GNED 1512 Assignment 1 by

GNED 1512 Assignment 1 by https://padlet.com/trevorkennedy/9wn00pyt28dil25h By; Bryan Miners, Lee Vanevery, Trevor Kennedy en-us 2022-10-04 20:09:38 UTC 2022-10-05 21:25:41 UTC hello@padlet.com Post #1 Paranormal and Pseudoscience Assignment 1 trevorkennedy https://padlet.com/trevorkennedy/9wn00pyt28dil25h/wish/2326429679 By:
Trevor Kennedy
Lee Vanevery
Bryan Miners]]> 2022-10-04 20:11:19 UTC https://padlet.com/trevorkennedy/9wn00pyt28dil25h/wish/2326429679 Post #4 Red Flag: Suppression by Authority (article) trevorkennedy https://padlet.com/trevorkennedy/9wn00pyt28dil25h/wish/2326430265 Definition: the red flag Suppression by Authority is the idea that powerful groups or individuals purposefully seek and destroy alternatives in medicine, engineering, ideas, etc. that would pose threats to the profits and ideologies of said powerful groups.

Connection: In 1990, Stanley Meyer claimed to have invented the car that ran on water. He claimed it could efficiently split water atoms to produce hydrogen, which would power the car. Reportedly, he showed his invention off across America, amazing onlookers. Stanley would soon be taken to court on claims of fraud, and inspections revealed there was nothing revolutionary or remarkable about his fuel cell. In 1998, Stanley would die during a meeting with his brother and Belgian investors, wherein he collapsed, vomiting, and spoke his last words to his brother, claiming he was poisoned. A prevalent theory, that exemplifies the Suppression by Authority red flag, is that the automotive industry in America saw Meyer's invention as a threat to their profits, and they were responsible for Meyer being taken to court and eventually murdered. People who believe this also exemplify the agenticity reason for belief, as, even though corporate lobbyists and government agencies have done some nefarious things before, there is no solid proof linking anything to them being the cause of Meyer's death. Conspiracy theorists who believe these tales clearly do not use skepticism, or apply critical thinking, as the evidence they claim as a proof is really circumstantial, and doesn't hold up to scrutiny. In the case of the "poisoning" of Stanley Meyer, the thorough investigation of Meyer's death and the conclusion he suffered a cerebral aneurysm is ignored in favour of what his brother claims his last words were.

By: Trevor Kennedy]]> 2022-10-04 20:11:52 UTC https://padlet.com/trevorkennedy/9wn00pyt28dil25h/wish/2326430265 Post #7 Reason For Belief: Agenticity (article) trevorkennedy https://padlet.com/trevorkennedy/9wn00pyt28dil25h/wish/2326433251 Definition: People are apt to assign intention, meaning, or responsibility to unseen forces, groups, or individuals in order to explain bizarre occurrences.

Connection: This article details the historical legend of the hanging of the Hartlepool monkey, an event that is connected to the agenticity reason for belief. Quite far from France, the people of Hartlepool, of whom it was unlikely they had ever met a french person, were stirred up into believing that the French military had sent a monkey to infiltrate their rather non-strategic town, a preposterous and unbelievable strategy. The people of Hartlepool also would have displayed some emotional connection as a reason for believing the monkey was a spy, as the French and English were repeatedly engaged in military conflict, and the article even states that political cartoons about the French may have been partially responsible. A limitation of this source is that the tale is quite old. No one is really sure if the residents actually hanged a monkey after putting it on trial for espionage, and the story has been mostly used to discredit and poke fun at the people of Hartlepool. That being said, it still proves how people can attribute strange occurrences to beings or groups (like the French military) for bizarre coincidences and situations (a monkey washing up in the leftovers of a shipwreck).

By: Trevor Kennedy]]> 2022-10-04 20:14:34 UTC https://padlet.com/trevorkennedy/9wn00pyt28dil25h/wish/2326433251 Post #10: Critical Thinking Analysis - The Death of Stanley Meyer trevorkennedy https://padlet.com/trevorkennedy/9wn00pyt28dil25h/wish/2326437315 Define Problem: Many claim that Stanley Meyer was murdered by the government or the automotive industry to suppress his water-powered car invention that would make transportation cheap for millions.

