In science it often happens that scientists say, ‘You know that’s a really good argument; my position is mistaken,’ and then they actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again... . I cannot recall the last time something like that has happened in politics or religion. - Carl Sagan, 1987 CSICOP addressYou should trust science as a process for separating fact from fiction because of its flexibility to update theories and findings based on new information, and b. . . See the complete description at http://www.thedrboshow.com/tools/bg/Bo/TheDrBoShow

Self-licensing or the licensing effect is relying on reasons to justify subsequent gratification (Witt Huberts, Evers, & De Ridder, 2012). In other words, it is the process we go through when we convince ourselves that we deserve an indulgence. This is different than simply lacking will-power, and as such, different strategies need to be used to mitigate the harm this can do to us in terms of our goals. Although self-licensing can be applied to any area of our lives that require self-discipl. . . See the complete description at http://www.thedrboshow.com/tools/bg/Bo/TheDrBoShow

Scientists are people, and like all people, they are susceptible to biases, have self-interests, and are corruptible. In fact, corporations, lobbyists, political parties and action committees, defendants and plaintiffs will hire their own team of science "experts" who agree with their claims (or will, for the right price). Given the number of studies that have been done on any given issue (especially the major ones), finding data to support virtually any conclusion is not that challenging. This . . . See the complete description at http://www.thedrboshow.com/tools/bg/Bo/TheDrBoShow

I apologize in advance if I come across as a party pooper‚Äîthat person at magic shows who ruins the fun for everyone by giving away the magician’s secrets, but there is no magic involved in what is usually referred to as "group levitation." Levitation, spoon-bending, and the Ouija board are all based on similar, completely natural, psychological and physiological phenomena. There are a few scientific principles at work here. Group levitation usually begins with a person telling the other pa. . . See the complete description at http://www.thedrboshow.com/tools/bg/Bo/TheDrBoShow

Strangely, one of my strongest childhood memories is when I called my brother an idiot, and two minutes later I stubbed my toe. My brother told me that God was punishing me—that seemed to make sense to me given the Catholic framework in which I was raised. Perhaps if I were raised as a Buddhist, my brother would have told me it was "Karma," or a spiritual theory of moral causation that states people get what they deserve. This is a fairly common belief adopted by many cul. . . See the complete description at http://www.thedrboshow.com/tools/bg/Bo/TheDrBoShow

It is no secret that much of the information found on the Internet today is strongly influenced by its monetary value, or to put another way, how many clicks an article can get. Unfortunately for science and humanity, accuracy, journalistic integrity, and truth are of far less monetary value than shock, emotional appeal, and fear. As a result, if scientific information does manage to make its way into the mainstream media (assuming nothing is going on with the Kardashian’s that day), it is often. . . See the complete description at http://www.thedrboshow.com/tools/bg/Bo/TheDrBoShow

Detecting if someone likes you or not is similar to detecting if someone is lying or not. "Lie detectors," human or machine, are actually anxiety detectors since the physical signs of anxiety are associated with lying. While a person can have anxiety about lying, he can also have anxiety about being accused of dishonesty—or he can simply be an anxious person. Sociopaths rarely show signs of anxiety when lying, so these detection methods can be more than useless, but lead to false negatives. . . See the complete description at http://www.thedrboshow.com/tools/bg/Bo/TheDrBoShow

First let me say that it is reasonable to be wary of virtually any claim (including "I think, therefore I am"). However, being wary of something and rejecting it are two different things.Understanding the ScienceThe claim that "there are no long-term negative effects" is not falsifiable (i.e., it cannot be proven false). Long-term negative effects (or risk factors) are a possibility with the introduction of every new medicine, technology, and ideology. Science does not work with certainties nor . . . See the complete description at http://www.thedrboshow.com/tools/bg/Bo/TheDrBoShow

When it comes to diet and recreational drug use, isn’t "all things in moderation" a good rule of thumb? No. In fact, it is pretty much a terrible one. Here’s why.Your health is too important for a simplistic heuristic such as this one. Quick rules-of-thumb are useful in many mundane circumstances such as choosing a line with the fewest people in it at the grocery store or choosing a movie based on the fact that you enjoy similar movies in that genre. However, using a 4 word heuristic for decidin. . . See the complete description at http://www.thedrboshow.com/tools/bg/Bo/TheDrBoShow

Let me start by being perfectly clear that we should always employ reasoning when it comes to making decisions that matter. However, an important part of the reasoning process is knowing when to defer to those who know more than you on a particular issue, especially when "common sense" is anything but common, and often in conflict with reality. Further, personal freedoms to reject the scientific consensus on certain issues can have a devastating impact on others. For these reasons and more, unde. . . See the complete description at http://www.thedrboshow.com/tools/bg/Bo/TheDrBoShow