Skeptic

Skeptic Substack explores various topics through a scientific and rational lens, focusing on debunking myths, analyzing moral and ethical dilemmas, and critiquing religious beliefs alongside socio-political issues. It emphasizes evidence-based reasoning, skepticism towards unfounded claims, and the value of humanistic principles for societal progress.

Atheism and Religion Moral and Ethical Issues Science and Skepticism Health and Public Safety Sociopolitical Analysis Psychology and Human Behavior Historical Events and Perspectives Conspiracy Theories

The hottest Substack posts of Skeptic

And their main takeaways

Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds, Redux—WPATH Edition

149 implied HN points • 07 Mar 24
🏥 Health Politics Mental health Medical Ethics Gender Dysphoria
  1. The text discusses various historical instances of mass delusions and societal crazes, pointing out the trend of people collectively falling for false beliefs and slowly recovering from them.
  2. The article highlights the rise of the trans movement and issues like Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria, shedding light on concerns about medical ethics, pseudoscientific practices, and potential harm to vulnerable individuals.
  3. There is a critique of WPATH's approach to transgender healthcare, questioning the lack of evidence-based practices, informed consent, and the push for invasive treatments without appropriate consideration for the patients' well-being.

Death by Theory

89 implied HN points • 14 Mar 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Therapies Pseudoscience
  1. Pseudoscientific beliefs can have dangerous consequences in medical care decisions, like those seen in transgender care and attachment therapy.
  2. Many psychological theories throughout history have been debunked as quackery, highlighting the importance of critical thinking and evidence-based practices in the field.
  3. The tragic case of Candace Newmaker serves as a reminder of the risks of pseudoscientific practices in therapy and the critical need for ethical, evidence-based psychological interventions.

Horseshoe Politics

85 implied HN points • 02 Mar 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Authoritarianism Abortion Presidential Election
  1. The extreme ends of the political spectrum, whether far right or far left, can exhibit authoritarian tendencies, showing similarities rather than vast differences.
  2. The Horseshoe Theory suggests that the political spectrum can be likened to a horseshoe shape, indicating that extreme ideologies may not be as distant as commonly thought.
  3. Classical Liberalism is presented as a balanced approach, incorporating elements from both liberals and conservatives, advocating for individual rights, democracy, free speech, and critical thinking.

Ancient Aliens, Easter Island, and Truth

46 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
🔬 Science Archaeology Skepticism Debate
  1. Reason and science should take precedence over fantasy and entertainment for a safer society.
  2. Skepticism and critical analysis are important in evaluating claims about ancient civilizations and extraterrestrial theories.
  3. Engaging in open conversation, dialogue, and debate can help in seeking the truth and understanding different perspectives.
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Psychling

52 implied HN points • 26 Jan 24
🎾 Sports Cycling Endurance Competition History
  1. The unfolding of life is influenced by a mix of genes, environment, and unexpected contingencies like chance events.
  2. Small decisions and chance occurrences can have significant impacts on the course of one's life.
  3. Personal narratives often present unpredictable events as rare, but in reality, contingency is a powerful force shaping our lives.

Why the Jews?

59 implied HN points • 07 Nov 23
🎭️ Culture Psychology Beliefs Extremism Ideology
  1. Anti-Semitism and xenophobia may stem from a need for enemies.
  2. Political extremists hold absolute certainty in their beliefs and exhibit open hatred towards opponents.
  3. The psychology of belief systems shows the importance of having enemies to define causes and create unity.

The Truth about 9/11 Truth

47 implied HN points • 11 Sep 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Conspiracy Theories Debunking
  1. People believe in conspiracy theories for different reasons such as thinking it's better to believe a false positive than a false negative.
  2. Evidence and arguments are important when engaging with conspiracy theorists to counter their claims.
  3. Critically analyzing the events of 9/11, like the collapse of the World Trade Center buildings, can debunk common conspiracy theories.

There's a UFO in My Garage

61 implied HN points • 27 Jul 23
🔬 Science Extraterrestrial Life Skepticism UFOs Evidence
  1. The public frenzy over UFOs and UAPs is increasing due to recent congressional hearings.
  2. It's important to approach extraordinary claims with skepticism and demand evidence for beliefs in aliens or UFOs.
  3. Being open-minded but skeptical is key when evaluating claims about extraterrestrial intelligence and UFO sightings.

The Bomb, the Man, the Morality

49 implied HN points • 24 Jul 23
🎭️ Culture History Politics Film War
  1. Christopher Nolan's film 'Oppenheimer' renews debate on the use of nuclear weapons to end World War II and the nature of moral conflicts.
  2. Human conditions are rarely black-and-white, and approach-avoidance conflicts are common in life, culture, and politics.
  3. The dropping of the atomic bombs, while not a moral act, was the least destructive option at the time and likely saved lives by ending the war and preventing a potentially higher death toll from prolonged conventional bombing or invasion.

How To Think About the Resurrection

39 implied HN points • 09 Apr 23
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Religion Beliefs Philosophy Debate Mythology
  1. The resurrection of Jesus is a claim of an empirical objective truth believed by many, but requires extraordinary evidence for belief.
  2. Historical context and lack of independent corroboration cast doubt on the resurrection miracle claim.
  3. Applying principles like proportionality and Bayesian reasoning can help in assessing the likelihood of extraordinary claims like the resurrection.