Welcome Thread - New Members Post Here

Hi Mick, thanks for a great site/forum. I've just started reading your book "Escaping the Rabbit Hole", and have been interested in conspiracy theories (as a sceptic) for many years. I am a self-employed software developer and live in the UK. Keep up the good work!
cheers,
Jack
 
Hello to you all! I am a new member and UK. My name is John. I like to identity original and manipulate photos of real-world scenes.
 
Hello! I'm Kerry, originally from Edinburgh, Scotland and now living in beautiful Vancouver, BC. Looking forward to diving in and learning more.
 
Hi, I am Rend. I basically signed up because I ran into a moon hoaxer who posted a video about the later Apollo missions buggy cam. Can't find info about the claim posted here, so I am gonna post it. But I like figuring things out, so maybe I'll stay for a while.
 
Greetings! Longtime lurker here. Finally signed up to fulfill my social needs during the pandemic. Hope everyone is practicing social distancing and staying safe. Looking forward to contributing to some interesting discussions. Thanks for everything you do, Mick!
 
Hi,

my name is Michael and I'm from Austria. I'm a software developer now but I have a PhD in astrophysics and a minor degree in meteorology and I'm very much into data analysis/ probabilistic analysis/modelling, so I still think of myself as a scientist. :) I used to be a hardcore skeptic when I was at university, but since then (quite some time ago) I let go of that mindset a little bit and I am much more open philosophically nowadays. Still, it's all about empirical data and the scientific method for me.

I'm not really a believer in the paranormal but I am specifically interested in UFOs and wouldn't it be great to have some real, hard evidence for that. I do enjoy your work here a lot and I also very much enjoy Mick's podcasts, so I hope to be able to contribute every now and then.
 
Hi everyone,
I am slightly confused whether this is the welcome mat section I'm posting in?..anyway..
I have had countless discussions with friends and family in the past resulting in frustrating stand offs resulting in no real satisfactory conclusions regarding the so called 'truths' defended or queried.. the real conclusion being nobody really knows at the end of the day due to the huge amount of information being put out there on the net that distorts, diverts and is often persuasive...We can all easily cherry pick a narrative that suits our own vision and beliefs which kind of sabotages the original purpose of finding the truth ...which is why I registered with you guys and hope it can clear up the many theories I have defended and argued...
This moment of uncertainty we are all living right now in lockdown gives us all a lot of time we would not usually have to search the web..which has led me down several rabbit holes or be it the same hole with so many possible dead ends and no apparent exits.
I have looked at the guidelines so hope I can send you material to debunk soon.
 
Hi all!
I found this website via the podcast tails from the r.b.
I used to belive in some conspicys, not to deep in, but the general stuff. Some of my friends ar deep in conspiracy theories and was looking for ways to talk to them about this. I find the pod wery useful and hopefully I will find this site just as intresting.
And this is the first time I've joined or post I in an Internet forum
 
Hi there, I am writing from Italy, seeking the truth, not a thin foil hat supporter, not a de-bunker, just a guy who likes to understand things

ciao
 
Instantly attracted to the basic premise of this forum. Being someone who thinks from a critical analysis POV naturally, I have always felt it imperative to look at both sides of the proverbial coin. Recognizing that one cannot just simply take any and/or all information we are subject to for granted, seeking a logical, balanced conclusion is essential to seeing things as clearly as possible..... Even if it means ones instincts are, in the process proven incorrect or mis-informed. So, hello to all.
 
Hi everybody! I am a fan of astronomy and astrophotography, and everything related to it; Several years ago, with a group of friends, we created an astronomy group in our city and to this day we continue to enjoy it. I found this site looking for information about identifying a satellite in the sky at a particular time and place. It's great to have a place addressing scientific and rational manner the issues discussed here. Thanks!
 