Gather Information: This article presents the story of Stanley Meyer and his water-powered car, and how there is a conspiracy he was murdered to suppress his invention. The primary argument for this theory is that corporate lobbyists are very powerful when acting in their own interests, and a water-powered car that would make transportation cheap would damage, if not destroy the auto and gas industries. Furthermore, the two investors present when Stanley died were reportedly not phased by the incident, leading some to believe they were not investors at all and were actually Meyer's assassins. The main argument against this theory is that Meyer was taken to court on several different claims of fraud and it was even proven there was nothing remarkable about his invention. Furthermore, if Meyer's invention held any credibility, there would have been a rush to replicate it both at the time and once the patent had expired.

Evaluate Evidence: This source seems credible, as it simply tells Meyer's story and the conspiracy that accompanies it, taking a neutral stance by not attempting to convince the reader that Meyer was actually murdered. There is no solid proof presented to indicate that Meyer was murdered by corporate interests, and the theory exists on speculation and eyewitness accounts from Meyer's brother.

Recognize Assumptions, Emotions, Biases: People may be swayed to support this theory by negative emotions toward auto manufacturers and fuel companies. Owning a car isn't cheap, and it is quite easy to say that it remains expensive partially due to the auto industry suppressing alternatives. One could also be swayed by Meyer's appeal and seemingly good-natured intentions. This theory also assumes that Meyer's invention did everything as claimed when the evidence says otherwise.

Synthesize Evidence, Identify Alternatives: The present evidence in the case of Stanley Meyer indicates really two alternatives. The first, regardless of whether his invention really was revolutionary, is that Meyer died of a cerebral aneurysm as indicated by the police investigation into his death. The second alternative aspect is that Meyer really was a fraud, and his invention was a farce. The fraud cases that Meyer went to court over eventually led to an investigation that concluded Meyer's fuel cell was not revolutionary in any manner.

Select Best Alternative: The best alternative to this conspiracy is a combination of the two listed above. With the concrete evidence here, to think Meyer's death was anything but what was listed at the end of the police investigation is a far reach. Furthermore, the fraud allegations, combined with an inability or unwillingness to replicate Meyer's work since his death show the lack of credibility of his claims.

By: Trevor Kennedy]]> 2022-10-04 20:18:09 UTC https://padlet.com/trevorkennedy/9wn00pyt28dil25h/wish/2326437315 Post #5 Red Flag: Ancient Wisdom (article) insanebatman13 https://padlet.com/trevorkennedy/9wn00pyt28dil25h/wish/2326448989 Definition: The red flag Ancient Wisdom is outdated information with no scientific reasoning. Many years ago, very little information and resources were available to obtain proper knowledge about human anatomy and our universe. Ancient wisdom had no evidence to support specific claims, such as medical procedures. Medical science today relies on results, not theories. Products claiming to be from ancient wisdom are not ideal.

Connection: This article connects to Ancient Wisdom as it explains how pseudo-archaeologists believe structures such as the Pyramid of Giza and the Great Zimbabwe site were, built by extra-terrestrial beings. Egyptians were intelligent, and Egyptians had the knowledge to use ramps to move large blocks of limestone. Since the late 19th century, science-fiction authors have written about Martians and other alien lifeforms engaging in these incredible structures. Although it seems logical that extra-terrestrial life built the archaeological structures within Egypt, Africa, South America, and North America, there has not been evidence that this could be a realistic claim.

By, Lee Vanevery

]]> 2022-10-04 20:28:36 UTC https://padlet.com/trevorkennedy/9wn00pyt28dil25h/wish/2326448989 Post #2 Red Flag: All Natural (image.) bryanminers https://padlet.com/trevorkennedy/9wn00pyt28dil25h/wish/2327641128

Definition: The All-Natural Red Flag is anything that insinuates something is good for you, or better for you because it is all-natural. This concludes that things that are "man-made" are worse for you.

Connection: This quote from Gwyneth Paltrow is a perfect example of the misinformation that because something is All Natural means it is inherently good for you. The joke is that illnesses such as the Corona Virus in fact All Natural as well. Gwyneth Paltrow takes it a step further with her business Goop. Goop markets all sorts of products for wellness and health, All of which are labeled as All Natural. In modern times this belief has taken a more dangerous turn. Modern medicine is used as a sort of enemy to the all-natural movement. This has seen many not being vaccinated and opting to not take prescribed medicine. Sadly, this has in some cases led to death.

