerged modestly in the 1950s as the Flat Earth Society, a small fringe group in Britain with a membership of fewer than 4,000 people. However, largely due to the rising influence of the Internet and social media in the early 2000s, the organization launched itself worldwide in October 2009, and annual conferences followed and catered to a variety of worldviews. Some of the society's models echo the ancient view of Earth as a disk with a dome of stars rotating above it. The models of other groups, however, claim that the Sun and the Moon are only 50 km (31 miles) in diameter and that they circle the disk at a height of 5,500 km (3,417 miles). Others envision a world hemmed in by Antarctica (which is believed to extend infinitely in all directions), or they reject conventional laws of gravity, explaining that Earth exists as a disk that accelerates upward in order to give the illusion of gravity.

Scientists and researchers who study this growing movement have found that its appeal is rooted in four trends: the public's mistrust of official scientific sources, the perpetuation of conspiracy theories, loyalty to the groups and community they identify with, and the use of social media to spread misinformation. Flat Earth ideas have gained a large enough audience worldwide to alarm some scientists, who have launched their own social media campaigns to debunk the flat Earth models promoted online. Other researchers are working to overcome these perceptions by combining the teaching of rigorous evidence-based science with a restoration of public trust in scientific institutions attained by taking the questions of flat Earth adherents seriously and refraining from taking aloof and dismissive positions.

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Flat Earth | Theory, Model, Meaning, & Facts

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Flat Earth, the perception that Earth exists as a flat disk, either circular or square-shaped. This view persisted in the ancient world until empirical observations revealed that Earth's shape was spherical or ellipsoidal. In modern times, however, the notion of a flat Earth has been revived and

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The moon landing is fake because if we had enough technology we would've made more trips. I think that back then people were more gullible and believed it since it was such a huge thing.

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Reiki is not real because it doesn't work

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Reiki Therapy & Healing | Corewell Health

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Experience the benefits of Reiki therapy & healing at Corewell Health, promoting relaxation, balance, and overall well-being through energy healing

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The transfer of a soul to a new body outside of the standard reincarnation process.

Many people believe this is a real phenomenon, but it cannot be proven scientifically, yet it is a belief held by many religions.

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It has been scientifically proven that carrots do not improve vision. However, the vitamins found in the vegetable help promote overall eye health.

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Everyone has heard, "Eat your carrots to have good eyesight!" Is there any truth to this statement or is it a bunch of baloney? Well, yes and no. Carrots won't improve your visual acuity if you have less than perfect vision. A diet of carrots won't give a blind person 20/20 vision. But, the vitamins found in the vegetable can help promote overall eye health. Carrots contain beta-carotene, a substance that the body converts to vitamin A, an important nutrient for eye health. An extreme lack of vitamin A can cause blindness. Vitamin A can prevent the formation of cataracts and macular degeneration, the world's leading cause of blindness. However, if your vision problems aren't related to vitamin A, your vision won't change no matter how many carrots you eat.

In addition to beta-carotene, carrots also contain lutein, an antioxidant. Foods rich in lutein have been found to increase pigment density in the macula. The greater pigment density in the macula, the better protected your retina is and the lower your risk for macular degeneration.

Because carrots are rich in vitamin A and lutein, they are always a good choice for a nutrient-packed snack. Keep packing those carrot sticks in the school lunches, mom, but don't expect X-ray vision!
Sarah Winkler "Are carrots really good for your eyesight?" 19 August 2009. HowStuffWorks.com.
Source

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Do Carrots Actually Improve Eyesight? - Gailey Eye Clinic

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Everyone has heard, "Eat your carrots to have good eyesight!" Is there any truth to this statement or is it a bunch of baloney? Well, yes and no. Carrots won't improve your visual acuity if you have less than perfect vision. A diet of carrots won't give a blind person 20/20 vision.

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Anti-vaccination groups and individuals spread misinformation and propaganda to promote the false idea that vaccines are harmful

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Anti-vaccination groups and individuals spread misinformation and propaganda to promote the false idea that vaccines are harmful

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People believe that vaccinations are the opposite of their purpose. They say that the government force us to have them so that they can control us and make us sick.

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This is a theory that some people believe the Earth is flat. However, there is no scientific research to support this theory. This theory has been disproven many times before already.

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✉Email: firas.mouradme.com Citation: Maselli F. and Mourad F. The Flat Earth Theory …

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The Flat Earth Theory: is Evidence-Based Physiotherapy a Sphere?

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2020 A.D.; although there was a solid base under the scientific method to suggest that the Planet Earth was a globe, thousands stoke something impossible to prove: The Flat Earth Theory. Based on this raw theory, self-styled influencers took advantage of media approval. This cognitive tendency to interpret, favor, and recall information in order to strengthen one’s personal beliefs, is known as ‘confirmation bias’ [1]. We aim to point out this continuously propagated bias in physiotherapy clinical practice.

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Vaccines may contain trace amounts of substances like formaldehyde or aluminum, but these are present in amounts far below toxic levels and are often naturally present in the environment or produced by the body itself. Formaldehyde is used in the manufacturing process for some vaccines but is mostly eliminated during production. Formaldehyde is also produced at higher rates by the body's own metabolic system,

according to Rush University Medical Center. (got it from Google )

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Conversion therapy is the practice of attempting to change a homosexual person's sexual orientation to heterosexual. It can involve counseling, faith-based interventions, and other practices used to "cure" the person. There is no scientific proof that a person's sexual orientation can be changed through therapy.

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This Mexican household belief, states that when you are sick you should have a candle with the virgin Guadalupe that will heal you. The lore is that Guadalupe is summoned when you light the candle, and she is watching over you when are sick or sleeping and she turns into your own guardian angel. This has no scientific proof that the candle itself stops the illness.

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Astral projection is like lucid dreaming but somehow you leave your body and turn into a ghost. It isn't scientific because no one has actually done it, and it's usually psychics saying that it's real.

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Astral projection (or astral travel), is a term used in esotericism to describe an intentional out-of-body experience (OBE) that assumes the existence of a soul called an " astral body" that is separate from the physical body and capable of travelling outside it throughout the universe.

The idea of astral travel is ancient and occurs in multiple cultures. The modern terminology of "astral projection" was coined and promoted by 19th-century Theosophists. It is sometimes reported in association with dreams and forms of meditation. Some individuals have reported perceptions similar to descriptions of astral projection that were induced through various hallucinogenic and hypnotic means (including self-hypnosis). There is no scientific evidence that there is a consciousness whose embodied functions are separate from normal neural activity or that one can consciously leave the body and make observations, and astral projection has been characterized as a pseudoscience.[excessive citations ]

According to classical, medieval, renaissance Hermeticism, Neoplatonism, and later Theosophist and Rosicrucian; thought the astral body is an intermediate body of light linking the rational soul to the physical body while the astral plane is an intermediate world of light between Heaven and Earth, composed of the spheres of the planets and stars. These astral spheres were held to be populated by angels, demons and spirits.

The subtle bodies, and their associated planes of existence, form an essential part of the esoteric systems that deal with astral phenomena. In the neo-platonism of Plotinus, for example, the individual is a microcosm ("small world") of the universe (the macrocosm or "great world"). "The rational soul...is akin to the great Soul of the World" while "the material universe, like the body, is made as a faded image of the Intelligible". Each succeeding plane of manifestation is causal to the next, a world-view known as emanationism; "from the One proceeds Intellect, from Intellect Soul, and from Soul - in its lower phase, or that of Nature - the material universe".

Often these bodies and their planes of existence are depicted as a series of concentric circles or nested spheres, with a separate body traversing each realm. The idea of the astral figured prominently in the work of the nineteenth-century French occultist Eliphas Levi, whence it was adopted and developed further by Theosophy, and used afterwards by other esoteric movements.

Carrington, Muldoon, Peterson, and Williams claim that the subtle body is attached to the physical body by means of a psychic silver cord. The final chapter of the Book of Ecclesiastes is often cited in this respect: "Before the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be shattered at the fountain, or the wheel be broken at the cistern." Scherman, however, contends that the context points to this being merely a metaphor, comparing the body to a machine, with the silver cord referring to the spine.

Paul's Second Epistle to the Corinthians is more generally agreed to refer to the astral planes: "I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know-God knows." This statement gave rise to the Visio Pauli, a tract that offers a vision of heaven and hell, a forerunner of visions attributed to Adomnan and Tnugdalus as well as of Dante's Divine Comedy.

Similar concepts of soul travel appear in various other religious traditions. For example, ancient Egyptian teachings present the soul ( ba) as having the ability to hover outside the physical body via the , or subtle body.

Taoist alchemical practice involves creation of an energy body by breathing meditations, drawing energy into a 'pearl' that is then "circulated". " Xiangzi ... with a drum as his pillow fell fast asleep, snoring and motionless. His primordial spirit, however, went straight into the banquet room and said, "My lords, here I am again." When Tuizhi walked with the officials to take a look, there really was a Taoist sleeping on the ground and snoring like thunder. Yet inside, in the side room, there was another Taoist beating a fisher drum and singing Taoist songs. The officials all said, "Although there are two different people, their faces and clothes are exactly alike. Clearly he is a divine immortal who can divide his body and appear in several places at once. ..." At that moment, the Taoist in the side room came walking out, and the Taoist sleeping on the ground woke up. The two merged into one."

Similar ideas such as the Liṅga Śarīra are found in ancient Hindu scriptures such as, the YogaVashishta-Maharamayana of Valmiki. Modern Indians who have vouched for astral projection include Paramahansa Yogananda who witnessed Swami Pranabananda doing a miracle through a possible astral projection.

The Indian spiritual teacher Meher Baba described one's use of astral projection:

In the advancing stages leading to the beginning of the path, the aspirant becomes spiritually prepared for being entrusted with free use of the forces of the inner world of the astral bodies. He may then undertake astral journeys in his astral body, leaving the physical body in sleep or wakefulness. The astral journeys that are taken unconsciously are much less important than those undertaken with full consciousness and as a result of deliberate volition. This implies conscious use of the astral body. Conscious separation of the astral body from the outer vehicle of the gross body has its own value in making the soul feel its distinction from the gross body and in arriving at fuller control of the gross body. One can, at will, put on and take off the external gross body as if it were a cloak, and use the astral body for experiencing the inner world of the astral and for undertaking journeys through it, if and when necessary....The ability to undertake astral journeys therefore involves considerable expansion of one's scope for experience. It brings opportunities for promoting one's own spiritual advancement, which begins with the involution of consciousness.

Astral projection is one of the Siddhis considered achievable by yoga practitioners through self-disciplined practice. In the epic The Mahabharata, Drona leaves his physical body to see if his son is alive.

In Japanese mythology, an is a manifestation of the soul of a living person separately from their body. Traditionally, if someone holds a sufficient grudge against another person, it is believed that a part or the whole of their soul can temporarily leave their body and appear before the target of their hate in order to curse or otherwise harm them, similar to an evil eye. Souls are also believed to leave a living body when the body is extremely sick or comatose; such ikiryō are not malevolent.

In some Inuit groups, people with special capabilities are said to travel to (mythological) remote places, and report their experiences and things important to their fellows or the entire community; how to stop bad luck in hunting, cure a sick person etc., things unavailable to people with normal capabilities.

The yaskomo of the Waiwai is believed to be able to perform a "soul flight" that can serve several functions such as healing, flying to the sky to consult cosmological beings (the moon or the brother of the moon) to get a name for a new-born baby, flying to the cave of peccaries' mountains to ask the father of peccaries for abundance of game or flying deep down in a river to get the help of other beings.

"Astral" and "etheric"

The expression "astral projection" came to be used in two different ways. For the Golden Dawn and some Theosophists it retained the classical and medieval philosophers' meaning of journeying to other worlds, heavens, hells, the astrological spheres and other imaginal landscapes, but outside these circles the term was increasingly applied to non-physical travel around the physical world.

Though this usage continues to be widespread, the term, "etheric travel", used by some later Theosophists, offers a useful distinction. Some experients say they visit different times and/or places: "etheric", then, is used to represent the sense of being "out of the body" in the physical world, whereas "astral" may connote some alteration in time-perception. Robert Monroe describes the former type of projection as "Locale I" or the "Here-Now", involving people and places that actually exist: Robert Bruce calls it the "Real Time Zone" (RTZ) and describes it as the non-physical dimension-level closest to the physical. This etheric body is usually, though not always, invisible but is often perceived by the experient as connected to the physical body during separation by a "silver cord". Some link "falling" dreams with projection.

According to Max Heindel, the etheric "double" serves as a medium between the astral and physical realms. In his system the ether, also called , is the "vital force" that empowers the physical forms to change. From his descriptions it can be inferred that, to him, when one views the physical during an out-of-body experience, one is not technically "in" the astral realm at all.

Other experiments may describe a domain that has no parallel to any known physical setting. Environments may be populated or unpopulated, artificial, natural or abstract, and the experience may be beatific, horrific or neutral. A common Theosophical belief is that one may access a compendium of mystical knowledge called the Akashic records. In many accounts the experiencer correlates the astral world with the world of dreams. Some even report seeing other dreamers enacting dream scenarios unaware of their wider environment.

