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Skeptic Exchange

Proposed Q&A site for skeptics (or sceptics), rationalists, free thinkers anyone who opposes woo and pseudoscience. Skeptic Exchange is for people interested in or researching specific areas of woo or pseudoscience. It is *NOT* for discussion about skepticism.
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8  
Skeptic Exchange is already a thriving community skepticexchange.org – rjstelling Jul 11 at 11:03
13  
see also: area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/6993/… – sth Jul 11 at 11:44
4  
@rjstelling: You should contact The Team. They have already noted that StackExchange 1.0 communities that are already thriving should not have to go through this vetting process, nor should competing proposals be allowed. – Robert Harvey Jul 13 at 19:03
1  
@Robert: Believe me, I'm well-acquainted with skepticism. ;) I guess what I'm not getting (and apparently the community isn't doing so great at either) is figuring out what's off-topic. Well-known facts? Obvious quackery? Speculation? The only reasonably-highly-voted off-topic examples seem to have been voted that way for the wrong reasons - because they have an argumentative tone or attempt to persuade instead of investigate. But that's just semantics, the wording of the question, not its content. It seems like almost anything could be in scope here. – Aaronaught Jul 21 at 2:13
7  
Can we merge "Skepticism" into this proposal, perhaps? area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/6993/… – Tullo Jul 21 at 6:58
show 8 more comments

