Posted on February 22, 2010 by Lisa A. Shiel
Just when it feels like journalists are incapable of treating the paranormal with anything but scornful smugness, I come across an article on the Examiner site. In the article Roger Marsh discusses an experiment at Northwest Missouri State University—an experiment in paranormal journalism. Under the tutelage of instructor Jason Offutt, students have begun writing serious articles about paranormal phenomena which they publish on a blog. The articles treat the topics being discussed, from palm reading to haunted houses, with an objectivity sorely lacking in mainstream media outlets such as CNN or the New York Times.
Of course not all professional journalists scoff at the paranormal. I have been interviewed for a number of newspaper articles and talk radio shows, from Toronto’s Globe and Mail to the Marquette (Michigan) Mining Journal. In the vast majority of those interviews I have received a fair and objective treatment. In fact I have mainly encountered hostile, derisive interviewers on talk shows devoted to the paranormal. Go figure!
Some paranormal researchers could stand to take a few lessons from Jason Offutt and his students. Will paranormal journalism take root? Let’s keep our fingers crossed.
Filed under: General paranormal, Media Coverage, Sociological Aspects | Tagged: media and the paranormal, paranormal journalism | 1 Comment »
Posted on February 11, 2010 by Lisa A. Shiel
Consider the Cambrian Explosion, a time 500 million years ago when life erupted into countless bizarre varieties of life-forms. The Cambrian Explosion remains a mystery. How did it happen? Why did it happen? A mass extinction later wiped out most of the Cambrian creatures. Throughout our planet’s history, life has gone through cycles where life blossoms then is struck down by mass extinction.
Could a connection exist between the cycle of extinctions, the Cambrian Explosion, and evolution? Imagine an alien race first visited our world eons ago. They found primitive life-forms, bacteria and the like. These aliens have advanced technology. They see a primeval world in need of molding. A great experiment ensues.
The aliens tinker with the life-forms already present on Earth. They create a mind-boggling array of creatures, just to see if they can. Maybe the creatures they made eventually got too wild, or perhaps the aliens got bored with them. Either way, they decided to make a fresh start. They lob an asteroid at Earth, or perhaps use a weapon that leaves a meteor-like crater. Bam! Extinction.
The aliens could’ve repeated this cycle many times. Cook up some life-forms, study them, kill them off, and start again with a new batch. Humans researchers will use animals in their experiments, then kill the animals once they’ve completed their study. Humans researchers also try to create new life-forms.
Scientists have made transgenic animals—creatures with foreign genes inserted into their DNA—which they use in lab experiments today.
If we can do it, so can “they.”
Filed under: Ancient History, Connections, Controversies, Evolution / Human Origins, UFOs | Tagged: alien intervention, Cambrian explosion, extinction mysteries, ufo-evolution connection | 2 Comments »
Posted on February 9, 2010 by Lisa A. Shiel
Many paranormal researchers—especially Bigfoot researchers—proudly proclaim they have no theories. Why? Probably because to theorize means to state an opinion, to say “I believe this…” Nobody wants to stick his neck out like that. What if one day someone proves you wrong? Eeks, how embarrassing!
Hogwash. How does any field of research advance if no one wants to theorize? With the words “paranormal” and “belief”—from which Bigfoot researchers flee faster than a man who accidentally wandered into the ladies’ room—part of the problem stems from a misunderstanding of the word’s meaning. So what does the word “theory” really mean?
First, let’s separate everyday theories from scientific ones. (Many “scientific” theories fail the scientific theory test though! See my book The Evolution Conspiracy for more on that.) Like a lot of words, theory has several definitions. One states a theory is “the analysis of a set of facts in their relation to one another.” Nothing to fear there, right? If you gather facts or evidence but never analyze them then you are wasting your time.
Another definition calls a theory “an unproven assumption.” This is the most common definition, and the most relevant to paranormal research. Consider these two definitions together. A theory, or unproven assumption, arises from the analysis of a set of facts.
So what if someday your unproven assumption is proven wrong? Maybe, just maybe, someday you will prove your theory right. If you don’t theorize, you’ll never know.
Definitions taken from Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition.
Filed under: Controversies, General paranormal, Sociological Aspects, Theories / Evidence | Tagged: everyday theories, fear of theorizing, paranormal researchers | Leave a Comment »