Hi. I have decided to join this forum as I have a keen interest in scepticism/debunking.
I am currently living in the Northwest of England. I have been aware of Mick and this website for a while, but have only very recently signed up. I hope that by joining this forum, I will be able to increase my knowledge of various topics which relate to science and scepticism.

Thanks,
Tom.
 
Hi all, I found a reference to this site in the FB Skeptics Guide Group and it looked like just the resource I need help me fight disinformation on FB and beyond!
 
Hello, I’m Barb, married to someone who ”has questions” about the shape of Earth. The same questions I answered last month. So many months passed, before I realized he has been brainwashed by a constant flow of youtube videos from a “friend.” Looking to help him back up before he falls completely into the rabbit hole.
 
Dave here. I’ve decided to become a paranormal investigator because the only qualification is telling people you’re a paranormal investigator. It’s like being a doctor in the 1800’s.
 
I am brand new here. I just joined today. I am very gullible. People see me coming all of the time. I have been preyed upon by conspiracy theorists and people peddling "cure alls" and detoxes. I have wasted countless dollars. I found this site by trying to figure out if the 5g was really connected to covid. It sounded crazy, that's why I wanted to know more about it. I hope that the posts here, will help me understand what is really happening in the world.
 
Instantly attracted to the basic premise of this forum. Being someone who thinks from a critical analysis POV naturally, I have always felt it imperative to look at both sides of the proverbial coin. Recognizing that one cannot just simply take any and/or all information we are subject to for granted, seeking a logical, balanced conclusion is essential to seeing things as clearly as possible..... Even if it means ones instincts are, in the process proven incorrect or mis-informed. So, hello to all.https://nox.tips/ Mobdro https://pnrstatus.vip/
Hi. I have decided to join this forum as I have a keen interest in scepticism/debunking.
I am currently living in the Northwest of England. I have been aware of Mick and this website for a while, but have only very recently signed up. I hope that by joining this forum, I will be able to increase my knowledge of various topics which relate to science and scepticism.

Thanks,
Tom.
i agree!!
 
Good day, all,

I happened to come across this site while reading an article on Slashdot regarding the U.S. Navy's recent release of UFO footage. I've also grown tired of the avalanche of conspiracy theories regarding COVID-19 and thought this might be a good place to source relevant information to help debunk some of that B.S. at a faster rate, especially with any direct connections to real science-based sources.
 
Having been a practicing skeptic for many years, this looks like just my type of site. Looking forward to reading the posts and perhaps even participating from time to time.
 
Hi. I'm interested in the convergence of conspiracy theories and new age 'spirituality'. I am repeatedly drawn to a Facebook page that alternates it's new age 'quantum' posts with conspiracy theories (the global elites, dividing us to keep us enslaved, 5g to control us, etc right after posts about ' you are a spiritual being having a human experience', or 'you are a lightworker here to raise the vibrational frequency of the sheep'. It's interesting to see these two themes overlapping, and I would like to understand what drives people to believe in either one of those things. Thanks for having me.
 
Hello everyone! Glad I found a place where common sense takes priority to all these fast track explanations of phenomena. I am not closed to the wonders of our world, let alone the universe, but facts and keen observation must prevail before the most supernatural explanations are considered. Hope to learn from all of you.
 
Hi, I’m Ryan. I’m a middle aged, blue collar, high-school-educated, cynical, skeptical, atheistic stoic. I stumbled on this forum—specifically a chem trail thread—while watching a Joe Rogan posdcast. I’m hooked. Right now I’m trying to figure out how to start from the top or find a specific thread. A thread I was just reading said to read #28 but I can’t figure out how to do that. I’m not the smartest
 
Hey everyone!

I stumbled on this forum from a discussion on Slashdot about the Navy videos. There someone was claiming there was this horrible, disingenuous liar named Mick West who'd attempted to debunk the videos. So that led me into the Google wormhole and this is where I emerged. I haven't found anything yet that made me worried about signing up, and maybe, just maybe, I can add insights in a few spots.

