Meeting and Controversy

Last nights Skeptics in the Pub is what I would call a success. We had a few drinks and really good conversation about a whole host of issues, such as the cost of real estate in Minot due to the oil boom, religion, God, and the latest controversy in the society. I would like to again recommend a book that you can find in the MSS book store called "Voodoo Histories The Role of the Conspiracy Theory in Shaping Modern History" by David Aaronovitch. The author is an award winning journalist who has worked in radio, television, and for newspaper in England since the 1980's. He is a recipient of the Orwell Prize for political journalism and writes a regular column for the London Times. The book goes into past and current conspiracy theories such as: Pearl Harbor, 911, JFK assassination, Death of Princess Diana, Birthers, moon landings etc. He sees a pattern among these inflammatory theories and their proponents use murky methods to insinuate their claims, carefully manipulate the evidence to hide the holes and rely on authority from dubious academic sources. They want to elevate themselves to an elite who see a higher reality. Why believe in something that entails stretching the bounds of probability so far? In his book he takes an entertaining and enlightening look at these problems and makes an argument for true skepticism based on a thorough knowledge of history and a strong dose of common sense.
Peace Skeptical DoDo