The astral environment may also be divided into levels or sub-planes by theorists, but there are many different views in various traditions concerning the overall structure of the astral planes: they may include heavens and hells and other after-death spheres, transcendent environments, or other less-easily characterized states.

Emanuel Swedenborg was one of the first practitioners to write extensively about the out-of-body experience, in his Spiritual Diary (1747-65). French philosopher and novelist Honoré de Balzac's fictional work "Louis Lambert" suggests he may have had some astral or out-of-body experiences.

There are many twentieth-century publications on astral projection, although only a few authors remain widely cited. These include Robert Monroe, Oliver Fox, Sylvan Muldoon, and Hereward Carrington, and Yram.

Robert Monroe's accounts of journeys to other realms (1971-1994) popularized the term "OBE" and were translated into a large number of languages. Though his books themselves only placed secondary importance on descriptions of method, Monroe also founded an institute dedicated to research, exploration and non-profit dissemination of auditory technology for assisting others in achieving projection and related altered states of consciousness.

Robert Bruce, William Buhlman, Marilynn Hughes, and Albert Taylor have discussed their theories and findings on the syndicated show Coast to Coast AM several times. Michael Crichton gives lengthy and detailed explanations and experience of astral projection in his non-fiction book .

In her book, My Religion, Helen Keller tells of her beliefs in Swedenborgianism and how she once "traveled" to Athens:

"I have been far away all this time, and I haven't left the room...It was clear to me that it was because I was a spirit that I had so vividly 'seen' and felt a place a thousand miles away. Space was nothing to spirit!"

The soul's ability to leave the body at will or while sleeping and visit the various planes of heaven is also known as "soul travel". The practice is taught in Surat Shabd Yoga, where the experience is achieved mostly by meditation techniques and mantra repetition. All Sant Mat Gurus widely spoke about this kind of out of body experience, such as Kirpal Singh.

Eckankar describes Soul Travel broadly as movement of the true, spiritual self (Soul) closer to the heart of God. While the contemplative may perceive the experience as travel, Soul itself is said not to move but to "come into an agreement with fixed states and conditions that already exist in some world of time and space". American Harold Klemp, the current Spiritual Leader of Eckankar practices and teaches Soul Travel, as did his predecessors, through contemplative techniques known as the Spiritual Exercises of ECK (Divine Spirit). Edgar Cayce from the US, was popularly known as the "Sleeping Prophet". He had been practicing astral travel at Washington DC for many years.

In occult traditions, practices range from inducing trance states to the mental construction of a second body, called the Body of Light in Aleister Crowley's writings, through visualization and controlled breathing, followed by the transfer of consciousness to the secondary body by a mental act of will.

There is no known scientific evidence that astral projection as an objective phenomenon exists.

There are cases of patients having experiences suggestive of astral projection from brain stimulation treatments and hallucinogenic drugs, such as ketamine, phencyclidine, and DMT.

Robert Todd Carroll writes that the main evidence to support claims of astral travel is anecdotal and comes "in the form of testimonials of those who claim to have experienced being out of their bodies when they may have been out of their minds." Subjects in parapsychological experiments have attempted to project their astral bodies to distant rooms and see what was happening. However, such experiments haven't produced clear results.

According to Bob Bruce of the Queensland Skeptics Association, astral projection is "just imagining", or "a dream state". Bruce writes that the existence of an astral plane is contrary to the limits of science. "We know how many possibilities there are for dimensions and we know what the dimensions do. None of it correlates with things like astral projection." Bruce attributes astral experiences such as "meetings" alleged by practitioners to confirmation bias and coincidences.

Psychologist Donovan Rawcliffe has written that astral projection can be explained by delusion, hallucination and vivid dreams.

Arthur W. Wiggins, writing in Quantum Leaps in the Wrong Direction: Where Real Science Ends...and Pseudoscience Begins, said that purported evidence of the ability to astral travel great distances and give descriptions of places visited is predominantly anecdotal. In 1978, Ingo Swann provided a test of his alleged ability to astral travel to Jupiter and observe details of the planet. Actual findings and information were later compared to Swann's claimed observations; according to an evaluation by James Randi, Swann's accuracy was "unconvincing and unimpressive" with an overall score of 37 percent. Wiggins considers astral travel an illusion, and looks to neuroanatomy, human belief, imagination and prior knowledge to provide prosaic explanations for those claiming to experience it.

Ring-a-Ding Girl-fictional treatment of astral projection in popular media The Twilight Zone, in which a fading actress (Maggie McNamara) is able to project her consciousness from her body by means of magic and rescue the inhabitants of her hometown from an impending natural disaster

In Dungeons and Dragons astral projection is a powerful spell that allows travelers to transport a mental image of themselves into a strange realm known as the astral plane which is dictated entirely by thought and perception. It is filled with horrifying monsters and is virtually infinite.

Insidious-A film about a boy named Dalton whose astral body gets caught in a demonic world known as The Further. His father, from whom he acquired these abilities, must find him and bring him back to the living world.

The Three Investigators #23 in the children's mystery series, "The Mystery of the Invisible Dog", features a character that performs astral projection.

Aahat (Episode 164) - A popular TV horror show in India had an episode about astral projection

The Powers of Matthew Star - In the latter half of this 1982-1983 series, the main character Matthew Star, an alien prince hiding out on Earth, is shown to have the power to perform astral projections and uses it pretty regularly to help in the government assignments he and his mentor take on.

The Sheep Talisman from the animated television series Jackie Chan Adventures grants its user the power of astral projection.

In the television series , the character of Prue, a witch played by Shannen Doherty, has the power of astral projection and has used it many times in the series dealings with the supernatural.

In the Legend of Korra television show, a character named Jinora is able to use astral projection.

In the Adventure Time episode "Astral Plane", A comet causes Finn the Human to Project Astrally. With no control on how to use it, he follows up on the various exploit of several characters before floating up to Mars.

In the Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows, the characters of Barnabas Collins and Julia Hoffman have used the mystic powers of the IChing wands to project their astral body into the past while their bodies remain in a trance in the present.

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe live-action film Doctor Strange (2016), Stephen Strange and his teacher the Ancient One use astral travel.

In the Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, several of the characters use astral projection multiple times throughout the series.

In Fringe, Olivia Dunham takes a fictitious drug called Cortexiphan which allows her to experience an astral projection in a forest.

In the 2018 Indian horror film, Taxiwaala, one of the characters (Sisira) experiments with astral projection to know the cause of her mother's death.

Fuko Ibuki from visual novel Clannad is an astral projection of herself whilst she's in a comas

Sal Governale aka "Sal the Stockbroker" aka "Sal the Turtle" astral projected at home and spoke about his experience on the Howard Stern Show.

In the Netflix original series Stranger Things, a child victim of the MKULTRA experiments demonstrates the ability to locate and spy on others using astral protection.

In the Netflix original series "Behind Her Eyes", several of the main characters use the power of astral projection, and it plays a major part in the plot.

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe live-action series WandaVision (2021), Wanda Maximoff is seen using astral projection while reading the Darkhold in her remote mountain home.

Baba, Meher (1967). Discourses. Vol. II. San Francisco: Sufism Reoriented. ISBN 1-880619-09-1.

Fock, Niels (1963). Waiwai. Religion and society of an Amazonian tribe. Nationalmuseets skrifter, Etnografisk Række (Ethnographical series), VIII. Copenhagen: The National Museum of Denmark.

Hoppál, Mihály (1975). "Az uráli népek hiedelemvilága és a samanizmus". In Hajdú, Péter (ed.). Uráli népek. Nyelvrokonaink kultúrája és hagyományai (in Hungarian). Budapest: Corvina Kiadó. pp. 211-233. ISBN 978-963-13-0900-3. The title means: "Uralic peoples / Culture and traditions of our linguistic relatives"; the chapter means "The belief system of Uralic peoples and the shamanism".

Hoppál, Mihály (2005). Sámánok Eurázsiában (in Hungarian). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó. ISBN 978-963-05-8295-7. The title means "Shamans in Eurasia", the book is written in Hungarian, but it is published also in German, Estonian and Finnish. Site of publisher with short description on the book (in Hungarian)

Kleivan, Inge; B. Sonne (1985). Eskimos: Greenland and Canada. Iconography of religions, section VIII, "Arctic Peoples", fascicle 2. Leiden, The Netherlands: Institute of Religious Iconography * State University Groningen. E.J. Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-07160-5.

Merkur, Daniel (1985). Becoming Half Hidden: Shamanism and Initiation among the Inuit. Acta Universitatis Stockholmiensis * Stockholm Studies in Comparative Religion. Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell. ISBN 978-91-22-00752-4.

Klemp, Harold (2003). Past Lives, Dreams, and Soul Travel. Eckankar. Minneapolis, MN. [Eckankar Web site: http://www.eckankar.org]: Eckankar. ISBN 978-1-57043-182-1.

Roi, Alex. Astral Projection and Lucid Dreams, [Web site=http://www.howtoluciddreamsfast.org].

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Astral projection (or astral travel), is a term used in esotericism to describe an intentional out-of-body experience (OBE) that assumes the existence of a soul called an " astral body" that is separate from the physical body and capable of travelling outside it throughout the universe.

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People believe ghosts are real and are caused by dead people's souls and characteristics that are left on earth. People think this, but there is no real evidence of ghosts being real.

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The Earth is not flat —it's a sphere, and there's strong evidence to prove it. Photos from space, the curved shadow Earth casts during lunar eclipses, time zones, how ships disappear over the horizon, flight paths, and the way gravity works all support a round Earth. The flat Earth idea simply doesn't match the facts.

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Vaccine will not keep you safe because most people took a COVID vaccine and still got sick it even made some sicker.

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Angel numbers are repeating numbers, such as 111, 222, or 444, that are believed to carry spiritual or symbolic meaning. They are thought to be messages or guidance from a higher power, often referred to as angels or the universe. These numbers are believed to appear repeatedly in various places, such as on clocks, license plates, or receipts, to get your attention and convey a message.

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The Flat Earth theory is the belief that Earth is not a sphere, but a flat object, like a disk or a plane. However, the Flat Earth idea saw a revival in Europe during the Dark Ages, linked to some interpretations of biblical texts.The Age of Discovery helped solidify the round Earth model in the popular consciousness.The concept of a flat Earth is not considered scientific because it lacks the empirical evidence and testability required by the scientific method. In contrast, the spherical shape of Earth is supported by a vast body of evidence, both historical and modern, gathered through observations and experiments.

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Astrology is basically a system that studies how the position and movements of planets or stars might influence people lives on Earth. Astrology is not scientific because of the lack of evidence and it basically just relies on claims that are false and it doesn't follow the scientific method.

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Tarot, Zodiac, Astrology & Horoscopes | Astrology.com

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Astrology.com provides free daily horoscopes, online tarot readings, psychic readings, Chinese astrology, Vedic Astrology, Mayan Astrology, Numerology, Feng Shui, zodiac 101, sun sign compatibility and video horoscopes.

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Paranormal activity is widely considered pseudoscience. While many people believe in paranormal phenomena like ghosts, ESP, and psychic abilities, these claims are not supported by scientific evidence and often lack the rigor of scientific investigation. Many purported paranormal events can be explained by natural phenomena, psychological factors, or even outright fraud.

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The theory here is that the Earth is 100% flat but there is no scientific research to back up the claim although many believed this to be fact in ancient civilizations. modern day scientist claim and have proven why the Earth is round time and time again.

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Rapper B.o.B. has caused a furore by tweeting that the Earth is in fact flat, and you only need to look at the evidence to come to the same conclusion. Obviously, prominent scientists have openly mocked this claim, showing the many ways in which it is ludicrous, no matter how many people insist otherwise. They're right though; sadly. B.o.B. is wrong. His nonsense claims, such as the idea that Earth's curvature should be visible at certain distances but isn't, are just that: nonsense. His comments and insistent statements are little more than childish naivety. In truth, the conspiracy goes much, much deeper than that.

For example, the Earth really is flat. As in totally flat, like a sheet of glass. The definition of flat is "having a level surface; without raised areas or indentations". So how can you have tall buildings and mountains if the Earth is flat? You can't. Q.E.D. It would be like saying a hedgehog is flat, which, barring an unfortunate encounter with a heavy goods vehicle, it clearly isn't.

Some might take issue with this, based on the flimsy evidence that they can see buildings, hills, trees, mountains and things like that everywhere, and may even be in or on them right now. This is just another example of how blinkered people are. If you look closely, the clues are everywhere.

There's no such thing as a mountain, they're just optical illusions caused by light refracting off all the mind-altering chemicals in the air. Photograph: PR

For instance, what's the tallest supposed mountain on Earth? Everest. Except it isn't. The name is a giveaway; it's clearly a morphing of "never rest", because if you wanted to go to the biggest mountain you'd literally never rest, because it isn't actually there. What about all those people who have climbed it, you say? Well, consider all the people who have died supposedly doing so. How do you die climbing something that isn't there? You can't. They were obviously killed to protect the conspiracy, whereas those who "survived" were willing to play ball.

