According to Wikipedia, pseudoskepticism is a term referring to a philosophical or scientific position which appears to be that of skepticism or scientific skepticism but which in reality fails to be so.
The term was probably launched by Marcello Truzzi.
Nowdays the term pseudoskepticism is mostly used by promoters of woo to dismiss skeptical critisism. Correct definition of pseudoskeptisism can be found in Rationalwiki.
While “skeptopath” is supposed to stand for a well seasoned pseudoskeptic, there seems to be (a kind of) a new term “pathoskeptisism” becoming fashionable and it is of course used by true believers in voodoo science.
I am happy to call myself a pathoskeptic, because the mission of this blog is to dismiss obvious falsehoods and crazy claims immediately, without any argumentation what so ever. Just to save time and valueable resources.
Of course, even the most seasoned pathoskeptic can be fooled, easiest by himself.
I believe, these two great minds had it right.
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool.
— Richard P. Feynman
It is difficult to say what truth is, but sometimes it is so easy to recognize a falsehood.”
— Albert Einstein
Of course, in reality, we must all be ready to change our minds if evidence suggests we are wrong. I am always happy to look at a new picture of the reality. What could be more thrilling than that?
My intentions are not malicious. This blog is about my personal views and I tend to be wrong a lot. I am sorry if I offend anybody, that is not my primary goal. My primary goal is to make observations and see if I can recognize a falsehood.
I am not a practicing scientist, though I did once complete a masters degree in theoretical physics. Nowadays science is just a hobby and I bring bread to the table by working for software and electronics industry.
I am using a nickname “tyy” all around Internet, everyone calls me that anyway, but I am not hiding behind anonymity. You can find my other blog written in Finnish here, together with my personal information.
You can reach me by email at:
mailto:tyy@asentopaikka.fi
Let’s have fun.
Timo Ylhäinen
Vantaa
Finland
A typical pathoskeptic with envious green glimpse in his eyes
Keep it up, you are not alone – pathoskeptics are all around
😉
http://doubtfulnews.com/
http://leavventuredeltenentefallace.wordpress.com/
http://www.skeptics.com.au/publications/magazine/
http://crispian-jago.blogspot.it/
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There is a comment on the LENR forum under your name and avatar, saying “Ethan Siegel thinks like a scientists, that’s why he says exactly the only thing a scientist could possibly say.”
I was surprised how unlike what I see here this comment was. So I checked your list of comments on LENR, and sure enough this one isn’t there. You might want to check if your account has been hacked.
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Hmm, can’t tell. I think I should stay away from that forum, anyways.
Edit: checked the comment, that is mine.
http://www.lenr-forum.com/forum/index.php/Thread/810-What-is-your-opinion-of-the-allegations-of-fraud-of-Ethan-Siegel-astrophysicist/?postID=1770#post1770
I think that my meaning was, that for Siegel, as a physicist, it is obvious what Rossi is.
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Tyy,
The wheels just fell off the E-Cat bus. Rossi is suing Industrial Heat in US Federal court:
Best regards,
Fred
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Well, that was a twist 😀
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Indeed it was. We are now faced with that eternal dilemma: fraudster or lunatic? Evil or stupid? I vote for “lunatic,” because from his legal filing, it really does appear that Rossi actually believes his E-Cats work! His new lawyers did him a grave disservice by not explaining to him what would happen if the E-Cat doesn’t work. Rossi will lose everything and end up in the slammer again. If he were smart, he would have taken the US$10 million and run. But he’s not smart, he’s both greedy and nuts.
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what would happen if the E-Cat doesn’t work
If?
It never worked as claimed, and Rossi – the serial frauder – knows perfectly.
This game of lawsuit is the same game he played with DGT, with small variation: this time a court is called but the focus is NOT on E Cat being working or not, but on a report to say so or not…
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Rossi will have his day in court. The Lord knows he already had enough “days in court” in Italy. Maybe he thinks he can con a jury into believing his nonsense. Or maybe he will stage yet another bogus demo. In any case, if he can’t produce a working device, then he’s toast. That’s what his lawyers should have told him. I agree with you that he doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of producing a working E-Cat.
Here is Industrial Heat’s opening salvo: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/industrial-heat-statement-on-meritless-litigation-from-leonardo-corporation-and-andrea-rossi-300248066.html
IH couldn’t get an E-Cat to work in three years! Well, there’s three years of his life that JT Vaughn will never get back. And now they get to litigate with a delusional lunatic.
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