By. Bryan Miners

]]> 2022-10-05 13:59:01 UTC https://padlet.com/trevorkennedy/9wn00pyt28dil25h/wish/2327641128 Post #3 Red Flag: Mystical Energy (website.) bryanminers https://padlet.com/trevorkennedy/9wn00pyt28dil25h/wish/2327678222

Definition: The term energy is often used in pseudo-science claims. The word is scientific and therefore instills confidence that what is being said is based on fact. Mystical Energies are things such as Chi, Negative Energy, Bad Vibes, Healing Energies, and Crystal Energy. All these things are abstract concepts that don’t mean anything but the use of the word Energy makes them seem legitimate.

Connection: In the following article the author goes down a list of the more popular and often used energy medicines. The article seeks to debunk these claims showing there is no real proof any such energy exists however they are still widely accepted by people seeking medical treatment. Much like the term "all-natural," the term "energy," when applied to medicine and treatment, can be dangerous. Many people claim to have had some measure of success with Energy healing however this can easily be equated to the patient experiencing a placebo effect. In more severe cases, some people have gotten sicker and, in some cases, died as they were seeking the counsel of an energy healer and not an actual doctor. Many practitioners of energy healing operate under the guise that they are doctors. This is also not real.

By. Bryan Miners

]]> 2022-10-05 14:17:35 UTC https://padlet.com/trevorkennedy/9wn00pyt28dil25h/wish/2327678222 Post #8 Reason for Belief: Ideology (image.) bryanminers https://padlet.com/trevorkennedy/9wn00pyt28dil25h/wish/2327688097 Definition: Ideology is a form of social / political beliefs or philosophies. It is these philosophies that help to shape a person’s willingness to believe claims. These philosophies are deeply engrained and usually learned over a person’s entire life through various experiences.

Connection: This quote from the novel 1984 by George Orwell is an example of ideological belief. It also highlights how these firm ties to one’s ideological beliefs can be dangerous. Ignoring fact, evidence, and truth, because it goes again a personally held opinion. These opinions are often in the forms of political affiliation, religious faith, something they have been taught from a young age and brought up to believe as fact.

By. Bryan Miners

]]> 2022-10-05 14:23:06 UTC https://padlet.com/trevorkennedy/9wn00pyt28dil25h/wish/2327688097 Post #6 Red Flag: Confusion of correlation with causation (short film) insanebatman13 https://padlet.com/trevorkennedy/9wn00pyt28dil25h/wish/2327973081

Definition: The red flag Correlation vs Causation is commonly confused to have a relationship with one another but has different meanings. Correlation is where two actions are related. Whereas causation is an action that directly causes another.

Connection: This short film has an opening scene with dialogue between Phillip Baker Hall (Sydney) and Kirk Baltz (Douglas Walker). Douglas has an urgent matter to discuss with Sydney, but Sydney will not discuss anything until he has a lit cigarette in hand and the coffee has poured. Often, you will encounter a smoker who drinks coffee this is a correlation. Not every smoker also drinks coffee. Does one cause the other? I do not believe so. It would highly depend on the person and what their daily life involved. Coffee contains caffeine, and cigarettes contain nicotine which is both stimulants. Absolutely anyone who consumes both would say they pair well together. To smokers, a cigarette can relieve any stressful situation, meaning one could have a cigarette without consumption of coffee, caffeine only increases activity in the brain and nervous system. For example, it is seven in the morning you arrive at your favourite coffee shop and notice a group of construction workers smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee. Both act as stimulants to jump-start the day, drinking coffee is not causation to smoking cigarettes it is a mere coincidence.

By, Lee Vanevery

]]> 2022-10-05 17:03:21 UTC https://padlet.com/trevorkennedy/9wn00pyt28dil25h/wish/2327973081 Post #9 Reason for Belief: Unexplained (video) insanebatman13 https://padlet.com/trevorkennedy/9wn00pyt28dil25h/wish/2328169157 Definition: Unexplained is a reason for belief that simply cannot be explained, we recognize an event or action has occurred without logically thinking it through we try to explain the matter in our own words to make it believable.

Connection: This is a video of Criss Angel levitating, he is an American magician and illusionist. He became famous for his illusions with the show “Mindfreak” which aired on A&E from 2005-2010. His most popular illusion was levitating, but he was also an incredible magician. Even though everything he does seems real, it is just an illusion. And no one at the time could clearly explain how his tricks were done, it just seemed believable. It is easy to say magic is real and there is no other explanation, but every magician has their secrets. Linked below is a video revealing some of Criss Angel's best magic tricks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXwXQQA9epo

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