Religion

Jim Lane

(11,175 posts)

21. Anecdotal evidence: Astrology columns in newspapers. Useless gambling systems.

Thu Mar 29, 2012, 11:16 PM

Mar 2012

Homeopathic "remedies" sold in real drugstores, right alongside drugs that have been subjected to scientific double-blind testing. People who think they'll "jinx" something by what they say (commenting on good fortune will make it go away, saying "what if so-and-so died" will make the death more likely, etc.).

The general population is, let us say, American adults (people who are eighteen years of age or older). That's the definition used in one source of non-anecdotal evidence. In a very cursory Google search, I turned up a Gallup press release from 2000, according to which

the Halloween poll does show that the American public's belief in ghosts and witches has increased substantially since the question was first asked in 1978. Currently, 31% of American adults say they believe in ghosts, and 22% say they believe in witches. In 1978, just 11% of the public said they believed in ghosts and the same percentage said they believed in witches.

Source: http://www.gallup.com/poll/2380/one-third-americans-believe-ghosts.aspx

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Our brains have evolved to look for patterns and assign meaning, even when none exist. [View all] cleanhippie Mar 2012 OP

Thank you for this post! nt Ilsa Mar 2012 #1

Pareidolia longship Mar 2012 #2

Great - ANOTHER form of fundamentalism saras Mar 2012 #3

Your strawman is so adorable. cleanhippie Mar 2012 #4

So basically saying science can be used to study the brain and the evolution of it is... Humanist_Activist Mar 2012 #5

I think you might want to explore the research, a little... SamG Mar 2012 #36

What are science's limitations? EvolveOrConvolve Mar 2012 #39

The simplest example of this would be the constellations and looking for shapes in clouds... Humanist_Activist Mar 2012 #6

Exactly. And unfortunately, people still assign agenticity as seen in horoscopes. cleanhippie Mar 2012 #10

One explanation for certain so-called psychic phenomena TlalocW Mar 2012 #7

I have seen this in real life. tabatha Mar 2012 #8

Why do you suppose evolutionary processes selected-for a brain with beliefs? Jim__ Mar 2012 #9

Shermer addresses this in his book. cleanhippie Mar 2012 #11

Can you explain it? Jim__ Mar 2012 #14

If I could explain it like Shermer, I'd write a book. cleanhippie Mar 2012 #22

If you understand something, you should be able to explain it. Jim__ Mar 2012 #25

Seeing patterns is incredibly useful edhopper Mar 2012 #26

A pattern recognizing brain is not necessarily a "belief engine." Jim__ Mar 2012 #31

The OP post makes it quite clear edhopper Mar 2012 #33

Why would you ask for scientific evidence to counter a postulate? Jim__ Mar 2012 #40

A postulate edhopper Mar 2012 #42

Here are a few different ideas about beliefs, religion, and evolution. Jim__ Mar 2012 #45

You seem to be under the misapprehension. edhopper Mar 2012 #47

See post #48. Jim__ Mar 2012 #49

You're right, and I can. cleanhippie Mar 2012 #28

I'll accept that your explanation is Michael Shermer said so. Jim__ Mar 2012 #30

You can assume what you want to, it matters not a bit to me. cleanhippie Mar 2012 #34

Are you trying hard to be snarky? or just repeating a pattern? SamG Mar 2012 #37

Probably to make us aware of our surroundings more... Humanist_Activist Mar 2012 #12

You say false positives wouldn't adversely affect reproductive success. Jim__ Mar 2012 #17

You forget that we live in groups, and so did our ancestors... Humanist_Activist Mar 2012 #18

I don't forget that we live in groups, your explanation didn't have anything to do with groups. Jim__ Mar 2012 #19

Seeing patterns has survival value because there ARE patterns Jim Lane Mar 2012 #13

Do you have any evidence to support your last sentence? Jim__ Mar 2012 #15

Anecdotal evidence: Astrology columns in newspapers. Useless gambling systems. Jim Lane Mar 2012 #21

Jim, those were awesome responses! cleanhippie Mar 2012 #23

Your answer indicates that you are far more prone to see patterns than to be overly skeptical. Jim__ Mar 2012 #24

What are you disagreeing with? edhopper Mar 2012 #27

Is it me or is Jim being unnecessarily antagonistic? cleanhippie Mar 2012 #35

I was reporting an actual Gallup poll. I personally do not believe in ghosts. Jim Lane Mar 2012 #29

Two points. Jim__ Mar 2012 #32

Try these edhopper Mar 2012 #38

Gallup does not make any such claim in those polls. Jim__ Mar 2012 #41

So your argument is based on edhopper Mar 2012 #43

In the first place, I didn't give an argument. Jim__ Mar 2012 #44

I just don't understand what you are trying to say edhopper Mar 2012 #46

Post #9 was my opening of this sub-thread. Jim__ Mar 2012 #48

All it takes for overzealous pattern recognition to be an evolutionary advantage... Silent3 Mar 2012 #50

Thank you S3 edhopper Mar 2012 #51

I can explain that: laconicsax Mar 2012 #54

Do you mean reproductive "value" or "advantage"? SamG Mar 2012 #52

We do have a brain with beliefs edhopper Mar 2012 #53

That does not answer the question of "why" it was selected-for. Jim__ Apr 2012 #55

So everyone who believes in ghosts is because they had a sudden death edhopper Apr 2012 #56

Read posts #41 and 44. Jim__ Apr 2012 #57

I have no idea what you are trying to argue edhopper Apr 2012 #58

Pareidolia: mr blur Mar 2012 #16

Thanks ch for the review. azul Mar 2012 #20

"Fun Science: Randomness" SamG Apr 2012 #59