And if that isn't clear enough, pretty much everyone who attempts to climb Everest takes oxygen with them. Why would you do that when there's oxygen all around us, in the air? Wherever they're going, it isn't on Earth. You know where you do need oxygen, though? THE MOON! That's where they're going. So-called mountaineers are being sent to the moon in order to fake climbing Everest. This is why Nasa had to fake the moon landing with astronauts, because it was already full of mountaineers and they couldn't risk exposing that conspiracy. See how it all adds up?

Some might still object, because they're currently sitting in a tall building. They're not though, they only "think" they are. In truth, everyone is breathing in a potent mix of hallucinogens that are constantly in the air around us, and these cause us to perceive buildings and tall things where there are none. How did these hallucinogens get in the air? Well, that's what chemtrails are actually for.

Good evening, your majesty. Photograph: Chris Davis/Amphibian and Reptil/PA

Don't worry, these hallucinogenic compounds aren't provided by evil "Big Pharma"; they're actually secreted by the shape-shifting lizards that rule society. Why do you think lizards are in charge in the first place? They provide the secretions that keep the population in line, believing in things like the Earth is round and buildings exist. The few times people have actually tried to make a tall building like the World Trade Centre, it is destroyed by the government.

Some refer to " false flags" at times like this. In truth, all flags are false; they're non-existent tall structures, so are just figments of our collective imagination.

This leads us on to other considerations though, like how thick is the Earth? It may be totally flat, but nobody said it's two-dimensional. It must have a thickness, because we can go underground or underwater. Unlike mountains, the oceans are clearly real, because otherwise where did Atlantis go?

The deepest part of the ocean we know about is the Mariana trench, a full 7 miles down. This means the Earth is at least 7 miles thick, and probably a lot more so, because that's a lot of water on top of it and it would need to be solid enough to keep it all in, lest all of the seas leak out of the bottom of the world. This clearly isn't happening, even if you do ignore the nonsense that is rising sea levels due to global warming. How can you have global warming without a globe to warm? Hoisted by your own petard there, scientists!

Maybe the world is as thick as it is wide, and is actually a cube? Scientists scoff at this notion, arguing that gravity would mean the atmosphere would be much thicker at the centre of the each surface and nearly barren at the poles. But have you noticed how the atmosphere is much more humid at the so-called "equator" yet the poles are practically lifeless? Coincidence? OBVIOUSLY NOT!

When you follow this train of logic, it becomes clear that the only feasible conclusion is that Earth is indeed flat. Flatter than anyone has ever expected.

Either that, or the human brain has a habit of looking for patterns in innocuous or coincidental occurrences, ascribing great significance to any connection it can find and trying to make sense of them despite the absence of any concrete evidence. But seriously, that's a bit of a far-fetched claim isn't it?
Dean Burnett covers the neurological mechanisms leading to conspiracy theories and more in his debut book The Idiot Brain, He is on Twitter: @garwboy
The Idiot Brain by Dean Burnett (Guardian Faber, £12.99). To order a copy for £7.99, go to bookshop.theguardian.com or call 0330 333 6846. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. Phone orders min. p&p of £1.99.

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Why the Earth is actually 100% flat | Dean Burnett

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Dean Burnett: Rapper B.o.B. has been criticised for publicly insisting the Earth is flat. You may think his claims are ludicrous, but the truth is: they don't go far enough

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a system of alternative medicine developed in Germany over 200 years ago.

Extreme dilution: Homeopathic remedies are made through a process of repeated dilution and shaking (succussion)

Contradiction of scientific laws: This extreme dilution goes against established principles of chemistry, physics, biochemistry, and biology

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Abstract

Despite overwhelming evidence that it is neither effective nor rational, homeopathy still persists. We need a broad debate to discuss its damaging effects on public health and science itself.

Subject Categories: S&S: Health & Disease; S&S: History & Philosophy of Science; S&S: Politics, Policy & Law

Homeopathy is a medical system devised by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843; Fig 1), who first postulated it at the end of the 18 th century and codified it in 1810 in the first edition of his Organon. It arose during the transition period from the ancient teachings-theories about the deficiency or excess of four bodily fluids or theories about "corrupted juices"-and the beginning of the scientific age, unlike most pre‐scientific medical theories, has survived until this day. One of the reasons for its persistence is the fact that homeopathy was much less intrusive and harsh and did not harm patients as other drastic cures of that time did.

Figure 1.

Samuel Hahnemann first postulated homeopathy at the end of the 18th century-unlike most pre‐scientific medical theories, it has survived to this day.

(Figure Credit: Wikipedia/L.B Wellcome.)

The almost unanimous view of the scientific community is that the basic assumptions on which homeopathy rests are either refuted or implausible.

As a result of its survival, homeopathy has repeatedly come into conflict with science and modern medicine: By the criteria of modern, evidence‐based medicine, it is not efficient at all and should not be practiced. However, its adherents and practitioners persist that homeopathy is effective, using different, often contradictory arguments to try to demonstrate its validity. On the one hand, they bend and interpret studies to the effect that homeopathy does have an impact beyond the placebo effect and clamor for its recognition by the scientific and medical community. On the other hand, adherents of Hahnemann's method are quick to dismiss science and evidence‐based medicine altogether as being insufficient to explain its effect. This is not just an example of several cognitive biases, but it has real and serious consequences. If patients or their parents refuse medical treatment in lieu of homeopathy, it can prolong sickness and suffering and even cause death. It wastes valuable healthcare resources that are lacking elsewhere. And by subverting science and the scientific method, it feeds to the dangerous rise of post‐science, post‐truth attitudes that slowly degrade trust in scientific institutions and science itself.

The basic assumptions of homeopathy

The almost unanimous view of the scientific community is that the basic assumptions on which homeopathy rests are either refuted or implausible. First, the principle of similarity is a pre‐scientific premise that today has no scientific evidence or support. Hahnemann, like his entire generation of physicians, was strongly influenced by various forms of the ancient principle of similarity, beginning with a primitive "magic of similarity" up to the signature doctrine of Middle Age medicine and the early modern period. In essence, similarity is a teleological‐anthropocentric concept: External similarities of things occurring in nature were "sensuously" related to corresponding human categories. Thus, the walnut had to be effective for treating diseases of the brain, since its shape resembles the human brain. Similarly, beans were thought to have healing powers for kidney diseases. Even pure name similarities were sufficient to consolidate contexts of meaning. Man's natural tendency to put seemingly similar things into context was a characteristic attempt at rationalization in pre‐scientific times to protect one's self‐image from feeling completely arbitrary.

Homeopathy has been marketed offensively as a gentle medicine free of side effects and in line with natural medicines - which it is obviously not

From these primitive forms of the similarity principle, Hahnemann developed his idea that a substance that triggers a disease in a healthy person should be able to cure the same disease in a sick person. This school of thought had existed before: There had already been arguments about the value of similia for drugs, from which Hahnemann drew his inspiration (William Cullen and John Brown; De curatione per similia (Treatment according to the similarity principle) by Michael Alberti). Undoubtedly, Paracelsus had great influence on Hahnemann too. It is therefore not surprising that Hahnemann based his ideas on a misinterpretation of an experiment that might have determined his fixation on the principle of similarity: After he ingested cinchona bark, he observed the very same symptoms that were otherwise fought with quinine.

Another pillar of homeopathy-based on the principle of similarity-is testing drugs on healthy people, which was a completely new idea. Hahnemann thought he only needed to a test a certain substance on healthy people to see which symptoms they developed after taking it. This would inevitably lead him to the conclusion that this substance would equally be suitable as a remedy for patients with the same symptoms.

Of course, this does not show a cause-effect relationship, because of the false premise of the principle of similarity and because the substance is not tested for treating pathological symptoms. But such drug trials also do not hold up to today's standards. The test persons often take the substances over a longer period and record all changes and symptoms at all levels for subsequent evaluation. How could this show a reliable causality between ingestion of the test substance and all possible changes of state? Indeed, large‐scale tests against placebo have revealed no correlations between the reports of the test persons.

The third pillar of homeopathy is the one that has met the most intense criticism from science. It is the assumption that a "spiritual healing power" is transferred from the original substance into the solvent by a dilution process called "potentiation" that is accompanied by ritual shaking blows. This "spiritual healing power" is intended to bring an "out‐of‐tune" spiritual life force in a sick person back to the "normal state" by causing an "artificial disease". This is an occult‐vitalistic idea of illness and its causes that had definitively become untenable from a scientific point of view with Rudolf Virchow's discovery of cellular pathology 1 a few years after Hahnemann's death.

Homeopaths often speak of "energy" or "information" that is released during potentiation and passed into the solvent. However, this contradicts physical and chemical principles where an amplification of effect with increasing dilution is completely unheard of. The potentiation increasing in steps of 10 or 100 quickly leads to dilutions that contain no pharmacologically effective amount of the primary substance while, at the same time, the impurities in the solvent exceed the proportion of the primary substance. Potencies of 30C-a dilution of the original substance by the ratio of 1:10 ⁶⁰-are widely used in classical homeopathy and much higher dilutions are not unusual. The principle of potentiation, to obtain anything "more" than the starting material as a result of a dilution process, contradicts the second principle of thermodynamics while the use of highly diluted solutions contradicts the dose‐to‐effect relationship and the law of mass action 2.

Homeopathy and scientific reality

Despite the fact that homeopathy's assumptions are not supported by scientific evidence, homeopathy exists, and it is even supported by the healthcare systems of many countries 3. In Germany, its country of origin, it is even privileged by law and approved for statutory health insurance reimbursements. Homeopathic sales in Germany amount to hundreds of millions of Euro (according to German Federal Association of Pharmaceutical Companies); in the United States, they amount to around three billion dollars according to Food and Drug Administration, a threefold increase during the past 10 years. The German medical profession officially grants an "additional homeopathy designation" through training under the direction of the German Central Association of Homeopathic Doctors. Approximately 7,000 physicians have this designation and are entitled to offer homeopathy with statutory health insurance. It means that many physicians in Germany practice evidence‐based medicine alongside an unproven sham method.

It is a pragmatic principle of evidence‐based medicine to examine therapeutic methods independently of their initial plausibility to determine whether their specific effectiveness can be proven. Before a drug candidate is allowed on the market, it has undergone extensive studies and tests to demonstrate both its specific efficacy and its safety. There are hundreds of studies on the efficacy of homeopathy of different quality, which homeopaths use to clamor for reputation. However, it is no longer standard of proof to rely on a single study, but to demand successful reproduction and/or meta‐analyses or reviews to obtain reliable information. Since 1991, 10 such reviews have been published 4, including by representatives of the homeopathic scene. Although some of the results are euphemistically formulated, none of these reviews found any indication of sound evidence for homeopathy's effectiveness. The largest review conducted on homeopathy to date by the Australian health authority NHMRC in 2015 came to the conclusion that "Based on the assessment of the evidence of effectiveness of homeopathy, NHMRC concludes that there are no health conditions for which there is reliable evidence that homeopathy is effective" 5. These results do not differ from those carried out by homeopath's own reviews ( Mathie 2014, 2017, 2018 6). The European Academies' Science Advisory Council (EASAC) 2017 verdict on homeopathy is as follows: "Scientific mechanisms of action-where we conclude that the claims for homeopathy are implausible and inconsistent with established scientific concepts. Clinical efficacy-we acknowledge that a placebo effect may appear in individual patients but we agree with previous extensive evaluations concluding that there are no known diseases for which there is robust, reproducible evidence that homeopathy is effective beyond the placebo effect" 6. As Edzard Ernst put it, "The debate about homeopathy is over" 7.

The longing for scientific reputation

But this has not stopped the homeopathic scene to try to present "scientific" proof or to hide the lack of such proof behind apparently spectacular "research". These attempts aim to demonstrate that homeopathic high potencies exhibit "specificities" against the solvent despite the absence of molecules of the original substance. These efforts are generally referred to as "high‐dilution research". It is abundant with catchwords such as "water memory", "nanoparticles", "subtleness" or "vibration transmission" that are often construed to refer to "quantum‐physical effects" but without plausible explanation. Among the best known and disproved projects of this kind are those of Benveniste ( 8 and http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/horizon/2002/homeopathytrans.shtml) and Montagnier et al 9, 10, the latter of which has been overinterpreted by homeopaths according to the author.

The notion that homeopathy is an alternative to medicine is more based on ideology, faith and belief than on rationality

All this, however, does not address the basic problem, namely the lack of proof of a specific medical effect. What is the value of measuring a small thermoluminescence deviation between pure solvent and a solution diluted beyond the Avogadro limit for the assertion that a globule, sprayed with 0.001 g of this solution, is an efficient malaria prophylaxis? There is neither a causal nor a logical connection between this measurement and the homeopathic postulate. High‐dilution research is a logical impasse, because it cannot prove the physiological effectiveness of high potencies in the human body, nor addresses the false premise of the principle of similarity, nor the arbitrariness of homeopathic drug testing. The desire to achieve scientific recognition in particular seems to obscure this.

