The study of the Sasquatch, commonly referred to as Bigfoot, occupies a singular space in the modern cultural landscape, existing at the contested boundary between folklore, media-driven pseudoscience, and fictional cinema.
#Bigfoot #Sasquatch #Cryptozoology #Skeptic #Science #ExtraordinaryClaims #Myth #Reality #FilmCriticism #Horror #MovieReview
https://pablohoneyfish.wordpress.com/2026/03/18/the-epistemological-and-biological-realities-of-the-sasquatch-phenomenon-evidence-pseudoscience-and-cultural-representation/
The Epistemological and Biological Realities of the Sasquatch Phenomenon: Evidence, Pseudoscience, and Cultural Representation

The study of the Sasquatch, commonly referred to as Bigfoot, occupies a singular space in the modern cultural landscape, existing at the contested boundary between folklore, media-driven pseudoscie…

JP

A quotation from Bertrand Russell

Neither acquiescence in skepticism nor acquiescence in dogma is what education should produce. What it should produce is a belief that knowledge is attainable in a measure, though with difficulty; that much of what passes for knowledge at any given time is likely to be more or less mistaken, but that the mistakes can be rectified by care and industry. In acting upon our beliefs, we should be very cautious where a small error would mean disaster; nevertheless it is upon our beliefs that we must act. This state of mind is rather difficult: it requires a high degree of intellectual culture without emotional atrophy. But though difficult it is not impossible; it is in fact the scientific temper. Knowledge, like other good things, is difficult, but not impossible; the dogmatist forgets the difficulty, the skeptic denies the possibility. Both are mistaken, and their errors, when wide-spread, produce social disaster.

Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) English mathematician and philosopher
Education and the Good Life, Part 1, ch. 2 “The Aims of Education” (1926)

More about this quote: wist.info/russell-bertrand/826…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #bertrandrussell #action #caution #dogma #dogmatism #education #knowledge #rationality #science #selfawareness #skeptic #skepticism #truthseeking #pedagogy

Russell, Bertrand - Education and the Good Life, Part 1, ch. 2 "The Aims of Education" (1926) | WIST Quotations

Neither acquiescence in skepticism nor acquiescence in dogma is what education should produce. What it should produce is a belief that knowledge is attainable in a measure, though with difficulty; that much of what passes for knowledge at any given time is likely to be more or less mistaken, but…

WIST Quotations

Remembering the Mothers of Gynecology

https://yt.lostpod.space/w/vyqCntfhHsRCtCsNrhe2XR

Remembering the Mothers of Gynecology

PeerTube

Study: Dolly Parton is the Greatest

https://yt.lostpod.space/w/2iCvE92xuVYoXiFegN92mY

Study: Dolly Parton is the Greatest

PeerTube
The cinematic exploration of the afterlife has transitioned from religious allegory to a pseudoscientific inquiry, reflecting a broader cultural shift in how modern society conceptualizes mortality.
#Death #NearDeathExperience #NDE #Afterlife #Documentary #MovieReview #Skeptic #CriticalThinking #Pseudoscience #Film #Existentialism #Science #Faith
https://pablohoneyfish.wordpress.com/2026/02/25/the-anatomy-of-post-mortem-cinema-a-thanatological-analysis-of-scientific-proof-and-existential-anxiety/
The Anatomy of Post-Mortem Cinema: A Thanatological Analysis of Scientific Proof and Existential Anxiety

The cinematic exploration of the afterlife has transitioned from religious allegory to a pseudoscientific inquiry, reflecting a broader cultural shift in how modern society conceptualizes mortality…

JP

#5 might be disproved by the social media age: we keep right on "speaking," despite the collapse of privacy and context.

BUT it doesn't matter if 5 is false, because 2 is true

#philosophy #artoflivingwell #wisdom #skeptic #humility #courage #dontworry #equanimity #quote #quotes #quotation #France

Can Science Explain Everything? – Yet Another Website

Really good episode of Skeptics with a K, where Marsh gets properly skeptical about the Epstein Files, and calls out the bs that distracts from the actual, real victims.
https://pca.st/episode/7bec1b7b-ab04-4337-b84d-cacc7a3d3bc4

(Above is the link from the PocketCasts app…the podcast site is https://www.merseysideskeptics.org.uk/podcasts/skeptics-with-a-k ) #uk #skeptic #podcast #epstein #EpsteinFiles #victims

Episode #451

Marsh reads through the Epstein Files, and the lessons and pitfalls skeptics might encounter within... including how he came to appear in the latest documents. Meanwhile, Alice returns from a visit…

