Thursday, June 6, 2013
Hug an Atheist day.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
BURSTING THE BUBBLE: NARENDRA NAYAK'S EXPERIENCES ON DEBUNKING PSEUDOSCIENCES
A talk on the practice of pseudo-science in India and the sham that lies beneath it
Organised by Freethinkers at IISc
Speaker Bio
Narendra Nayak is a well known rationalist from Mangalore, Karnataka. He is the founder of Dakshina Kannada Rationalist Association and the national president of the Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations. As a part of his campaign to expose so-called “miracles” and to debunk superstitions, he has conducted over 2000 demonstrations all over India as well as in Australia, England, and Greece. He has been featured in many television programs including the one on physical feats by Discovery Channel, “Is It Real?” by National Geographic, “The Secret Swami” by BBC and many more.
An account of the talk
Narendra Nayak surely punctured a lot of holes into the so called “miracles” that “godmen” around the country perform on a daily basis. His presentation techniques, more importantly, the showmanship which goes into making these miracles believable to so many gullible spectators, was the crux of the talk. Well, it was less of a talk per se and more of a demonstration. He performed such infamous miracles as, the mysterious appearance of holy ash “vibhuti” or a solid gold chain, out of thin air. His eye-opening demonstrations were inter-weaved with videos of the same tricks being done by Sathya Narayan Raju (aka Sathya Sai Baba).
Of course, no such demonstration can be complete without employing the tricks of cold reading, which makes gullible people victims of astrologers and spiritual gurus. Nayak went to some length discussing his experiences with certain gurus, and how he had tricked them using their own means.
In the latter half of the talk, Nayak dealt with the rampant quackery that goes on under the dubious name of “alternative medicine”. In 2004 the Supreme court of India passed judgment on more than a dozen so-called “systems of medicine”, stating that they have absolutely no scientific basis and should not be allowed to be practiced as systems of medicine. These include, things like magneto therapy, gem therapy, color therapy, urine therapy, music therapy, electro-homeopathy, psychic surgery, crystal therapy. Nayak is of the view that the onus of proof lies on the purveyors of these therapies to justify their safety and curing abilities, but until then, people are better off utilising the benefits of modern medicine, which is scientifically tested and evidence-based.
All in all, the motto of Nayak’s talk was: Don’t believe blindly. Question some, and then question some more!
The Q & A Session
The post-talk questions raised, ranged from how astrologers work their way through, to what could be the best way to eradicate superstitions and irrationality, the viability of the idea of including textbooks on scientific thinking, logical reasoning, as part of the curriculum for school children and also personal questions on the likes of the kind of opposition Nayak has to face in his journey against all forms of quackery & irrationality. Nayak being a powerful speaker, not to mention backed by his vast experience, was a good sport taking all questions and answering them in great detail to the satisfaction of all those attending.
Audience Reactions
Overall, the talk was very well received by the audience, which comprised of students and faculty of IISc and also visitors from outside. People were impressed and moved by the captivating way Nayak handled the topic, with his rhetoric receiving incessant applause. The CDs of the “miracle-exposure” videos shown during the talk seemed to be quite in demand! The big post-talk gathering around Narendra Nayak for informal discussions, speaks for itself that, it was not only an eye-opening experience for the audience, but more importantly, it also rekindled in them the spirit of logic and reason, something which seems to have died in a lot of us today.
Organised by Freethinkers at IISc
Speaker Bio
Narendra Nayak is a well known rationalist from Mangalore, Karnataka. He is the founder of Dakshina Kannada Rationalist Association and the national president of the Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations. As a part of his campaign to expose so-called “miracles” and to debunk superstitions, he has conducted over 2000 demonstrations all over India as well as in Australia, England, and Greece. He has been featured in many television programs including the one on physical feats by Discovery Channel, “Is It Real?” by National Geographic, “The Secret Swami” by BBC and many more.