"Dogmatism" and "pluralism" in science

The representatives of homeopathy have also looked for support from the theory of science in order to dismiss criticism from the scientific community. They claim that the principles of critical rationalism and the scientific method for obtaining knowledge through falsification are "dogmatic"; instead, they seek to legitimize homeopathy by embracing "scientific pluralism", which would include "alternative forms of medicine" or even "alternative ways of doing science". Such demands for alternatives to medicine and to science are just absurd calls for complete arbitrariness.

"Pluralism of science" is an outdated concept from the 1990s that arose in opposition to the emerging principle of evidence‐based medicine, which many physicians initially saw as a restriction of freedom to prescribe a therapeutic action. But there is a clear distinction between effective and ineffective, between proven and unproven, which leaves little room for "pluralism". Science is not pluralistic, but pragmatic: It uses the scientific method as the most reliable and proven approach to separate knowledge from myths and speculations. The homeopathy lobby's call for an "alternative concept of science" is therefore a fundamental attack on science per se. It defines arbitrariness as freedom and thus misuses a rational approach to gather evidence and gain knowledge. Furthermore, the fact that homeopaths also clamor for scientific reputation and repeatedly claim that the effectiveness of their method has been proven by scientific studies shows a remarkable cognitive dissonance.

The "social reputation" of homeopathy and the public opinion

The most important point though is the practical and social aspects of homeopathy, in particular the question why its counterfactual attitude is still alive and growing? An essential reason is that homeopathy has been marketed offensively as a gentle medicine free of side effects and in line with natural medicines-which it is obviously not. Hahnemann conceived it as a specific drug therapy that, apart from its speculative and esoteric parts, is conceptually far closer to pharmacy than classical naturopathy. Nonetheless, this gentle, natural image, combined with a critique of established medicine, makes homeopathy an attractive alternative for its disciples and adherents.

This does not mean that homeopathy does not use the veil of science for advertising. As the reviews and meta‐analyses do not support any of homeopath's claims, campaigns, often in the form of branded contents in high‐circulation periodicals, usually cite authorities of the homeopathic scene, who assure the public with pseudo‐scientific gestures that the method is both proven and effective. The manufacturers of homeopathic remedies, however, focus primarily on the emotional aspect: "gentle, natural, free of side effects and well‐tried", skipping the problem of lack of evidence. A more recent strategy is to oppose the increasing criticism of homeopathy by appealing to patients' personal responsibility for their health and by "advocating the freedom of therapy".

Homeopathy is an example of how a lack of understanding of how science and the scientific method work contributes to beliefs that can have drastic consequences for patients

In Germany, where homeopathy is well established, the past 3 years have seen an increasing public debate about homeopathy, not least prompted by my first book " Homöopathie neu gedacht" (Homeopathy reconsidered), first published in 2015 (now available in English). Our "Information Network Homeopathy", a non‐profit organization, is reaching more and more interested parties with information via the web and especially social media. Healthcare facilities and institutions have also become partners in this discourse. My personal experience is that many people are interested in reliable and comprehensive information about homeopathy. But the vehemence with which homeopathic practitioners and users are defending the method is just as remarkable. The character of homeopathy as a doctrine of faith becomes clear in these discussions-and the homeopathy lobby relies on the solidarity of their believers.

And here lies the fundamental problem: The notion that homeopathy is an alternative to medicine is more based on ideology, faith, and belief than on rationality. The discourse between supporters and critics does not take place on the same level. It is rarely possible to reach out to convinced supporters of homeopathy with factual information, even if such information often meets open ears among those still undecided or uninformed.

Impact of homeopathy on the public health and on the perception of science

Homeopathy cannot be regarded as medicine because it cannot prove specific efficacy beyond context effects, such as the placebo effect. Nevertheless, it is established and even privileged in Germany by pharmaceutical law, and, unlike normal pharmaceutical products, it does not have to demonstrate efficacy for market access. This privileged treatment is mainly the result of intensive lobbying. This situation has contributed significantly to the "social reputation" of homeopathy, the "appearance of credibility". In the meantime, a paralyzing status quo has emerged. On the one hand, public confidence in homeopathy is largely based on this statutory privileged status; on the other hand, it is precisely this public confidence that prevents political decisions to remove homeopathy from the public health system. It is regrettable that, so far, German health policy has not followed the development of other European countries where homeopathy either is no longer supported by public health systems or who consider removing it from public health reimbursement schemes. Are on their way there. After all, there is substantial evidence and statements by scientific boards that show homeopathy's claims are not based on evidence. This is where the efforts of critics come in, as the situation can only change by providing the public and politicians with reliable information and facts. We critics are also concerned that the popularity of homeopathy promotes a latent or open hostility to science. Criticism of homeopathic as well as pseudo‐medicine in general thus helps to differentiate between facts and opinion, and, above all, to make clear that science is not an ideology, but a proven and reliable method for the acquisition of knowledge.

Summary and outlook

Homeopathy is an example of how a lack of understanding of how science and the scientific method work contributes to beliefs that can have drastic consequences for patients. Similar mechanisms also affect other areas. The public opposition to green gene technology is another case where subjective opinions have trumped public debate at the expense of rationality. One particularly worrying trend is the highly virulent opposition to vaccines by a small but loud and persistent minority that is feeding an increasing scepticism about vaccination among the population despite an enormous wealth of scientific evidence that vaccines are safe and efficient. Again, rationality is suppressed by subjectivity, a latent distrust of science, and a misguided freedom to make health decisions not just individually but also for children.

Is it always hostility to science that feeds these beliefs? Partly, but often it is insufficient knowledge. Mainly, it is the clash of beliefs and personal worldviews with facts and evidence. To a certain extent, it is also a Zeitgeist, an exaggeration of individuality. This is not only a sociological phenomenon, but also a psychological one.

There is no magic formula to resolve this. But there are some crucial elements that are needed to address anti‐scientific beliefs: authoritative and objective public information, more efforts in science communication and science journalism, improvements in the education system, and above all political and social decisions based on rational criteria and not on political opportunism or economically motivated lobbying.

Modern cognitive psychology has developed the idea that individuality is an important guiding basis for deciding on actions. Albert Bandura (see Further reading) established the concept of self‐efficacy beliefs: That difficult situations and challenges can be successfully mastered by the individuals' own agency. The feeling of being able to determine the meaning and the course of one's life autonomously is therefore a reason for satisfaction. Even though it is a theory of behavioral change, it also helps to explain the exaggerations of the concept of individuality mentioned before. To what extent these self‐efficacy beliefs have a wider effect depends on the ability and willingness of the individual to recognize where subjectivity ends and intersubjectivity with the rest of the world begins.

If this limit is not recognized, the rest of the world is perceived as an obstacle that restricts individual self‐efficacy. This can help to explain an often determined and emotional refusal to acknowledge scientific facts if they are regarded as limiting one's agency. In medicine, which affects people on a very personal level, this can have a strong effect. The more pronounced the self‐efficacy beliefs, the greater the tendency to prefer and defend "individual" and "holistic" means and methods instead of established medicine. Criticism of pseudo‐medicine is therefore perceived as an attack on one's self‐efficacy beliefs. Since I have begun to openly criticize homeopathy, I have constantly encountered such reactions by homeopathic followers: They refuse to consider the inter‐subjective realm and insist on their self‐efficacy beliefs, which often turns into aggression. Although this is certainly only a partial explanation, it is a major obstacle to a rational dialogue. In my experience, it is almost impossible to discuss with people who are completely convinced of their beliefs.

There is no magic formula to resolve this. But there are some crucial elements that are needed to address anti‐scientific beliefs: authoritative and objective public information, more efforts in science communication and science journalism, improvements in the education system, and above all political and social decisions based on rational criteria and not on political opportunism or economically motivated lobbying. To improve both public and personal health will require the involvement of research, medicine, education, and health policy through public education campaigns and a more personalized approach to health by both physicians and patients. It will require scientific research to develop new medicines and therapies and to demonstrate their efficacy and safety. What it does not require is more pseudo‐medicine and anti‐scientific attitudes.

Further reading.

Grams N (2019) Homeopathy reconsidered what really helps patients ( Homöopathie neu gedacht - Was Patienten wirklich hilft.) Springer Nature Switzerland 2019 (2 nd edn); English edition published in January 2019 https://www.springer.com/de/book/9783030005085

Ernst E (2016) Homeopathy - the undiluted facts: including a comprehensive A‐Z Lexicon. Springer International Publishing

Kahneman D (2012) Thinking, fast and slow. Penguin, reprint edition

Bandura A (1977) Self‐efficacy: toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychol Rev 84: 191-215

Informationsnetzwerk Homöopathie (INH) https://www.netzwerk-homoeopathie.eu/neuigkeiten/156-short-english-version

EMBO Reports (2019) 20: e47761

References

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Homeopathy-where is the science? A current inventory on a pre‐scientific artifact

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Despite overwhelming evidence that it is neither effective nor rational, homeopathy still persists. We need a broad debate to discuss its damaging effects on public health and science itself. Subject Categories: S&S: Health & Disease; S&S: History & ...

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Numerology is a belief system that explores the mystical relationship between numbers and events, often used to gain insights into personality, relationships, and life paths. It's not scientific because it lacks scientific evidence and predictive power, relying instead on subjective interpretations and confirmation bias.

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In Numerology, there are myriad of numbers that have a significant impact on your life, but the most important and influential number in your personal Numerology is your Life Path number. Whether you're brand-new to Numerology or looking to expand your understanding of your Numerology chart, one of the best places to start is by revealing your Life Path number and its powerful role in your life...

Your Life Path number represents who you are at your core -- the person you are spending this lifetime learning to become. It is derived from the numbers of your birth date and influences you your entire life.

In some ways the Life Path number in Numerology is like the Sun sign in Astrology: It is an indicator of what is important to you, how you act and react, and how you process life. But do not think of your Life Path number as a simple list of traits that are meant to tell you exactly who you are.

While each Life Path number carries a unique set of both positive and negative traits, how they manifest is up to you. Life will present you with many chances to flex the muscles of your Life Path number, but you will be the one to choose whether to take the high road or the low road in each situation. The choice you make and the consequences it brings will help guide you in your next decision and so on. Each experience is a lesson in how to become your highest and most authentic self.

Select your date of birth:

How to calculate Life Path number

Your birth date is made up of three parts -- the month, day, and year -- and your Life Path number is essentially a sum of these numbers. However, you can't simply add up the whole string of numbers in your birth date -- this method makes it possible to end up with a Master Number Life Path when there isn't one, or for a Master Number to not appear when it actually should. In Numerology, the Master Numbers are the 11, 22, and 33, and these, along with the single digits 1-9, are the only possible Life Path numbers.

While there may be different methods showing how to calculate Life Path numbers, there is only one correct way to find your Life Path number. First you must reduce each of the three parts of your birthday to a single digit or Master Number, then add up THOSE digits to find your Life Path number. If you end up with a two-digit number that isn't one of the Master Numbers, keep reducing it until you get to a single digit. Let's try one:

Say your birthday is October 22, 1980, or 10-22-1980.
Step 1: Reduce the month
From the number 10, you add 1 + 0 and the result is 1.
Step 2: Reduce the date
22 is a Master Number, so we leave it as 22.
Step 3: Reduce the year
1 + 9 + 8 + 0 = 18, which is still double digits and is not a Master Number, so we reduce it further. 1 + 8 = 9.
Step 4: Add the three resulting numbers and reduce them to a single digit or Master Number
1 + 22 + 9 = 32.

3 + 2 = 5. The Life Path for this birth date is 5.

Life Path number meaning

Now that you know how to find YOUR Life Path Number, begin uncovering what that Life Path number really means for you...

Life Path number 1

People born with a Life Path number 1 are on a lifelong mission to exert their independence and step into their personal power. They carry a natural air of authority as a leader who likes to be the first to try something new. A strong desire for manifestation keeps them moving and improving.

People with a Numerology Life Path 1 are born to act quickly and have no problem changing course and starting down a new path. A secret fear of failure makes them ultra-driven in every endeavor they pursue and will often make them victorious. As soon as one finish line is reached, they are already running toward another.

A feeling of isolation may follow people with this Life Path, but it's also what helps them make progress. Cooperating with other people in romantic relationships or teamwork settings can be difficult for number 1 people, who prefer to go their own way. They don't identify much with others' pursuits and only feel free when they are unattached. A thriving love life is not usually one of their goals.

The Life Path 1 in Numerology likes to move quickly and this can come across as impatience or short-sightedness to others. However, it's this trait that makes people with a 1 Life Path number the early birds who are the first to take advantage new opportunities and the first to reap the rewards. While other people are weighing their options and making long-term plans, those with a Life Path 1 are already in motion, confident they can make things up as they go along.
Reveal the profound impact having a 1 Life Path has on YOU "
Life Path number 2

People that were born with a 2 Life Path are blessed with beautiful hearts that they use to bring beautiful relationships into their lives.