Pocket Casts

New Yorker & Daily Show Platform a Kook

https://yt.lostpod.space/w/vhhJT2tda8kXyXHxFuGLnc

New Yorker & Daily Show Platform a Kook

PeerTube

The Woe of Absolute Truth When Confronting the Will of Human Greed

https://lemmy.world/post/43210014

The Woe of Absolute Truth When Confronting the Will of Human Greed - Lemmy.World

Chapter I: Genesis and the Core Perspective of This Treatise A recent observation in a religious forum cited a wise individual who claimed that the development of organized religion holds a “Net Negative Value” for human civilization. While this statement immediately drew fire from devotees, an examination through the “Absolute Facts of the Cosmic View” reveals that this assertion exposes the most extensive and hidden logical fraud in human history. The arguments presented in this paper are not aimed at any individual’s faith preference but are grounded in the “Absolute Singularity of Law.” The Absolute Fact (Dhamma/Tao) of the cosmos is pure and immutable. Whether it is the rigor of mathematics, the regularity of physics, or the cause-and-effect principle established by the Original Dhamma, all are essentially the same unchangeable Law. All conflicts and contradictions originate solely from the changeable executors (individual humans and the institutions they form) who systematically tamper with the Law to serve selfish interests. When we assert that religion constitutes a “Net Negative Value,” the logical foundation is this: Institutionalized religion does not “transmit knowledge”; it “consumes the Law.” It transforms what was originally a transparent and educational “school model” into an opaque and predatory “fraud syndicate model.” This transformation process not only fails to increase humanity’s understanding of Truth but, by generating superstition and fear, effects a large-scale negative depletion of society’s wealth, rationality, and morality. Chapter II: The Ontological Conflict Between Law (Dhamma/Tao) and Institution (Religion) (I) The Essence of Scholarly Spirit and Knowledge Transmission True Law is fundamentally knowledge, and its method of dissemination must be “open, transparent, and verifiable.” When Law Transmitters (such as the Buddha or Lao Tzu) were alive, the groups they presided over were essentially “educational institutions.” For instance, the Buddha’s Sangha was built upon minimal material needs and strict adherence to cause-and-effect practice, aiming for the individual to achieve cognitive liberation through “self-reliant practice.” In this model, there was only the teaching and receiving of knowledge between the mentor and the student, with absolutely no authority worship or financial transactions. This is the “School Minimalist” model established by the Law Transmitters. (II) The “Entropy Increase” and Corrosion of Religious Institutions However, upon the passing of the Law Transmitter, if the successors are not individuals of equal attainment, the organization they lead inevitably falls into the “Humanity Entropy Increase” predicted by the “Knowledge Thermodynamics.” This entropic force includes human greed, collective ignorance, and power manipulation. For the sake of survival, power expansion, and securing donations, these individuals must inevitably “downscale” and “modify” the original Law. This corruption mechanism typically manifests as transforming “knowledge requiring practice” into “miracles requiring belief.” They establish vast administrative structures and opulent buildings, which demand huge financial upkeep. To acquire this money, they must invent fallacies that violate the Law of Cause and Effect, such as “chanting the name can lead to Buddhahood,” “donations can eradicate calamities,” or “burning paper money can save ancestors.” This behavior transforms the originally positive transmission of knowledge into a “malicious liability” against the Law, which consequently generates the “Net Negative Value” discussed in the forum. Chapter III: The Absurdity of Deification and the Logic-Ethical Deadlock of the “Ordinary Being Bodhisattva” (I) Mud Bodhisattvas Crossing the River: The Pretense of Compassion Among the many modified doctrines (such as Mahayana Buddhism, Tibetan Lamaism, etc.), the most absurd is the deified worship of the “Bodhisattva.” Based on the strict definition of the state of enlightenment in the Original Dhamma, we arrive at the inevitable conclusion: “A Bodhisattva is, in fact, an ordinary being subject to the cycle of birth and death (Samsara) until they attain Buddhahood.” An individual who has not attained Buddhahood remains objectively subject to the force of Kamma (Karma), susceptible to rebirth in the animal realm or the ghost realm. This state of being a Samsaric ordinary being logically disqualifies them from granting others “Absolute Salvation” . The Chinese saying, “A mud Bodhisattva crossing the river can barely save itself,” precisely points out this contradiction. (II) The “Knowledge Paradox” and “Ethical Violation” of the Pig/Dog Bodhisattva The deification of the “Bodhisattva” inevitably leads to the logical deadlock of the “capability vacuum