Why is skepticism important?

It was once said by a very wise man that “skepticism is not a position, it’s a process”. Of course, he is right. To be skeptical you have to critically examine claims made by people, that have no, or very little empirical evidence (dependant on evidence observable by the senses). This is because we can trust that such observations are made, critically and to the scientific method, making them repeatable and reliable. Without such a thing people can be lead to believe in whatever they like. We use “critical thinking” to determine what is believable, what is not believable, and what is still to be determined.

Evidence is the key to skepticism, Carl Sagan famously said “extraordinary claims, take extraordinary evidence” and he is damn right. Let me give you an example; your in a bar enjoying a nice cold glass of beer, when a guy comes over and asks “hey man, do you play golf? I’ve got a set off golf clubs in the boot of my car for sale, £20, you want them???” now there is no reason to doubt that this guy has a set of golf clubs in his car, golf clubs are easy to come by and cheap enough to buy a second hand set for 20 quid. But let’s say instead, you’re in the same bar, with the same beer, and the same guy comes over and he says to you; “hey man, I got a genuine cigar, half smoked by Winston Churchill on D-day in my glove compartment, you can have it for £30”. This is a completely different situation all together, how do you know the cigar he has was Winston Churchill’s? How do you know that it was smoke on D-day, and how would you even know it was the same brand I cigar Churchill smoked? You would need a lot of evidence to prove this claim, and you would not go about believing this without a lot proof. This is an extraordinary claim, and it would require extraordinary evidence to prove it.

About five years ago I used to be one of those conspiracy nuts. 9/11 was an inside job, JFK was killed by the CIA, there was some one the grassy knoll, the whole world is run by an organisation known as the illuminatti or majestic 12. You see, I love a good story, and those conspiracy theories are great tales of wonder, corruption, and it makes you think you see the bigger picture. For some reason the people who believe in these conspiracy theories are also known as “skeptics”, which in my part is part good. As back then used to class my self as a skeptic ( I do now, but a true skeptic), I started to look for some pod casts on itunes on such subjects, to see if I could get a better understanding of them. Fortunately for me I came across “the skeptics guide to the universe” and “skeptiod”, I listened to a few of each and realised I have been completely wrong about the way I was looking at things, I hadn’t examined the claims being made properly, so I learnt some of the logical fallacies, and went back to re-examine the information I had been provided with, to find it was bull, and now I was finally seeing the whole picture ( or was that “them” brainwashing me?? hmmmm). Not only was I learning a lot but I was also enjoying doing it, learning a lot about what it takes to be a true skeptic, critical thinking, logical fallacies, good debating skills and an all round knowledge of good science.

So I started reading lots of good books by many great authors, Carl Sagan, James Randi, Phil Plait, Einstein, Stephen Hawking, and Richard Dawkins, learnt a lot about evolution, physics, astronomy, medicines, and realised, those old conspiracy stories hold nothing against the wonders science can provide us with. The size of the universe, how it came to be, how it works, they way we experiment to find out the things we know, and where it is going to take us. We ALL have to rely on science, it is the only thing that will bring us truth, one day it might even provide us with eternal life just like all religions promise, science can provide. It has provided us with technology far exceeding the expectations of past generations. We have landed on the moon, sent machines to mars; we have sent probes into the far end of our solar system. We have eradicated many diseases due to vaccination, grown food for the hungry using G.M foods, provided people with clean water, electricity, and the ability to be on the other side of the planet within a day.

As skeptics we have to critically examine anything that seems out of place and make sure that the information we receive is reliable. To better our knowledge and understanding of the world, each other and what will happen to the world as we leave it to our children, we have too make sure that we get it right. To pass down beliefs such as; climate change is a myth; crystals can cure cancer, western medicine is corrupt by big pharma, is just irresponsible. With the problems we will face as a planet in the future, we cannot afford to believe in medicines that don’t work just as we can’t ignore climate change just because a few guys said it is lie. We have to know that the information we pass onto our children is reliable so they can use it to live their lives rationally and in turn do what is best for the planet and all species on it and make sure they know they are doing the right thing because evidence tells them so, not beliefs.

Personally, I think the most important thing to being a good skeptic is an all round knowledge of science, and the scientific method. This might seem difficult, as science has reached a level where we have to be so in depth, we have to study some subjects for near a decade before we can really understand the things we know so far. Even the fields of science have inner fields. It may seem a lot harder to follow than it used to be, but a basic knowledge of science is something everyone should be aiming for. The better we understand the world around us, the better we can survive. This is how our species has lasted so long, Intelligence. We have learnt how to use the things around use to make tools, clothes, houses, and eventually power tools, space suits and sky scrapers. We have come a long way by using science, and we will go even further using it in the future. It is our responsibility as the only know intelligent species in the universe, to learn as much as we can, and pass it down to the next generation, bettering ourselves, correcting errors, filling in gaps, until we can all live together in good health, with long lives, all animals, including us.

Peace.