From romantic and business partnerships to family and friendships, these bonds are the most valuable thing in life to a person with a Life Path 2. They thrive in being part of a team and will do everything in their power to make it a happy, easy, and successful union. They are incredibly giving and do well at creating long-lasting connections with others.

Every action and decision of a person with a Life Path number 2 is geared at creating a harmonious existence. From the professional path they choose to who they surround themselves with to their spiritual pursuits, it's all driven by a desire for peace. To this end, however, 2 people can be so passive that they miss out on their full potential. Whether this means staying silent about things that upset them or not asking for a raise or promotion to avoid rocking the boat, people with this Life Path can suffer from never putting their needs first.

The subconscious mind is extremely powerful for a person born with a 2 Life Path. They may often just "know" things about people they meet or be able to sense the undercurrent of a situation before it reveals itself. This level of intuition allows people with a number Life Path number 2 to get in front of problems and address them before they start to throw things off balance. In relationships, the ability to sense what another person is thinking or feeling gives these people an understanding, compassionate quality that makes others feel nurtured.
Reveal the profound impact having a 2 Life Path has on YOU "
Life Path number 3

Charming, romantic, and full of creative energy, people who were born with a 3 Life Path number know how to embrace life! They tend to see the world through rose-colored lenses where everything looks like an opportunity and the chances for expression and enjoyment are endless. They have a tendency to be skilled communicators and have a knack for coming up with and sharing brilliant ideas. The Life Path 3 makes an excellent journalist, blogger, social media influencer, or author.

People with a Life Path number 3 enjoy an active social life where they can interact with others often. From the moment of birth, their light is warm and exciting and draws many friends and admirers. They tend to be extroverted and embrace any opportunity to show off their original thoughts and stand-out personality. They have a way with words and can charm their way into anyone's heart.

But while Life Path 3 people are great at attracting others, forming real, deep bonds is the difficult part. They want to keep things fun and new but feel they have to give that up if they make themselves vulnerable to intimacy. Those with this Life Path live in the moment, so the idea of committing to anything long-term can be a daunting one.

A person with this Life Path number is very fun to be around, but could also benefit from embracing a deeper, more spiritual side of life. While those with a 3 Life Path truly enjoy who they are and what they do, there's a more meaningful level of experience and emotion that people with this Life Path may never even know exists. It's an untapped well of ideas to explore and engage with if they will muster up the courage to go to a deeper, more spiritual level.

Though people born with a Life Path number 3 will be dealt both joy and hardship just like the rest of us, their unique way of thinking and dedication to happiness allow them to always see the silver lining. The power of positivity goes a long way for people with this Life Path.
Reveal the profound impact having a 3 Life Path has on YOU "
Life Path number 4

Dedicated, patient, down to earth, and hard-working, people with a 4 Life Path number are a great source of stability in our world. They aren't interested in rocking the boat because they know that constant, steady effort is the surest path to their goals. Life Path 4 people are consistent in their methods and their moods and they keep themselves composed. They experience a range of emotions just like everyone else, but their practical way of processing their feelings keeps them from going to extremes.

With a wide range of knowledge, Life Path number 4 people are natural teachers. They are confident in what they know and speak with such clarity and authority that others accept what they say. They need to remember, though, that they are also students and that there is always, always more to learn. Life Path 4 people tend to make firm decisions about what is "right" and close the door on anything new or different. Stuck with outdated methods and old information, these people may come up short of their true potential.

In relationships, people with a 4 Life Path are honest, loyal, and committed, and they need the same from a partner. Trust and fidelity are vital to them and its important they find someone who shares their religious perspectives and values. 4 people will not waste their time with someone they're not compatible with, but when they find that special someone, they work hard to make the relationship successful and are in it for the long haul. Though a relationship with a Life Path number 4 person won't be the most exciting one, it is sure to be stable and prosperous.
Reveal the profound impact having a 4 Life Path has on YOU "
Life Path number 5

People with a 5 Life Path number are on a lifelong adventure. They are ready for anything and want to soak up every experience this world has to offer. Life Path number 5 people tend to learn by living and don't allow themselves to get stuck in any situation that has outworn its interest. The moment things start to get humdrum, a person with this Life Path will move on to something more fascinating.

Routine is unbearable to people with a Life Path 5, so typical 9-5 jobs are not appealing to them. Though they will change their career path many times throughout life, positions that allow them the freedom to make their own decisions will be the most satisfying. And whether on the job or off, making time for travel will be key to feeling fulfilled for those with this Life Path.

Meeting new people is no problem for a person with this Life Path number -- they are very social creatures by nature and enjoy engaging with others. What is more difficult for these people is maintaining friendships and romantic relationships beyond the initial stages. They have a tendency to lose interest and bow out before there's a chance to make a deeper connection. When they are in a relationship, people with a Life Path number 5 make exciting partners who want to show and share everything with their companion. However, their fickle and flighty nature makes it tough to ever really get close.

If there's one thing a Life Path 5 person's life will never be, it's boring. To them, life is about experimenting and engaging and learning and enjoying and they can't wait to take it all in each and every day. Anyone with the 5 Life Path doesn't always know exactly where they're going, but they're guaranteed an epic journey.
Reveal the profound impact having a 5 Life Path has on YOU "
Life Path number 6

People born with a Life Path 6 embrace their emotions and lead with their heart. They give off a warm and inviting energy that others want to be around. They enjoy many rich relationships throughout their life, both romantic and friendly. Whether these Life Path people encounter someone who is just like them or someone who is entirely different, they will treat them the same: with kindness, respect, and support. Some Life Path numbers only see black and white, but the Life Path number 6 can see and accept the infinite shades of grey between.

With a natural ability to connect with others and offer aid and advice, 6 people do well as professional counselors, mentors, and teachers. These people are also natural humanitarians, eager to speak up, raise funds, and offer emotional support and protection for those that need it. This Life Path truly embraces the meaning of "A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle." They have an infinite well of love to give, and they know the world could use it.

The love life of a person born with a 6 Life Path number is deep and romantic. They are refreshing to partners who may be used to lovers who don't relate as well to their feelings. Though not every relationship can be a lifelong one, 6 Life Path people are devoted to love and harmony and committed to making things last. What these people need to remember, however, is that they are also individuals. It may be noble to sacrifice oneself to love, but it's not healthy. People with a Life Path number 6 must remember to direct the same attention they give others onto themselves. Only then will they feel truly, universally balanced.
Reveal the profound impact having a 6 Life Path has on YOU "
Life Path number 7

People born with a Life Path 7 are eternal students of the universe. They are introspective individuals with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and they enjoy looking into the inner workings of things. Someone with this Life Path is a true thinker who lets their mind lead the way. Pretty much from the moment of birth, they are able to skillfully combine the exacting side of their brain with their divine intuitive side to learn about, process, and make sense of life itself.

The 7 Life Path in Numerology is smart in a knowledgeable way, yet wise in a spiritual way. People with this Life Path number enjoy gaining book smarts, but they are also more connected to their higher self than most and have great access to this inner wisdom. While they are spiritual creatures, though, Life Path 7 people don't tend to be the religious type. Strict doctrines that don't make room for new information are a turn-off to these inquisitive folk.

Similar to The Hermit in a Tarot deck, people born with a Life Path number 7 often go it alone. They like the freedom of not having to explain themselves and enjoy the control and possibility of solitude. Their social circle tends to be a small one made up of people with like-minded interests. They may come across to the world as a bit awkward in groups or when meeting new people. Romantically, people with this Life Path may find it hard to connect on an emotional level with others. They love the part of getting to know someone, asking questions and exchanging answers, but often lack the interest or ability to build a heartfelt bond.

Professions that require research and problem-solving skills are a perfect fit for those with a Life Path 7. If given a quiet space to think and work, they'll dive deeper than anyone into a problem and come out with the most valuable and viable solution. Their analytical powers are off the charts and these skills make them an asset to any project or team.
Reveal the profound impact having a 7 Life Path has on YOU "
Life Path number 8

The Life Path number 8 personality is one of hard work and hard lessons. People born with this Life Path number get their worth from accomplishing great things -- the bigger the goal, the more satisfying it feels when they achieve it. Money and material goods are important to them because they are rewards and reminders of all the effort put in. People with this Life Path direct all their energy into creating a life of success and abundance.

Dealing with people in positions of authority is often tough for people born with an 8 Life Path number. Because they are leaders themselves and are supremely confident in their abilities, they don't take kindly to being told what to do -- especially if it goes against what they would choose to do. Life Path 8 people, too, can also come across as authoritative and must learn that all relationships are about harmony.

With all the work these Life path people put into reaching their goals and feeling accomplished, they would be wise to pay attention to their health. Stress is the all-too-familiar enemy of those born with the 8 Life Path number and, if allowed, it will slow down or deter these people on their path to reaching their goals. Making time for meditation, friendship, and enjoyable pursuits helps to bring things back into balance. Health is wealth, so maintaining a healthy lifestyle should be a top priority.

When it comes to relationships, people with an 8 Life Path will put in the same work and dedication that they put into everything else. They do well in long-term situations, but these relationships may look more like business arrangements than passionate love affairs. Life Path number 8 people see themselves as providers and willingly take on the role of supporting a partner or family. They know they are self-sufficient, but when they see that they are prosperous enough to also provide for loved ones, to them, that's proof of success.
Reveal the profound impact having an 8 Life Path has on YOU "
Life Path number 9

There's a special kind of magic that follows people born with a 9 Life Path number. They embody the wisdom of a sage, but not by chance -- they have fought their way through many challenges to reach this point and have gained immeasurable strength and awareness along the way. Life Path number 9 people will often find themselves in a position of providing support and advice and this feels natural to them. The knowledge they have gained can be incredibly valuable to others on their own journeys.

A person who is born with a Life Path 9 tends to be spiritual and connects deeply with religion. Whether it stems from a need for strength during times of struggle or a natural desire to relate to something greater than themselves, Life Path number 9 people often seek courage and meaning from a higher source. Intuitions and gut reactions may even outweigh logic. This connection to the divine gives these people a safety net of confidence as they continue to make their way through life's good times and bad.

People with a Life Path 9 may feel a great devotion to their fellow man. They are humanitarians by nature and use their big hearts to support those who have been made to feel inequal or unworthy. But because 9 Life Path people have become so accustomed to enduring their own challenges, others may not notice when they are in need and, unfortunately, they have a very difficult time asking for help. People with this Life Path number must realize that assistance is part of a cycle of give and take, and with as much support as they give, it's their karmic responsibility to receive support in return.
Reveal the profound impact having a 9 Life Path has on YOU "
Life Path number 11

People with an 11 Life Path are unbelievably intuitive and may even exhibit psychic abilities. Their purpose is to use these gifts to better humanity, but it could take a long time before people born with this Life Path number to truly understand the power they possess.

Having any Master Number as a Life Path number can come with its own complications. In the case of Life Path number 11, confidence and worry can plague those born with it. This can mean that people with an 11 Life Path struggle with trusting and sharpening their unique skills. But, if they can overcome this, they will be able to channel their intuition and maximize their emotional awareness of the world around them.

Those with a Life Path 11 can become incredibly spiritual, especially since these energies are coursing their veins every single day. They usually believe in a higher power -- but that has more to do with accessing higher truths about life than following the dogma of organized religion.

Someone with a Life Path 11 are beautiful souls, which easily attracts others to them. The 11 Life Path does well in relationships because they are usually very attuned to their partner's emotions, anticipating what their significant other needs before they do.

In order to fulfill their Master Number potential, they must not turn their backs on their special abilities or they will face inner turmoil. Having a Life Path number 11 people must lean into their life purpose by harnessing their psychic skills. By doing so, they will reach incredible spiritual enlightenment.
Reveal the profound impact having an 11 Life Path has on YOU "
Life Path number 22

The 22 Life Path is called the "Master Builder" because it has a very special power to turn nebulous dreams into concrete realities. These people are spiritually connected and feel both a responsibility and a burden to use their cosmic gift to better the future of our world. And though it may take years to master to their life purpose, what a 22 Life Path can achieve is exceptional.

One of the things that set a Life Path 22 apart from others is their extreme dedication. They aren't afraid of putting in the hard work -- but this isn't about climbing the corporate ladder. They feel an allegiance to others, working hard to be of service to others and improving humankind in some way. This can lead to a fear of failure, but they can turn this around and use it as motivation to keep pushing forward.

Those with a Life Path number 22 are not only able to lead themselves, but others as well. They don't rely on their emotions, but this can come at a cost as they sometimes come across as "all work and no play." However, they understand the value of cooperation and know that those who go far go together.

Fulfillment for someone with a Master Number 22 comes in the form of seeing how their hard work has come to fruition. Their ambition is unmatched, and nobody sets the bar higher than they do, so they need to know they've done a good job. By embracing their abilities and knowledge, they will be able to do just that.
Reveal the profound impact having a 22 Life Path has on YOU "
Life Path number 33

Birthdays that add up to a Life Path 33 are very rare -- it takes a specific and uncommon combination of numbers in a person's birth date to add up to this number. Anyone born with this Life Path number are known as "Master Teachers." They are healers and great spiritual leaders devoted to showing others how to connect to their own heart and consciousness.