within the cycle of Samsara.” If a “Bodhisattva” is reborn as a pig or a dog due to the force of Kamma, the constraints of its consciousness structure and physical form render it incapable of transmitting any advanced, abstract Law. Relying on an animal with stripped cognitive capacity for “salvation” is a “Knowledge Paradox” which utterly exposes the absurdity of the “Bodhisattva Way” myth. Furthermore, the Bodhisattva Way’s goal to “save all sentient beings” necessitates, as its premise, the abolition of sentient beings’ freedom to “choose self-delusion.” The suffering of sentient beings stems from their own Kamma, and only self-practice can purify Kamma. If a Bodhisattva forcibly intervenes and “saves” them, it constitutes an absolute infringement upon that being’s “freedom to bear the consequences of their actions,” thereby constituting a severe obstruction of the “Law of Freedom” in ethics. (III) The Buddha’s Actions and the Necessity of Law Preservation True Compassion (Pāḷi: Karuṇā) must be governed by Wisdom (Pāḷi: Paññā). Compassion that lacks discernment and adherence to the Law is essentially foolishness. When confronted with Devadatta, who attempted to split the Sangha and corrupt the precepts, the Buddha ultimately administered a “formal condemnation and exclusion” according to the rules of the Pāḷi Vinaya (Great Discipline). This action proves that any sentimentality must be discarded in the face of maintaining the purity of the “Absolute Law.” The “unconditional compassion” emphasized by later religious institutions is often an ethical trap set to conceal internal corruption and blur the boundary of the Truth. Chapter IV: The Logical Judgment of Ritual Economics: The Truth About Worship and Offerings (I) The Voidness of the Object of Offering The core operation of religious institutions revolves around “offerings.” However, a logical inspection reveals a vacuum at the receiving end. First, the Buddha has attained Parinibbāna, a state of “cessation of reception, having no receiver,” and naturally accepts no offerings or transference of merit. Second, Devas (heavenly beings), according to the Law of Kamma, possess blessings and enjoyments far exceeding humans. The absurdity of humans offering money to them is akin to a beggar trying to give leftover food to a billionaire—it is fundamentally ineffective and ridiculous. (II) The Granary of Evil Spirits and Fraudsters Excluding the Buddha and Devas, the true recipients of all worship in temples and religious institutions worldwide are only two types: Firstly, the Hungry Ghosts (Pretas) among the three lower realms. Due to their Kamma, they are constantly in a state of deprivation and thirst, thus developing a strong dependence on human sacrifices. Secondly, the cultists and charlatans in human society. They exploit human fear of the unknown by packaging themselves as divine representatives, thereby accumulating wealth. The conclusion is unequivocally clear: only “Evil Spirits and Ghosts” and “Fraud Syndicates” require worship and offerings. (III) The Peak of Moral Kidnapping: The Fallacy of Ancestral Worship “Ancestral Worship” is a form of “moral kidnapping” employed by cultists and cultural charlatans. Viewed from a “cosmic perspective,” life flows according to Kamma, and one’s destination is determined by one’s actions (Kamma) during life. Western civilization rarely practices ancestral worship, yet their societies have not collapsed nor have they been “retaliated” against by their ancestors. This practical evidence is sufficient to demolish the foundation of all ancestral worship superstition. Chapter V: The Dual Standards of Human Rationality: Evidenced by the Law of Will This paper must point out a deeply ironic phenomenon: humans exhibit extreme “Dual Standards” when dealing with material property versus religious Law. (I) The Absolute Rationality and Exclusivity of the Will In secular law, concerning the inheritance of property (the Law of Will), humans demand extreme rigor and exclusivity: a will must have legal documentation, notarization, signatures, and even DNA verification to ensure the authenticity of lineage. The law only recognizes “material world property” and its circulation in the “material world.” If someone claims, “My ancestor told me in a dream to change the inheritance,” the law and the public would undoubtedly regard it as fraud. Humans are so rational, shrewd, and focused on evidence when dealing with mere earthly possessions. (II) The Extreme Stupidity and Hypocrisy of Religion Yet, when faced with cosmic matters such as “liberation of life” or “destination after death,” the same group of people willingly accept groundless and unverifiable lies. They are willing to pay huge sums of money to charlatans, believing based solely on their unilateral word that ancestors have been “saved” or that the charlatans can “eliminate disasters and change fate.” This “shrewd in small matters, confused in big matters” dual standard proves the inherent selfishness and laziness of human nature. They are unwilling to suffer financial losses but crave “shortcuts” to the Truth. This