I'm an electrical/electronics engineer, educated in electromagnetic wave propagation and scattering, trained via Jet Propulsion Lab/Caltech as a systems engineer, and with strong interests in history, geology, astronomy, biology, and some philosophy. I don't know enough about any of those topics to make me an expert, but all of it helps to inform on my professional interests.

I spent my first career at JPL, starting as an wireless telecommunications engineer for the Deep Space Network (including some of those big dishes you may remember from the movie "Contact"), then transitioned to the spacecraft side, first on earth-orbiting missions but later on interplanetary missions. My second career was Motorola Semiconductor/Freescale, where I learned a lot about what magic one could do with silicon, a bit of impurities, more quantum mechanics, and brilliant engineers and designers. Then, it was time to join a Silicon Valley start-up, which was loads of fun, but like 99.99% of startup participants, I (sadly) didn't become obscenely wealthy and buy an island or something. Now I'm in the infrastructure engineering field (bridges, trains, dams, power grid, public transportation). Still having lots of fun.

I live in Phoenix, Arizona, where it's already broke the 100F/40C mark this year. But like they say, "It's a dry heat..."

Cheers - Jon
 
Hi, I’m Ryan. I’m a middle aged, blue collar, high-school-educated, cynical, skeptical, atheistic stoic. I stumbled on this forum—specifically a chem trail thread—while watching a Joe Rogan posdcast. I’m hooked. Right now I’m trying to figure out how to start from the top or find a specific thread. A thread I was just reading said to read #28 but I can’t figure out how to do that. I’m not the smartest
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Hi Ryan -
I can't speak to your particular #28, but your intro post was #1908 of the intro thread. So, if you go back to that thread where you were told to "read #28", just look for the post number in the upper right hand corner.
Cheers - Jon
 
Thank-you for having me. Long-time lurker, just signing up officially. Thanks for all the hard work, people have obviously put in here :)

Adam
 
Thx for what turned out to be an amazing suggestion: watching maritime movies. We enjoyed them, then talked about navigation, old maps, the Flat Earth map, etc. Then we investigated flight times and compared them to the global model and the Flat Earth model. I thought we might be finished! But, we still “have questions.” Now, we are looking to find a very flat, straight road where we can “see” the curvature of the earth.
i’m having some difficulty navigating this site, but suspect I can find some data on this.
Barb
 
Hello! My name is Marcell, and I happily stumbled onto this site by a string of chances. I have wondered about conspiracy theories all my adult life and wondered how people could believe in them. My greatest wonder was why people just didn't ask "Why would this be so" when they come up against such beliefs. Most would then be solved. Anyway, a week or so ago I ran out of good thrillers on Audible and started looking for something to "read" (listen to) when I remembered Audible had promoted some books on conspiracy theories a few weeks ago. I did a search and came across the Great Courses series and found Conspiracies & Conspiracy Theories by Michael Shermer. This site and Mick are mentioned in the narrative so had to put the book down and check it out. So very happy I did. That also led me to Richard Dawkins and his books. To say the least, I am very happily knitting away and listening to people that tell me my ideas and thoughts are not so lonely as I once felt. I'm not alone in the world! "Why would this be so" is a very legitimate question and I've found some great comebacks for theories that just didn't make sense.

About me, I'm an aging female (70) who has spent many years befuddled by what people believe. I knit and crochet my days away listening to books and expanding my mind. We just celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary and are relatively healthy. My husband spent his adult life serving the government (21 years USAF and 13 years US Civil Service). I spent my adult life following him around.

I just read something on the Ephesians 6:12 theory of the covid virus. Would love some input on this theory.
 
Hey all!

I've been annoying everyone already and I didn't even introduce myself!

I am a management engineer and entrepreneur from Milan, Italy. I am an aerospace and flight sim enthusiast and have been researching the recent UFO hoopla as a quarantine hobby. I spent my youth practicing naval operations in simulated Hornets and Tomcats. Yes, the damage Top Gun has done to society is incalculable.