One of the most common traits for a Life Path number 33 is altruism. Their selfless spirit makes them excellent partners, as they are able to listen with intention and offer unparalleled emotional support.

Being born with a Life Path 33 can feel like both a blessing and a curse. Individuals with this Life Path can experience a level of spiritual understanding and empathy that most others couldn't begin to comprehend. However, in order for them to achieve this, they must face a series of obstacles throughout their lives that will test them. One of their greatest lessons is to heal themselves before they can exercise their power of healing others.

While it can take almost their entire lives to master being a Life Path number 33, all the work will be worth the self-actualization that people with this Life Path number are able to achieve.
Reveal the profound impact having a 33 Life Path has on YOU "

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Life Path Number: How to Calculate and Its Meaning

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Your Life Path number is the most important number in your personal Numerology! Your Life Path number influences your entire life because it's who you are at your core, and who you're learning to become in this lifetime. Find your Life Path number and reveal its influence in your life NOW!

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The earth is round due to being scientifically proven. The weather proves it and around the world it's not the same because of the atmosphere. This shows why the Flat earth theory isn't scientifically proven true yet.

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How Do We Know the Earth Isn’t Flat? We Asked a NASA Expert: Episode 53 - NASA

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This was a magical revelation for the Greeks and the Egyptians, who were able to see from the motions of the stars and the way the Sun moved. They saw the way

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What I chose was that the Earth is flat. It's not scientific because it's been proven for more than 100 years that the Earth is round and not flat. There is scientific evidence that the Earth is round, with research, photos, experiments, etc.

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How Do We Know the Earth Isn’t Flat? We Asked a NASA Expert: Episode 53 - NASA

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This was a magical revelation for the Greeks and the Egyptians, who were able to see from the motions of the stars and the way the Sun moved. They saw the way

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People believe that people who have passed away come back to visit them. Many people celebrate this day as a good thing. but there is not a scientific evidence that prove they come back.

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People think that sharks don't get cancer but they do. It's been proven that they do and can get cancer. People believed they couldn't and they would use the sharks cartilages in medications because they thought it would help them.

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Baseball players and managers are the most superstitious athletes in the world. If a player or a team gets on a streak, then baseball players are willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that it continues. Wade Boggs, a Hall of Fame player, would eat the same meal every day before a single game. He would eat a plate of fried chicken and then go out and play. The superstitions followed by some MLB players are certainly things that many people would consider to be weird. However, no one is going to say anything if it helps his hitting streak alive. This is scientifically proven because MLB fans would say the Boston Red Sox had the Bambino curse that they would never win a World Series since trading Babe Ruth, but they broke that so-called curse, winning a World Series in 2004. https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1179538-baseballs-50-weirdest-all-time-superstitions

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Baseball’s 50 Weirdest All-Time Superstitions

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Baseball players and managers are some of the most superstitious athletes in all of sports. If a player or a team gets on a hot streak, then baseball players are willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that it continues…

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Polygraphs, or they are more commonly known as "lie detectors," are machines that can supposedly tell when a person is lying.

There is no proof to back this, and the validity of its accuracy. An honest person can be nervous to answer questions and appear on the machine as lying, and a person who is lying but isn't nervous will appear as telling the truth on the machine

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Lie detector tests have become a popular cultural icon - from crime dramas to comedies to advertisements - the picture of a polygraph pen wildly gyrating on a moving chart is readily recognized symbol. But, as psychologist Leonard Saxe, PhD, (1991) has argued, the idea that we can detect a person's veracity by monitoring psychophysiological changes is more myth than reality. Even the term "lie detector," used to refer to polygraph testing, is a misnomer. So-called "lie detection" involves inferring deception through analysis of physiological responses to a structured, but unstandardized, series of questions.

The instrument typically used to conduct polygraph tests consists of a physiological recorder that assesses three indicators of autonomic arousal: heart rate/blood pressure, respiration, and skin conductivity. Most examiners today use computerized recording systems. Rate and depth of respiration are measured by pneumographs wrapped around a subject's chest. Cardiovascular activity is assessed by a blood pressure cuff. Skin conductivity (called the galvanic skin or electrodermal response) is measured through electrodes attached to a subject's fingertips.

The recording instrument and questioning techniques are only used during a part of the polygraph examination. A typical examination includes a pretest phase during which the technique is explained and each test question reviewed. The pretest interview is designed to ensure that subjects understand the questions and to induce a subject's concern about being deceptive. Polygraph examinations often include a procedure called a "stimulation test," which is a demonstration of the instrument's accuracy in detecting deception.

Several questioning techniques are commonly used in polygraph tests. The most widely used test format for subjects in criminal incident investigations is the Control Question Test (CQT). The CQT compares responses to "relevant" questions (e.g., "Did you shoot your wife?"), with those of "control" questions. The control questions are designed to control for the effect of the generally threatening nature of relevant questions. Control questions concern misdeeds that are similar to those being investigated, but refer to the subject's past and are usually broad in scope; for example, "Have you ever betrayed anyone who trusted you?"

A person who is telling the truth is assumed to fear control questions more than relevant questions. This is because control questions are designed to arouse a subject's concern about their past truthfulness, while relevant questions ask about a crime they know they did not commit. A pattern of greater physiological response to relevant questions than to control questions leads to a diagnosis of "deception." Greater response to control questions leads to a judgment of nondeception. If no difference is found between relevant and control questions, the test result is considered "inconclusive."

An alternative polygraph procedure is called the Guilty Knowledge Test (GKT). A GKT involves developing a multiple-choice test with items concerning knowledge that only a guilty subject could have. A test of a theft suspect might, for example, involve questions such as "Was $500, $1,000, or $5,000 stolen?" If only a guilty suspect knows the correct answer, a larger physiological reaction to a correct choice would indicate deception. With a sufficient number of items, a psychometrically sound evaluation could be developed. GKTs are not widely employed, but there is great interest in doing so. One limitation of the GKT is that it can be used only when investigators have information that only a guilty subject would know. The interpretation of "no deception" is also a potential limitation, since it may indicate lack of knowledge rather than innocence.

The accuracy (i.e., validity) of polygraph testing has long been controversial. An underlying problem is theoretical: There is no evidence that any pattern of physiological reactions is unique to deception. An honest person may be nervous when answering truthfully and a dishonest person may be non-anxious. Also, there are few good studies that validate the ability of polygraph procedures to detect deception. As Dr. Saxe and Israeli psychologist Gershon Ben-Shahar (1999) note, "it may, in fact, be impossible to conduct a proper validity study." In real-world situations, it's very difficult to know what the truth is.

A particular problem is that polygraph research has not separated placebo-like effects (the subject's belief in the efficacy of the procedure) from the actual relationship between deception and their physiological responses. One reason that polygraph tests may appear to be accurate is that subjects who believe that the test works and that they can be detected may confess or will be very anxious when questioned. If this view is correct, the lie detector might be better called a fear detector.

Some confusion about polygraph test accuracy arises because they are used for different purposes, and for each context somewhat different theory and research is applicable. Thus, for example, virtually no research assesses the type of test and procedure used to screen individuals for jobs and security clearances. Most research has focused on specific incident testing. The cumulative research evidence suggests that CQTs detect deception better than chance, but with significant error rates, both of misclassifying innocent subjects (false positives) and failing to detect guilty individuals (false negatives).

Research on the processes involved in CQT polygraph examinations suggests that several examiner, examinee, and situational factors influence test validity, as may the technique used to score polygraph charts. There is little research on the effects of subjects' differences in such factors as education, intelligence, or level of autonomic arousal.

Evidence indicates that strategies used to "beat" polygraph examinations, so-called countermeasures, may be effective. Countermeasures include simple physical movements, psychological interventions (e.g., manipulating subjects' beliefs about the test), and the use of pharmacological agents that alter arousal patterns.

Despite the lack of good research validating polygraph tests, efforts are on-going to develop and assess new approaches. Some work involves use of additional autonomic physiologic indicators, such as cardiac output and skin temperature. Such measures, however, are more specific to deception than polygraph tests. Other researchers, such as Frank Andrew Kozel, MD, have examined functional brain imaging as a measure of deception. Dr. Kozel's research team found that for lying, compared with telling the truth, there is more activation in five brain regions (Kozel et al., 2004). However, the results do not currently support the use of fMRI to detect deception in real world individual cases.

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The Truth About Lie Detectors (aka Polygraph Tests)

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Lie detector tests have become a popular cultural icon - from crime dramas to comedies to advertisements - the picture of a polygraph pen wildly gyrating on a moving chart is readily recognized symbol. But, as psychologist Leonard Saxe, PhD, (1991) has argued, the idea that we can detect a person's veracity by monitoring psychophysiological changes is more myth than reality.

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Buddhism is an eastern belief. It is the belief of reincarnation, the continuous cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. It's not scientific because it incorporates elements such as rebirth.

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Psychic powers are generally considered to be abilities that go beyond the known five senses and the laws of physics, allowing individuals to perceive information or influence the world in ways not explained by science. Although many people believe in psychic abilities, the scientific consensus is that there is no proof of the existence of such powers, and describes the practice as pseudoscience.

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John Oliver's February 24, 2019 edition of Last Week Tonight was an exposé of the popularity of psychics on American daytime television. He reported that 4 out of 10 people believe that psychics are effective and that billions of dollars are spent yearly by people desperate to have psychics help them with their problems. What is the psychology of people's attention to psychics who use paranormal methods such as extrasensory perception to answer people's questions? What is the appropriate logic for evaluating such methods?

You might be inclined to believe that psychics tell the truth. First, they often seem to know uncanny and accurate information about the people in their audiences-for example, that someone has a spouse who died of heart disease. Second, the people who get information from psychics seem to feel better as a result-for example, when they are told that a missing child is still alive. Third, the psychics appear on national television with famous hosts who have some credibility.

Oliver pointed out that there are alternative interpretations of all of these observations. Psychics use two main methods to appear to be accurate and informative about people's problems. The most common is cold calling, which is throwing up big questions designed to elicit information-for example, by asking whether anyone in a large audience has a husband named John who had a heart attack. People are eager to be informed about their loved ones and find solace, so they quickly pick up on tiny pieces of information achieved only by fake questions and statements. The other method commonly used by psychics is hot calling, which means getting information in advance about people they know they will meet, through sources such as Facebook. Deceptions through cold and hot calling explain why psychics seem to be accurate and insightful.

When people are thrilled to get information about loved ones from psychics, they are often succumbing to the kind of mental error that psychologists call motivated reasoning. People are inclined to accept beliefs on the basis of personal goals-what they want to believe-rather than on reliable evidence. Motivated reasoning is not just wishful thinking; it involves a more subtle process of recruiting information from memory and other sources in ways that support what one wants to hear. Grief from the loss of a loved one is a horrible experience, so is not surprising that people will be highly motivated to get information that will make them feel better. So the fact that people think that psychics make them feel better is no evidence concerning the truth of what the psychics say, because it reflects motivated inference rather than more reliable reasoning.

People may also be taken in by other kinds of thinking errors well known to psychologists, such as clustering illusion, bandwagon effects, and confirmation bias. So the acceptance of psychics' claims by vulnerable people is better explained by thinking errors than by the truth of the psychics' claims.

The third reason why television psychics might be taken to be credible is the reputation of the shows' hosts. But many of those hosts are primarily interested in getting high ratings and advertising rewards rather than conveying valid information. The hosts are highly motivated to select guests based on entertainment value rather than on independent credibility, so the fact that psychics are seen on TV is no reason to suppose that they are speaking the truth.

The appropriate logic for evaluating the claims of psychics is what philosophers call inference to the best explanation, which I discussed in my last post. It would be okay to believe in psychics if the best explanation of what they do is that they have a real gift for communicating with the dead, foreseeing the future, or performing other acts of extrasensory perception. Counting against this conclusion is the alternative hypothesis that psychics are just frauds, using methods like cold calling and hot calling to trick people into thinking that they have special powers. Psychics have their own motivations for pretending that they have special powers including the pursuit of fame and fortune.

Another reason for doubting claims about extrasensory perception is that there are no known physical mechanisms by which people could communicate with the dead or foresee the future. More strongly, these alleged phenomena are contrary to everything that is known about the way information can be passed through physical processes. People have looked for good scientific evidence for paranormal phenomena since at least the 19th century, but apparent successes can be explained by incompetence or fraud or error rather than by the actual occurrence of paranormal phenomena.

In a 2012 post, I offered the following profile of how pseudoscience differs from science:

1. Science explains using mechanisms, whereas pseudoscience lacks mechanistic explanations.

2. Science uses correlation thinking, which applies statistical methods to find patterns in nature, whereas pseudoscience uses dogmatic assertions, or resemblance thinking, which infers that things are causally related merely because they are similar.

