Why are people so easily fooled???

[Logical]

Predicting Earthquakes (see below), Ghosts, UFOs, ESP, Astrology, conspiracy theories, etc. No wonder 20% of the people still believe the sun rotates around the earth. This country need to teach critical thinking skills in our school system.

If tourists find Rome unusually quiet next Wednesday, the reason will probably be that thousands of locals have left town in fear of a devastating earthquake allegedly forecast for that day by a long-dead seismologist.

For months Italian internet sites, blogs and social networks have been debating the work of Raffaele Bendandi, who claimed to have forecast numerous earthquakes and, according to internet rumours, predicted a "big one" in Rome on May 11.

The national television network RAI has run programs aimed at calming rising panic among Romans. The civil protection agency has issued statements reiterating the official scientific view that earthquakes can't be predicted.

<snip>

http://af.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idAFTRE7461PR20110507

[JuniperLea]

1. We had a president who believed in such things not all that long ago...

Reagan consulted psychics and astrologers while in the White House.

[Logical]

4. Good point! n-t

[astral]

15. slightly off topic, but --

there is a zodiac globe inside the Vatican. What the heck do THEY know ?

[ProdigalJunkMail]

2. and by 'this country' you mean Italy? n/t

[Logical]

3. Just an example, this country is just as bad. Maybe worse. n-t

[ProdigalJunkMail]

6. it seems epidemic worldwide that stuff like this

still inhabits the minds of the 20% out there that include the ones that can't wait to get on TV to talk about the UFO that flew over their home last night (never mind they are in the approach for a major airport).

sP

[Logical]

8. LOL

[yawnmaster]

5. I would guess that to at least 20% of the people it wouldn't matter whether the sun

orbits Earth or the Earth orbits the Sun. Their lives would go on in the same way, either way.

[Logical]

10. True, but knowledge is a good thing. n-t

[yawnmaster]

13. to those that enjoy knowledge it is enjoyable to have un-needed knowledge...

but I think knowledge is not always a good thing, sometimes its a neutral thing.
Gaining knowledge just for knowledge's sake can be a waste of time to some.
I personally enjoy it much of the time...
but I'm not really caring about baseball statistics of past eras, for instance, as that knowledge would not only be useless for me but would be tedious to learn and boring.

It is also said that a little bit of knowledge is dangerous.

[hfojvt]

11. that's more likely true for about 90% of us

For most it is about as relevant as the capital of Liechtenstein and how many people could tell you what that is?

[yawnmaster]

14. I think you are probably right that to 90% it wouldn't matter directly...

(unless in the space program, high tech communications, etc.) but indirectly it is important to many because of an interest in astronomy for instance - but it wouldn't be life changing either way.
And without doing a tally, I would predict that this is true for most knowledge assembled by mankind; Most people on this planet use a limited amount of knowledge/information to go about their daily routine. (that limited amount is not the same for each person).

[damntexdem]

7. Hey, I do know how to build an earthquake detector:

Tie a rock on a string and hang it from the ceiling. If the rock starts jumping all around, an earthquake is occurring.

;-)

[Logical]

9. Put it on the internet and you might sell thousands! :-)

[Newcanuck]

12. And did you hear the one about the home-made radiation detector?

Just put an unopened bag of Orville Redenbacher's on your kitchen countertop. If it starts to pop, you're screwed.

[Quantess]

16. Or people who actually believe in a "holy book" of their choice.

Bible, Quran, etc.
They are no less guilty of faulty critical thinking than people who believe in UFOs or ghosts. Not a bit.