A Healthy Skepticism
posted by Chet at 4:28 PM UTCAnonymous, commenting on a Musing, reminds us of a statement of the biologist Richard Dawkins that I always liked: "By all means let's be open-minded, but not so open-minded that our brains drop out."
He was speaking of the mindreaders, channelers, and other purveyors of the paranormal who seem to have such a firm hold on the popular imagination.
"There is certainly nothing impossible about abduction by aliens in UFOs,"
writes the always skeptical Dawkins. "One day it may be happen. But on grounds of probability it should be kept as an explanation of last resort."