3. Practitioners of science care about evaluating theories in relation to alternative ones, whereas practitioners of pseudoscience are oblivious to alternative theories.

4. Science uses simple theories that have broad explanatory power, whereas pseudoscience uses theories that require many extra hypotheses for particular explanations.

5. Science progresses over time by developing new theories that explain newly discovered facts, where pseudoscience is stagnant in doctrine and applications.

Parapsychology as used by psychics fits this pseudoscience profile and accordingly should be dismissed as a source of reliable knowledge.

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John Oliver's February 24, 2019 edition of Last Week Tonight was an exposé of the popularity of psychics on American daytime television. He reported that 4 out of 10 people believe that psychics are effective and that billions of dollars are spent yearly by people desperate to have psychics help them with their problems. What is the psychology of people's attention to psychics who use paranormal methods such as extrasensory perception to answer people's questions?

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Medicine for sports and ways to not get injured. Although injuries can be prevented, it doesn't mean it's true. Injuries can happen to anyone when they least expect it. Injuries aren't something a human athlete can't prevent from happening if they know with time injuries will come along too.

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Reducing Injuries in Soccer (Football): an Umbrella Review of Best Evidence Across the Epidemiological Framework for Prevention - Sports Medicine - Open

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Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. Expectedly, the incidence of soccer-related injuries is high and these injuries exert a significant burden on individuals and families, including health and financial burdens, and on the socioeconomic and healthcare systems. Using established injury prevention frameworks, we present a concise synthesis of the most recent scientific evidence regarding injury rates, characteristics, mechanisms, risk and protective factors, interventions for prevention, and implementation of interventions in soccer. In this umbrella review, we elucidate the most recent available evidence gleaned primarily from systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Further, we express the exigent need to move current soccer injury prevention research evidence into action for improved player outcomes and widespread impact through increased attention to dissemination and implementation research. Additionally, we highlight the importance of an enabling context and effective implementation strategies for the successful integration of evidence-based injury prevention programs into real-world soccer settings. This narrative umbrella review provides guidance to inform future research, practice, and policy towards reducing injuries among soccer players.

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Angel numbers are sequences of numbers that repeatedly appear and are believed to carry symbolic meanings and messages from the universe or spiritual realm. These numbers usually occur in clocks, receipts, and license plates.

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One major flaw in phrenology is its reliance on superficial observations of the skull's shape. As modern neuroimaging techniques began to develop, scientists were able to see inside the brain and study its actual structure

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Testing the Truth of Phrenology: Knowledge Experiments in Antebellum American Cultures of Science and Health

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In the first half of the nineteenth century, many Americans visited phrenological practitioners. Some clients were true believers, who consulted phrenology to choose an occupation, select a marriage partner and raise children. But, as this article…

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They say the sun is 94.067 million miles away yet there have been pictures as evidence to show that the sun is not as far as we say it is and that its SUPER big and way larger then our earth when this image shows the suns in earth?

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The flat Earth theory is the belief that the Earth is flat and not round. This has been proven incorrect by many scientists. This has been proven incorrect by the photos from space of the earth. Another way it's been debunked was by the flight paths of planes, or when a ship disappears on the horizon

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Rapper B.o.B. has caused a furore by tweeting that the Earth is in fact flat, and you only need to look at the evidence to come to the same conclusion. Obviously, prominent scientists have openly mocked this claim, showing the many ways in which it is ludicrous, no matter how many people insist otherwise. They're right though; sadly. B.o.B. is wrong. His nonsense claims, such as the idea that Earth's curvature should be visible at certain distances but isn't, are just that: nonsense. His comments and insistent statements are little more than childish naivety. In truth, the conspiracy goes much, much deeper than that.

For example, the Earth really is flat. As in totally flat, like a sheet of glass. The definition of flat is "having a level surface; without raised areas or indentations". So how can you have tall buildings and mountains if the Earth is flat? You can't. Q.E.D. It would be like saying a hedgehog is flat, which, barring an unfortunate encounter with a heavy goods vehicle, it clearly isn't.

Some might take issue with this, based on the flimsy evidence that they can see buildings, hills, trees, mountains and things like that everywhere, and may even be in or on them right now. This is just another example of how blinkered people are. If you look closely, the clues are everywhere.

There's no such thing as a mountain, they're just optical illusions caused by light refracting off all the mind-altering chemicals in the air. Photograph: PR

For instance, what's the tallest supposed mountain on Earth? Everest. Except it isn't. The name is a giveaway; it's clearly a morphing of "never rest", because if you wanted to go to the biggest mountain you'd literally never rest, because it isn't actually there. What about all those people who have climbed it, you say? Well, consider all the people who have died supposedly doing so. How do you die climbing something that isn't there? You can't. They were obviously killed to protect the conspiracy, whereas those who "survived" were willing to play ball.

And if that isn't clear enough, pretty much everyone who attempts to climb Everest takes oxygen with them. Why would you do that when there's oxygen all around us, in the air? Wherever they're going, it isn't on Earth. You know where you do need oxygen, though? THE MOON! That's where they're going. So-called mountaineers are being sent to the moon in order to fake climbing Everest. This is why Nasa had to fake the moon landing with astronauts, because it was already full of mountaineers and they couldn't risk exposing that conspiracy. See how it all adds up?

Some might still object, because they're currently sitting in a tall building. They're not though, they only "think" they are. In truth, everyone is breathing in a potent mix of hallucinogens that are constantly in the air around us, and these cause us to perceive buildings and tall things where there are none. How did these hallucinogens get in the air? Well, that's what chemtrails are actually for.

Good evening, your majesty. Photograph: Chris Davis/Amphibian and Reptil/PA

Don't worry, these hallucinogenic compounds aren't provided by evil "Big Pharma"; they're actually secreted by the shape-shifting lizards that rule society. Why do you think lizards are in charge in the first place? They provide the secretions that keep the population in line, believing in things like the Earth is round and buildings exist. The few times people have actually tried to make a tall building like the World Trade Centre, it is destroyed by the government.

Some refer to " false flags" at times like this. In truth, all flags are false; they're non-existent tall structures, so are just figments of our collective imagination.

This leads us on to other considerations though, like how thick is the Earth? It may be totally flat, but nobody said it's two-dimensional. It must have a thickness, because we can go underground or underwater. Unlike mountains, the oceans are clearly real, because otherwise where did Atlantis go?

The deepest part of the ocean we know about is the Mariana trench, a full 7 miles down. This means the Earth is at least 7 miles thick, and probably a lot more so, because that's a lot of water on top of it and it would need to be solid enough to keep it all in, lest all of the seas leak out of the bottom of the world. This clearly isn't happening, even if you do ignore the nonsense that is rising sea levels due to global warming. How can you have global warming without a globe to warm? Hoisted by your own petard there, scientists!

Maybe the world is as thick as it is wide, and is actually a cube? Scientists scoff at this notion, arguing that gravity would mean the atmosphere would be much thicker at the centre of the each surface and nearly barren at the poles. But have you noticed how the atmosphere is much more humid at the so-called "equator" yet the poles are practically lifeless? Coincidence? OBVIOUSLY NOT!

When you follow this train of logic, it becomes clear that the only feasible conclusion is that Earth is indeed flat. Flatter than anyone has ever expected.

Either that, or the human brain has a habit of looking for patterns in innocuous or coincidental occurrences, ascribing great significance to any connection it can find and trying to make sense of them despite the absence of any concrete evidence. But seriously, that's a bit of a far-fetched claim isn't it?
Dean Burnett covers the neurological mechanisms leading to conspiracy theories and more in his debut book The Idiot Brain, He is on Twitter: @garwboy
The Idiot Brain by Dean Burnett (Guardian Faber, £12.99). To order a copy for £7.99, go to bookshop.theguardian.com or call 0330 333 6846. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. Phone orders min. p&p of £1.99.

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Why the Earth is actually 100% flat | Dean Burnett

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Dean Burnett: Rapper B.o.B. has been criticised for publicly insisting the Earth is flat. You may think his claims are ludicrous, but the truth is: they don't go far enough

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In brazil there's an unproven cocktails that could cure/prevent covid-19. But as the cocktails proved they are ineffective they actually made COVID jump into another variant (P.1) which is proven to be 2X Worse then the original variant. Though it lacked science behind it many thought it worked at first but were wrong in the next couple of months.

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The Covid-19 Pseudoscience Suffocating Brazil

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How a cocktail of unproven drugs became Brazil’s main Covid-19 strategy while cases and deaths soared.

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Necromancy is the supposed practice of communicating with the dead, especially in order to predict the future. It's not scientific because it doesn't have evidence and doesn't have a scientific method to prove it otherwise.

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Necromancy: Unraveling the Mysteries of Life, Death, & Undeath

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Necromancy is more than raising an army of the dead (though, that’s certainly a fun past-time!). Let’s look at the full powers of life, death, and undeath magic.

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While there are some that could cause illness, the rest are considered to be harmless or even essential for our health and the environment. For example, when it comes to the human body inside, beneficial bacteria aid digestion and nutrient absorption tries to keep us alive, and in the environment, they play a crucial role by contributing to decomposition and nutrient cycling.

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the flat earth theory is known as the most popular theories but its false there is way more evidence saying that the earth is round than flat. It has been proven again and again by science that the earth is round.

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This is a theory that some people believe the Earth is flat. However, there is no scientific research to support this theory. This theory has been disproven many times before already.

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It's a belief and/or practices based on scientific methods.

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Reiki is a Japanese practice that is believed to relax the nervose system and balance the body. It channels "universal life force energy" through hovering haand movements throughout the body.

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The Big Bang theory describes that the universe began almost 14 billion years ago with a massive expansion event. I think this is considered science because it explains the origin and evolution of the universe.

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10 Scientific Laws and Theories You Really Should Know

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Even if you don’t operate a scanning electron microscope all that frequently, you might want to brush up on these 10 scientific laws and theories. After all, they’re some of our best tools for describing how the universe works.

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some people believe the earth is hallow and there may or may not be another part inside of the earth its self but this is not true.

The earth is not hallow because the seismic waves, gravity, and earths magnetic field all prove it has a solid and liquid interior with layers, not empty space.

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Cryonics is when the brain gets extracted after death and gets cryogenically frozen in hope there's a way to resurrect them in the future.

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Biorhythm theory suggests that a person's life is influenced by three constant, predetermined cycles physical. The theory suggests that these cycles fluctuate between positive and negative phases.

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The Ancient Aliens theory is a series of theories that explores an idea that extraterrestrial intelligence has visited earth in the past and made contact with ancient humans. In some cases, proponents maintain that contact played a role in our technological, cultural, or spiritual evolution. Some believe that we simply descended from Ancient Aliens who visited earth. This is obviously extremely false as there is zero evidence that supports the theory. Proponents of AA theory rely on a combination of oral traditions, literary references, bits of archaeology, cultural similarities, and gaps in historical/archaeological records to support their arguments. Overall it is not backed my science nor can it hold solid arguments over the scientific theory of evolution.

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Shedding Some Light on the Ancient Astronauts Theories

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Ancient astronaut theories have been popular for some time, but does that mean they’re true?

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Some believe that the earth used to have trees that reached the skies and the world belonged to giant animals before humans. Then a great flood washed everything away. They have no samples or proof of these mountains being trees in the past or proof of such large animals that size.

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A Ouija board is a flat game board with letters, numbers, and words like "yes" and "no" used to spell out messages, supposedly from spirits. While some believe it communicates with the dead, the movement of the planchette is scientifically attributed to the ideomotor effect, a psychological phenomenon where subconscious, unconscious muscle movements produce the results. There is no scientific evidence to support the existence of spirits or the idea that a Ouija board can contact them.

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Crystal healing is an alternative medicine practice that uses crystals and gemstones to promote physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. It's not scientific because there is no evidence that crystal healing can be used to cure diseases.

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Wearing copper bracelets aligns your body's electromagnetic field, drawing out toxins and easing arthritis. The copper interacts with your skin, creating a healing energy flow that Western medicine ignores. While some feel relief, this is due to the placebo effect, not actual scientific evidence.

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Examples of pseudoscience include astrology, creationism, homeopathy, Bigfoot research, Flat Earth theories, and many diet fads. Pseudoscience presents itself as scientific but lacks adherence to scientific methods, such as offering untestable claims, resisting expert scrutiny, showing little to no progress, and employing scientific-sounding language to promote non-scientific practices.

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Many Americans continue to believe in spiritual phenomena by the millions: according to a 2009 Pew Research Center survey, 26 percent believe in "spiritual energy," and 15 percent reported seeing a psychic in the past year.

But popularity doesn't equal validity. So, what's the verdict from the science community?

"Cutting to the chase: There is scientifically no evidence whatsoever to support the claims about palmistry," says James Herbert, head of the Psychology Department and interim provost at Drexel University. "The core claim people make is that the patterns of lines on your palm relate to something about your personality, and that this can be useful as a way of assessing personality traits -- more useful than standard ways, especially if we're looking at introversion or extroversion.