39 Example Questions

newest all votes on-topic off-topic
22 great on-topic example
4 great off-topic example
0 not a good example
Why do humans want to stick to their ideas/beliefs/concepts, even when evidence show the opposite is true?
added by Laura Jul 11 at 12:48
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1  
So subjective.. – Heath Hunnicutt Jul 11 at 15:38
1  
Great question! And not subjective at all, there are studies and theories about why people do this, see for example cognitive dissonance, and how do people deal with it. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance – Juan Antonio Jul 13 at 7:32
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26 great on-topic example
0 great off-topic example
1 not a good example
Do Personality tests really work, or are they just an advanced form for astrology?
added by Laura Jul 11 at 12:51
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25 great on-topic example
0 great off-topic example
0 not a good example
Is it possible to overdose on Homeopathic medicines?
added by rjstelling Jul 11 at 10:59
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8  
Well you can drown – Notthinking Jul 14 at 10:50
1  
I was thinking more along the lines of diabetes first. – majjie Jul 21 at 12:21
1 great on-topic example
22 great off-topic example
8 not a good example
How many skeptics does it take to change a lightbulb?
added by user9449 Jul 11 at 11:16
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0 great on-topic example
23 great off-topic example
1 not a good example
How come skeptics look down on religious people?
added by Mark Robinson Jul 12 at 21:45
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3  
This is intended to be an off topic example! That is, it is unnecessarily argumentative and the question contains an unfounded assumption. – Mark Robinson Jul 12 at 21:46
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23 great on-topic example
0 great off-topic example
0 not a good example
How do we know that humans are causing global warming?
added by Leo Jul 15 at 17:18
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21 great on-topic example
0 great off-topic example
0 not a good example
Are daily multivitamins useful? What's the current medical consensus on daily multivitamins? Are they effective for kids? For adults?
added by rjstelling Jul 11 at 10:53
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0 great on-topic example
21 great off-topic example
4 not a good example
If there is intelligent life "out there" how likely is it to look similar to us?
added by Laura Jul 11 at 13:02
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2  
a question about the existence of ET life is one thing, but who could do more than speculate about the appearance of these theoretical ETs? and what is the significance of their appearance? – danzein Jul 22 at 0:30
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20 great on-topic example
0 great off-topic example
0 not a good example
Is DDT as dangerous as we think? Is DDT still used now? Was/is it really 'that bad', proportional to other causes of mortality/deformity?
added by rjstelling Jul 11 at 10:58
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1  
DDT wasn't that bad; it's banning was stupid and resulted in millions of unnecessary deaths The UN have been using it again since 2006. – Philip Painter Jul 15 at 14:08
1  
Don't argue the question people, wait for the beta site for that! :) Or go to the original skeptic exchange in the meantime where it was originally asked... – Skrivener Jul 21 at 23:01
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0 great on-topic example
20 great off-topic example
0 not a good example
How come most people try to find a meaning or purpose in everything?
added by Laura Jul 11 at 12:59
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11 great on-topic example
9 great off-topic example
1 not a good example
Can a believer in a faith / religion also be a skeptic?
added by Mark Robinson Jul 13 at 13:22
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3  
I think this has to be on-topic; it's so crucial to current discussions in the skeptic community, and to rational positions on religion and by extension supernaturalism of all forms. Sure, it might invite a certain amount of discussion, but that can be managed through comments, editing answers to improve them, and by users up-voting rigorously presented answers in the first place. Given the huge issue that is skepticism and religion, I just don't see how this can be off-topic even if you don't think it's a good example. – Skrivener Jul 21 at 23:06
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13 great on-topic example
3 great off-topic example
0 not a good example
When is science, science?
added by user9449 Jul 11 at 11:16
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14 great on-topic example
2 great off-topic example
0 not a good example
What are good books for young skeptics?
added by user9449 Jul 11 at 11:16
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1 great on-topic example
15 great off-topic example
1 not a good example
Should skeptics be Libertarians?
added by Leo Jul 15 at 17:19
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1  
This feels much fuzzier to me than tilting at homeopathy or quackery. It is more akin to asking whether skeptics should be <insert religion here>. Certainly, there are rational arguments for and against any of the political movements, but IMHO there are no standards by which to judge a "right" answer. – RBerteig Aug 6 at 8:42
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8 great on-topic example
7 great off-topic example
1 not a good example
Arguments for Swine flu jab? What is the best argument to convince someone who is 'at risk' that the vaccination is a good idea.
added by rjstelling Jul 11 at 10:55
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1  
-1 presuppose that people should be convinced of something without establishing that this something is actually a good idea. I think a valid question could be "Is the swine flu vaccination a good idea?" Questions which amount to "How best to proseletyze" and "How best to expose myself to the same views repeatedly" don't seem skeptical to me. But then, I am not a skeptic although I like my energy stated in ergs. – Heath Hunnicutt Jul 11 at 15:35
3  
+1 Given that vaccines have been exhaustively considered by most active skeptics, it's entirely reasonable for a skeptic who has already come to a rational and widely held conclusion among the skeptical community to ask other skeptics the best way to argue that case, particularly to non-skeptics. – Skrivener Jul 21 at 21:12
10 great on-topic example
1 great off-topic example
2 not a good example
What skeptical and/or atheist TV is out there?
added by user9449 Jul 11 at 11:15
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show 1 more comment
7 great on-topic example
4 great off-topic example
2 not a good example
Where around the world are 10:23 events happening?
added by user9449 Jul 11 at 11:17
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show 1 more comment
0 great on-topic example
11 great off-topic example
1 not a good example
Aliens have visited me. What should I do?
added by murgatroid99 Aug 2 at 17:10
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1  
I created this to be off topic because the site should be about discussing "woo" instead of validating it. – murgatroid99 Aug 2 at 17:11
1  
Take out the chips and beer, obviously. – Stefano Borini Aug 15 at 18:43
show 1 more comment
3 great on-topic example
4 great off-topic example
1 not a good example
What "skeptic" societies, groups, or clubs are based or have a branch in [Town/State/Country]?
added by Notthinking, edited by Peter Mortensen Jul 21 at 22:42
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show 2 more comments
7 great on-topic example
0 great off-topic example
0 not a good example
At what point does a belief become a mythology? E.g. when was Greek mythology rejected as "truth"?
added by Mark Robinson Jul 15 at 11:21
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1  
@Skrivener thanks. Indeed, it might be in definition, though "mythology" is clearly recognised as not true whereas religious beliefs are the subject of huge debate. One rephrase of the question is - when does any belief, widely held by society at one moment to be true, come to be recognised as false. It's like if, in 30 years time, people stopped believing in Evolution - when is the "tipping point"? – Mark Robinson Jul 22 at 7:33
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6 great on-topic example
0 great off-topic example
5 not a good example
Do self-described skeptics have a statistical correlation of outcomes when given the Leary Interpersonal Behavior Test?
added by Heath Hunnicutt Jul 11 at 15:30
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1  
lol color me unsurprised at the -1 vote without comment; why would self-described-skeptics want to be 'open' to the idea that they might have some sort of predisposition? – Heath Hunnicutt Jul 11 at 16:08
show 9 more comments
0 great on-topic example
6 great off-topic example
0 not a good example
What are the demographics of the Skeptical community?
added by kwutchak Jul 30 at 3:52
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2 great on-topic example
3 great off-topic example
0 not a good example
Can atheism be a religion?
added by thursdaysgeek, edited by Peter Mortensen Aug 10 at 20:02
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show 1 more comment
0 great on-topic example
4 great off-topic example
2 not a good example
Why are most people so illogical when it comes to "feel good" beliefs?
added by talonx, edited by Peter Mortensen Jul 21 at 22:43
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4 great on-topic example
0 great off-topic example
0 not a good example
Does any proof of telekinesis or psychokinesis exist?
added by LifeH2O, edited by Peter Mortensen Jul 21 at 22:41
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2  
Not while Randi still has his million dollars: randi.org/site/index.php/1m-challenge.html – danzein Jul 21 at 18:19
3 great on-topic example
1 great off-topic example
0 not a good example
Are people of one religion who claim another religion is wrong intolerant? Or are they being logical, claiming opposing beliefs cannot both be true?
added by thursdaysgeek Aug 6 at 4:03
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2 great on-topic example
1 great off-topic example
0 not a good example
Where do morals come from if not God or the Bible?
added by Henry Aug 29 at 0:07
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0 great on-topic example
2 great off-topic example
0 not a good example
What is it about women that religion is terrified of?
added by Henry Aug 29 at 0:08
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2 great on-topic example
0 great off-topic example
0 not a good example
What is a good, scientifically rigorous protocol for testing alleged physic ability?
added by rjstelling Sep 2 at 8:05
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0 great on-topic example
1 great off-topic example
0 not a good example
How do I make a realistic looking ghost/UFO/hoax image with Photoshop?
added by Henry Aug 29 at 0:06
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