Humans are, by nature, pattern-seeking, storytelling animals, and we are quite adept at telling stories about patterns whether they exist or not. Michael Shermer More Quotes by Michael Shermer More Quotes From Michael Shermer Believing that the rustle in the grass is a dangerous predator when it is only the wind does not cost much, but believing that a dangerous predator is the wind may cost an animal its life. Michael Shermer animal wind believe We know evolution happened because innumerable bits of data from myriad fields of science conjoin to paint a rich portrait of life's pilgrimage. Michael Shermer portraits data fields I just witnessed an event so mysterious that it shook my skepticism. Michael Shermer skepticism mysterious events But the power of science lies in open publication, which, with the rise of the Internet, is no longer constrained by the price of paper. Michael Shermer paper science lying The recent medical controversy over whether vaccinations cause autism reveals a habit of human cognition — thinking anecdotally comes naturally, whereas thinking scientifically does not. Michael Shermer autism doe thinking People who espouse Intelligent Design believe nature is so complex as to require an intelligent designer-God. Similarly, liberals believe the economy is so complex as to require an intelligent designer-government. Michael Shermer government intelligent believe Myths are stories that express meaning, morality or motivation. Whether they are true or not is irrelevant. Michael Shermer morality stories motivational There are many sources of spirituality; religion may be the most common, but it is by no means the only. Anything that generates a sense of awe may be a source of spirituality. Science does this in spades. Michael Shermer doe may mean Myths, whether in written or visual form, serve a vital role of asking unanswerable questions and providing unquestionable answers. Most of us, most of the time, have a low tolerance for ambiguity and uncertainty. We want to reduce the cognitive dissonance of not knowing by filling the gaps with answers. Traditionally, religious myths have served that role, but today — the age of science — science fiction is our mythology. Michael Shermer tolerance knowing religious Myths are about the human struggle to deal with the great passages of time and life--birth, death, marriage, the transitions from childhood to adulthood to old age. They meet a need in the psychological or spiritual nature of humans that has absolutely nothing to do with science. To try to turn a myth into a science, or a science into a myth, is an insult to myths, an insult to religion, and an insult to science. In attempting to do this, creationists have missed the significance, meaning, and sublime nature of myths. They took a beautiful story of creation and re-creation and ruined it. Michael Shermer struggle spiritual beautiful ...there ... remains a huge following [of Ayn Rand's philosophy] of those who ignore the indiscretions, infidelities, and moral inconsistencies of the founder and focus instead on the positive aspects of her philosophy. There is much in it to admire, if you do not have to accept the whole package... Criticism of the founder or followers of a philosophy does not, by itself, constitute a negation of any part of the philosophy... Criticism of part of a philosophy does not gainsay the whole. Michael Shermer focus philosophy thinking The question itself [of UFOs] I think is legitimate. It's interesting, it's fascinating. It's mythic in scale and one of the grand questions. It's like the God question or, you know, the meaning-of-life question. It's one of those, on that scale. So you'd have to be made of wood not to be interested and, you know, have they come here? Are they up there? Michael Shermer meaning-of-life interesting thinking Perceiving the world as well designed and thus the product of a designer, and even seeing divine providence in the daily affairs of life, may be the product of a brain adapted to finding patterns in nature. (38) Michael Shermer brain may world Scientific prayer makes God a celestial lab rat, leading to bad science and worse religion. Michael Shermer labs prayer religion We want to be special. We want our place in the cosmos to be central. We want evolution-even godless evolution-to have been directed toward us so that we stand at the pinnacle of nature's ladder of progress. Rewind the tape of life and we want to believe that we (Homo Sapiens) would appear again and again. Would we? Probably not. Michael Shermer progress special believe We think of our eyes as video cameras and our brains as blank tapes to be filled with sensory inputs. Michael Shermer eye games thinking If spirituality is the sense of awe and humility in the face of the creation, what could be more awesome and humbling than the deep space discovered by Hubble and the cosmologists, and the deep time discovered by Darwin and the evolutionists. Michael Shermer space humility faces I care what is actually true, even more than what I hope is true. Michael Shermer i-care care truth Mysteries once thought to be supernatural or paranormal happenings - such as astronomical or meteorological events - are incorporated into science once their causes are understood. Michael Shermer mystery events causes But because we live in an age of science, we have a preoccupation with corroborating our myths. Michael Shermer preoccupation age science