Was fascinated by Mick's approach to the subject as I think he is one of the few "healthy" skeptics I have seen commenting the subject. He knows the topic and does his research. His content is great and I hope I can give my contribution to solving some mysteries while I am locked at home!
 
This thread is for any first time poster to (optionally) post an introductory "hi everyone" post, which will also get you "verified" (meaning you can post without anti-spam restrictions) once it has been approved.

A few words on who you are and how you ended up here would be appreciated. Or just say hi!
upload_2013-11-7_15-17-0.png

It's highly recommended that you first read the Posting Guidelines:
https://www.metabunk.org/threads/posting-guidelines.2064/
Hi,
I am a 64 yo retired Obstetrician/Gynaecologist from Melbourne, Australia, married, with 4 adult children and nearly 3 grandchildren. That is my real name and picture on the profile. I became interested in conspiracy theorists through my antivax patients, and an in-law, and am interested in the psychology of their beliefs as well as related topics such as alternative medicine. For the last couple of years I have been reading and commenting on Dr Steven Novella's Neurologica blog, and was recently pointed in this direction by a fellow commenter. I like your guidelines, particularly the requirement to be polite and respectful.
 
Hi there everyone. As a rational skeptic I am quite happy to leave ideas and events as unknowns when the evidence is thin or falsification is beyond most attempts. I think that a lot of debunking attempts to debunk everything, which can lead to some irrational or improbable explanations or the employment of confirmation bias in trying to prove one's hypothesis. I hope that when and if I point out problems with a particular line of debunking I am not accused of being a proponent of an idea but merely that the idea remains in the biggest category of all, the still unknown.
 
Welcome @beelzedug !
I welcome looking at evidence with a sceptic eye!

Debunkings are not proofs. Do we know that there was a fly and not a UFO at Skinwalker Ranch? (see https://www.metabunk.org/threads/black-ufo-at-skinwalker-ranch-a-fly.11271/ ) Obviously the phenomenon is just a black blob, so maybe you want to insist that it remain unidentified.

But what the debunking has done is provide an explanation that strips the "evidence" of its force to "prove" that something supernatural occurred. Is the debunking a proof that there was no supernatural or extraterrestrial phenomenon? Certainly not! But it changed the video from being "proof" of something into a video that proves nothing. It has become apparent that it is bunk.

So what you identify as a "problem" with a line of debunking is often its endpoint.

That's not say a debunking should be irrational or that debunkings are beyond criticism -- they should certainly stand up to rational debate. But it's good to keep in mind that the idea a debunk is trying to prove is not an idea about a claim, it's an idea about evidence: we can't prove that there are no supernatural events on Earth, but we can attempt to show that there hasn't been evidence of any.

Cheers!
 
with a particular line of debunking

Debunkings are not proofs.
Debunkings are proof. That is why that thread doesn't say "Debunked:"

I realize the media and people online often use the term debunk when they are only expressing an opinion or another possible explanation, but here at Metabunk 'we' only debunk specific claims of evidence. so if the claim is "this footage proves an extraterrestrial UFO" then an alternative explanation can be called a debunk, because it debunks the claim.
but if there is only a generic 'this is an extraterrestrial UFO' or implied ufo "what is this?"...alternative explanations aren't a debunk. If it's a fuzzy blob, there's always the chance it could be extraterrestrial.
 
Hi All~

Interesting forum that I stumbled across. I was researching for a friend information on the 6506148 B2 Patent. I'm a CPA with a science background and upbringing, so I like vetted facts. There's a lot of BS going on these days being posted on the internet, with a lot of people getting sucked into the misinformation. Historically speaking, every time there is a breakthrough in communication technology, society goes through this. The last time it was this bad was at the turn of the 20th Century and the Newspaper Wars.

Anyway, looking forward to the discussions.

Jazzpony (Laurie)
 
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