selfish psychology provides the most fertile ground for cultists and charlatans, enabling their “Net Negative Value” business to flourish. Chapter VI: The Fraudulent Nature of Opacity and Secret Transmission (I) Positive Correlation Between Secrecy and Money True Law (Dhamma/Tao) is like sunlight, shining on all beings without charge. Conversely, cults and charlatans inevitably emphasize “secret teachings” or “empowerments.” They artificially create information asymmetry, packaging the Law—which should be publicly available—as “advanced courses” or “unspoken secrets” to facilitate plunder. (II) The Accomplice Structure of Business Logic and the Illusion of Neutrality The vast majority of large institutions generally exhibit a phenomenon of “non-disclosure and opacity” in sociological observation. This “inevitable trend under institutionalized operation” is designed to accommodate business logic. When commercial media adopt a so-called “neutral stance” towards religious fraud, it is essentially “interest neutrality,” aimed at not affecting market expansion and advertising revenue. This stance is tantamount to “abetting evil,” providing a legitimate space for wicked views to survive. Chapter VII: Historical Tampering and the Betrayal by the Privileged Class (I) Systemic Corruption of the Scriptures We must severely critique the “privileged class” who have access to the original scriptures. These individuals (monks, priests, translators), in order to cater to political power and the low desires of the populace, chose to systematically tamper with the scriptures. For example, the “selling of indulgences by the medieval papacy,” the “high fusion of Dhamma with local ghost and god superstitions in East Asian temple fairs,” and the “tampering of Original Agama Law by Mahayana doctrines,” were all designed to transform the “arduous path of practice” into “cheap salvation tickets.” This betrayal of knowledge is the greatest disaster for human civilization. (II) The Fallacy of Sociological Functionalism: Function Cannot Excuse Evil Some sociologists attempt to defend religion by claiming it has “social cohesion function.” This argument is utterly absurd, equivalent to saying, “although a fraud syndicate swindles money, it enhances the cohesion among the fraudsters.” Any “social function” built upon lies is intrinsically a toxin. It purchases temporary emotional solace and group illusion at the cost of sacrificing human independent thought and logical judgment, and its ultimate output must be a Net Negative Value. Chapter VIII: Knowledge Thermodynamics and the Absolute Criterion of Law (I) Knowledge Thermodynamics and Inevitable Corruption If we establish a “Knowledge Thermodynamics” model from a cosmic perspective, upon the passing of the Law Transmitter, the knowledge system is subjected to three irreversible entropic forces: 1. Human Greed (Desire Entropy) 2. Collective Ignorance (Ignorance Entropy) 3. Power Manipulation (Dominance Entropy) These three forces compel any “pure Law” to inevitably degrade into a “defiled religion,” a process that is “absolutely certain” like physics . (II) The Exclusive and Absolute Criterion of Law Based on the Absolute Singularity of Law, we must establish an exclusive criterion: (1) Anything demanding worship is not the Law. (2) Anything demanding superstition is not the Law. (3) Anything demanding offerings is not the Law. (4) Anything claiming to substitute for Cause and Effect or to eliminate personal calamities and change fate is definitively not the Law. True Law does not need to be believed; it only needs to be understood and realized through practice. This is the unbridgeable chasm between “Dhamma/Tao” and “Religion.” Chapter IX: Conclusion: Evil Symbiosis and Civilizational Purification (I) The Final Logical Judgment This treatise has demonstrated, through rigorous logical argumentation and empirical analysis, an exclusive conclusion: “Any organization not personally presided over by Law Transmitters such as the Buddha or Lao Tzu is merely a fraud syndicate managed by cultists or charlatans.” All institutionalized religions are a “systematic betrayal of the Absolute Law driven by human selfishness.” (II) Return to the Singularity of Law and Purification If human civilization is to eliminate the “Net Negative Value,” a thorough “de-religionization” revolution is necessary. This requires humanity to: 1. Logical Liquidation: Resolutely reject all institutions and arguments that demand worship, offerings, or claim to substitute for Cause and Effect. 2. Ethical Return: Establish moral ethics upon universal Cause and Effect and Logic, rather than the Will of a deity. 3. Practice Priority: Return to the path of practice and self-realization established by the Law Transmitters. This judgment is not against individuals, but against “faulty logic.” Only when humanity withdraws resources directed towards “Evil Spirits, Ghosts” and “Charlatan Institutions,” and focuses on understanding and practicing the true Law of the cosmos, can the value of human civilization shift from a “Net Negative Value” toward genuine “Net Positive Growth.”