Smart people believe weird things because they are skilled at defending beliefs they arrived at for non-smart reasons.
Michael ShermerRead
Science operates in the natural, not the supernatural. In fact, I go so far as to state that there is no such thing as the supernatural or the paranormal.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the distinction between the natural world studied by science and beliefs in the supernatural.
Michael Shermer's quote asserts that science is grounded in the understanding and investigation of the natural world, rejecting the existence of supernatural phenomena. By stressing that there is no validity in the supernatural or paranormal, Shermer encourages a worldview that relies on empirical evidence and rational thought rather than beliefs unfounded in scientific inquiry.
Themes
ScienceNaturalSupernaturalParanormalKnowledge
In practice
Example use cases
In a science class discussing the limitations of scientific inquiry.
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