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There is no shortage of psychics and palm readers in the region: a rough count shows about 70 spiritual shops in Greater Philadelphia, despite there not being a shred of science behind what the services purport to offer and an attempted -- but failed -- crackdown by the city in 2007.

Still, many Americans continue to believe in spiritual phenomena by the millions: according to a 2009 Pew Research Center survey, 26 percent believe in "spiritual energy," and 15 percent reported seeing a psychic in the past year.

But popularity doesn't equal validity. So, what's the verdict from the science community?

"Cutting to the chase: There is scientifically no evidence whatsoever to support the claims about palmistry," says James Herbert, head of the Psychology Department and interim provost at Drexel University. "The core claim people make is that the patterns of lines on your palm relate to something about your personality, and that this can be useful as a way of assessing personality traits -- more useful than standard ways, especially if we're looking at introversion or extroversion."

The human brain is a pattern-seeking organ. We evolve to look for patterns. ... The cost of seeing a pattern that isn't real is smaller than the cost of missing a pattern that is real. So, false positives cost less than a false negative.

The only exception to its falsity, he says, is the obvious.

"The exceptions are common sensical things -- a guy who has muscular hands and a lot of scarring, you can assume that person is a laborer. I have a neighbor across the street from me who is a builder, and he's got big, muscular, scarred-up hands. But that's purely common sense -- it tells me nothing about his personality, just his occupation."

In which case, why does anyone buy into palm reading -- or anything like it -- as a science, then?

"It's called the illusory correlation," he explains. "The human brain is a pattern-seeking organ. We evolve to look for patterns. ... The cost of seeing a pattern that isn't real is smaller than the cost of missing a pattern that is real. So, false positives cost less than a false negative."

For example, if we see a squiggly dark line that looks like a snake on a hiking trail, we'll generally step out of the way -- because, despite our uncertainty, why wouldn't we? Applying that to palmistry, patterns observed have been dug into, because the costs of being wrong are so low, and the gains are so high. It's the brain's way of filling in the blanks to create links.

Trouble is, as is typically pounded into our heads in science class, correlation doesn't equal causation.

Herbert explains that we have a built-in " confirmation bias" -- that is, we tend to dismiss information that challenges preexisting beliefs. (Hence, why stereotypes exist.) Palmistry, he says, overlooks the controlled scientific method scientists often use for studies to avoid these biases.

South Jersey-native Fred Salzman, a former medical technology worker and current "chirologist," is hardly a non-believer in science -- he's worked in hospitals as a lab technician and at Spring Garden Street's American Red Cross center as a supervisor for blood transfusions, after all. But he is waiting for science to get out of his way when it comes to palm reading.

"It's a lot of work to try and convince everyone," he says of palm reading's merits, "because even if you have a hard report, there are still people who aren't going to buy it."

To that end, he acknowledges that there still are no university- or foundation-supported reports legitimizing palmistry. But that doesn't mean he's not pressing on with the pseudoscience -- "spiritual science," as he calls it -- anyway.

What's immediately eye-grabbing is that Salzman -- plainly dressed and well-spoken when we meet -- doesn't label himself as a "psychic" or "palmist." Instead, he advertises himself as a chirologist; "chiro" meaning "hand" in Greek, and "-ology" meaning -- as one might imagine -- "study of." To boot, he runs his business primarily out of Bliss Body Studio's Wellness Center, in Collingswood, N.J. He's hardly the spiritual gypsy you'd pass on South Street.

"Everyone's got this picture in their head of a person who does a palm reading, and then they see me and are like, 'Who are you?'" he jokes. "Like, I forgot my Magic Eight Ball."

He says he first felt inspired after visiting a palm reader while touring Sedona, Ariz.; the palmist couldn't tell him a thing about his personality, and he wondered if something was haywire in his circuits.

Salzman's pitch goes a little something like this: the palm is a user's manual, he says, to the "hard wiring" of the brain; as he explains it, "The hands tell no lies."

"When I got back, I was curious to see what my hands said about me. So I ordered three or four different books, and this one made sense," he says.

"This one" being " Palmistry: Apprentice to Pro in 24 Hours" by Johnny Fincham; it's essentially a user's guide to reading palms, based on Fincham's own claim of 20 years of personally teaching and marking commonalities between people whose palms he's read. (Few specifics are noted in the book about his research process, except to say that "Only if a sign on the palm works a thousand times over in a thousand examples has it made it into this book.") The book is Salzman's Bible -- in practice and theory.

"Cutting to the chase: There is scientifically no evidence whatsoever to support the claims about palmistry," says James Herbert, head of the Psychology Department and interim provost at Drexel University.

Salzman's say-so goes a little something like this: the palm is a user's manual, he says, to the "hard wiring" of the brain; as he explains it, "The hands tell no lies." But it's less about predicting the future, he emphasizes, and more about identifying personality traits and behavior through fingerprints (the most reliable read, he says), skin type (the smoother the better, basically), finger length, palm lines, finger nails (yes, finger nails) and thumb pads.

His purpose, then, is to "empower." He says he's had about 60 clients, but never any repeats -- because, he says, he teaches them the ins and outs of his method to give them the tool to help themselves. He clarifies that it's not a fortune-telling tool, or a scam to keep people coming back for cash-grabs, but a means of allowing for self-awareness.

"I'm not telling anyone anything they don't already know; I'm just allowing them to understand themselves better," he says. "It's to allow people to be who they are. ... So if you're just not a person who's competitive, you play baseball but you've got 'silky skin,' it may be challenging for you -- you may not have the coordination for it."

In which case, he's taking the idea of palmistry a step -- leap, really -- farther than the usual turban-and-crystal-ball type would. His idea: To use palm reading as a sort of "Myers-Briggs" personality test for schoolchildren and HR departments.

"From an HR perspective, I think this should be mandatory," he says. "Because you want to see how this person's wired. So, if they have a lot of whorls [on their fingerprint] and a person needs to work by themselves, you don't want to put them in cooperative work environments where they have to work with people, because it could be challenging for them."

Certainly, his is not a common -- or, on the surface, altogether unreasonable -- argument for palm readings.

The new question at hand, then, is this: Could palm reading really be practical?

"That's frightening," Herbert says of the HR and school-kids spiel.

"Imagine making a negative HR decision where someone says, 'Oh, you emerged as a top candidate after our process, but your palm says this,' or to a teenager, 'You scored well, but your line says you're not that smart, so we're going to put you in remediation,' ... The suggestion of using that in HR decisions or school is just not OK."

Still, he adds: "You can have well-meaning, well-intentioned people who are not frauds, who do not recognize the limitations of the human brain, so they come to conclusions that are completely false about all kinds of things. Palmistry is a great example of that"

Pseudosciences, Herbert says, are "like Whac-a-Mole."

"You debunk palmistry, and next in line there are many, many, many other equally crazy claims," he says. "Point being, you can't debunk them all."

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Why do some believe in palmistry? Illusory correlation, says science

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There is no shortage of psychics and palm readers in the region: a rough count shows about 70 spiritual shops in Greater Philadelphia, despite there not being a shred of science behind what the services purport to offer and an attempted -- but failed -- crackdown by the city in 2007.

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Flat Earth Theory says Earth is flat.
It is not true science.
Photos from space show Earth is round.
Ships and planes prove Earth curves.
Satellites only work if Earth is round.
Flat Earth has no real evidence.
Science shows Earth is round.

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Rapper B.o.B. has caused a furore by tweeting that the Earth is in fact flat, and you only need to look at the evidence to come to the same conclusion. Obviously, prominent scientists have openly mocked this claim, showing the many ways in which it is ludicrous, no matter how many people insist otherwise. They're right though; sadly. B.o.B. is wrong. His nonsense claims, such as the idea that Earth's curvature should be visible at certain distances but isn't, are just that: nonsense. His comments and insistent statements are little more than childish naivety. In truth, the conspiracy goes much, much deeper than that.

For example, the Earth really is flat. As in totally flat, like a sheet of glass. The definition of flat is "having a level surface; without raised areas or indentations". So how can you have tall buildings and mountains if the Earth is flat? You can't. Q.E.D. It would be like saying a hedgehog is flat, which, barring an unfortunate encounter with a heavy goods vehicle, it clearly isn't.

Some might take issue with this, based on the flimsy evidence that they can see buildings, hills, trees, mountains and things like that everywhere, and may even be in or on them right now. This is just another example of how blinkered people are. If you look closely, the clues are everywhere.

There's no such thing as a mountain, they're just optical illusions caused by light refracting off all the mind-altering chemicals in the air. Photograph: PR

For instance, what's the tallest supposed mountain on Earth? Everest. Except it isn't. The name is a giveaway; it's clearly a morphing of "never rest", because if you wanted to go to the biggest mountain you'd literally never rest, because it isn't actually there. What about all those people who have climbed it, you say? Well, consider all the people who have died supposedly doing so. How do you die climbing something that isn't there? You can't. They were obviously killed to protect the conspiracy, whereas those who "survived" were willing to play ball.

And if that isn't clear enough, pretty much everyone who attempts to climb Everest takes oxygen with them. Why would you do that when there's oxygen all around us, in the air? Wherever they're going, it isn't on Earth. You know where you do need oxygen, though? THE MOON! That's where they're going. So-called mountaineers are being sent to the moon in order to fake climbing Everest. This is why Nasa had to fake the moon landing with astronauts, because it was already full of mountaineers and they couldn't risk exposing that conspiracy. See how it all adds up?

Some might still object, because they're currently sitting in a tall building. They're not though, they only "think" they are. In truth, everyone is breathing in a potent mix of hallucinogens that are constantly in the air around us, and these cause us to perceive buildings and tall things where there are none. How did these hallucinogens get in the air? Well, that's what chemtrails are actually for.

Good evening, your majesty. Photograph: Chris Davis/Amphibian and Reptil/PA

Don't worry, these hallucinogenic compounds aren't provided by evil "Big Pharma"; they're actually secreted by the shape-shifting lizards that rule society. Why do you think lizards are in charge in the first place? They provide the secretions that keep the population in line, believing in things like the Earth is round and buildings exist. The few times people have actually tried to make a tall building like the World Trade Centre, it is destroyed by the government.

Some refer to " false flags" at times like this. In truth, all flags are false; they're non-existent tall structures, so are just figments of our collective imagination.

This leads us on to other considerations though, like how thick is the Earth? It may be totally flat, but nobody said it's two-dimensional. It must have a thickness, because we can go underground or underwater. Unlike mountains, the oceans are clearly real, because otherwise where did Atlantis go?

The deepest part of the ocean we know about is the Mariana trench, a full 7 miles down. This means the Earth is at least 7 miles thick, and probably a lot more so, because that's a lot of water on top of it and it would need to be solid enough to keep it all in, lest all of the seas leak out of the bottom of the world. This clearly isn't happening, even if you do ignore the nonsense that is rising sea levels due to global warming. How can you have global warming without a globe to warm? Hoisted by your own petard there, scientists!

Maybe the world is as thick as it is wide, and is actually a cube? Scientists scoff at this notion, arguing that gravity would mean the atmosphere would be much thicker at the centre of the each surface and nearly barren at the poles. But have you noticed how the atmosphere is much more humid at the so-called "equator" yet the poles are practically lifeless? Coincidence? OBVIOUSLY NOT!

When you follow this train of logic, it becomes clear that the only feasible conclusion is that Earth is indeed flat. Flatter than anyone has ever expected.

Either that, or the human brain has a habit of looking for patterns in innocuous or coincidental occurrences, ascribing great significance to any connection it can find and trying to make sense of them despite the absence of any concrete evidence. But seriously, that's a bit of a far-fetched claim isn't it?
Dean Burnett covers the neurological mechanisms leading to conspiracy theories and more in his debut book The Idiot Brain, He is on Twitter: @garwboy
The Idiot Brain by Dean Burnett (Guardian Faber, £12.99). To order a copy for £7.99, go to bookshop.theguardian.com or call 0330 333 6846. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. Phone orders min. p&p of £1.99.

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Why the Earth is actually 100% flat | Dean Burnett

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Dean Burnett: Rapper B.o.B. has been criticised for publicly insisting the Earth is flat. You may think his claims are ludicrous, but the truth is: they don't go far enough

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A Ouija board is a spiritual board that supposedly spells out messages from the spirit world. While many believe that it is real, there is no scientific evidence to support this because there is no evidence of spirits or an afterlife.

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The earth is round and has been proven that it is round. though some people around earth believe that the earth is flat. It has been proven to be round from the atmosphere and also weather.

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Scientists have numerous proofs, such as pictures from space, that demonstrate the Earth is round. People who believe in a flat Earth often don’t trust scientists or don’t understand science.

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Crystal healing is an alternative medicine practice where semi-precious stones and crystals reduce stress, and promote physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. There is no scientific proof that crystals can cure diseases, but many people use them as mindfulness and meditation tools

https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/guide-to-healing-crystals

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This site proves these two do not exist. Though many people believe in it, even though there is a TV show "proving they exist" research has been done. Either it was a dog, a bear, etc. Therefore, do not believe what you see online.