An account of the talk
Narendra Nayak surely punctured a lot of holes into the so called “miracles” that “godmen” around the country perform on a daily basis. His presentation techniques, more importantly, the showmanship which goes into making these miracles believable to so many gullible spectators, was the crux of the talk. Well, it was less of a talk per se and more of a demonstration. He performed such infamous miracles as, the mysterious appearance of holy ash “vibhuti” or a solid gold chain, out of thin air. His eye-opening demonstrations were inter-weaved with videos of the same tricks being done by Sathya Narayan Raju (aka Sathya Sai Baba).
Of course, no such demonstration can be complete without employing the tricks of cold reading, which makes gullible people victims of astrologers and spiritual gurus. Nayak went to some length discussing his experiences with certain gurus, and how he had tricked them using their own means.
In the latter half of the talk, Nayak dealt with the rampant quackery that goes on under the dubious name of “alternative medicine”. In 2004 the Supreme court of India passed judgment on more than a dozen so-called “systems of medicine”, stating that they have absolutely no scientific basis and should not be allowed to be practiced as systems of medicine. These include, things like magneto therapy, gem therapy, color therapy, urine therapy, music therapy, electro-homeopathy, psychic surgery, crystal therapy. Nayak is of the view that the onus of proof lies on the purveyors of these therapies to justify their safety and curing abilities, but until then, people are better off utilising the benefits of modern medicine, which is scientifically tested and evidence-based.
All in all, the motto of Nayak’s talk was: Don’t believe blindly. Question some, and then question some more!
The Q & A Session
The post-talk questions raised, ranged from how astrologers work their way through, to what could be the best way to eradicate superstitions and irrationality, the viability of the idea of including textbooks on scientific thinking, logical reasoning, as part of the curriculum for school children and also personal questions on the likes of the kind of opposition Nayak has to face in his journey against all forms of quackery & irrationality. Nayak being a powerful speaker, not to mention backed by his vast experience, was a good sport taking all questions and answering them in great detail to the satisfaction of all those attending.
Audience Reactions
Overall, the talk was very well received by the audience, which comprised of students and faculty of IISc and also visitors from outside. People were impressed and moved by the captivating way Nayak handled the topic, with his rhetoric receiving incessant applause. The CDs of the “miracle-exposure” videos shown during the talk seemed to be quite in demand! The big post-talk gathering around Narendra Nayak for informal discussions, speaks for itself that, it was not only an eye-opening experience for the audience, but more importantly, it also rekindled in them the spirit of logic and reason, something which seems to have died in a lot of us today.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Excerpt from the Handout created to explain about freethought
The people generally get accustomed to the established order of things and begin to tremble at the very idea of a change. It is this lethargic spirit that needs be replaced by the revolutionary spirit. Otherwise degeneration gains the upper hand and the whole humanity is led stray by the reactionary forces. Such a state of affairs leads to stagnation and paralysis in human progress. The spirit of Revolution should always permeate the soul of humanity, so that the reactionary forces may not accumulate to check its eternal onward march. Old order should change, always and ever, yielding place to new, so that one “good” order may not corrupt the world. It is in this sense that we raise the shout “Long Live Revolution.” - Bhagat Singh
What is Freethought?
Freethought is a philosophical viewpoint that holds that opinions should be formed on the basis of science, logic and reason, and should not be influenced by authority, conventional wisdom, popular culture, tradition, prejudice, and all other dogmas. The cognitive application of freethought is called “freethinking” and its practitioners are called “freethinkers”.
Why is Freethought important?
The wealthy and powerful in any society urge the rest of us to believe a large number of propositions, most for fairly obvious reasons of self-interest. Advertisers for large corporations try to convince us that buying their products will bring happiness and contentment. Politicians pledge to be the guardians of traditional morality, or make us feel afraid and then promise protection, if we'll vote for them and support their campaigns. Religious leaders claim that their sect has the key to salvation, and we can enjoy eternal bliss if we tithe to them and attend their prayers. The super-rich argue that society will be more prosperous if their income taxes are lowered. In each case, it's obvious what the people who make these claims stand to gain if we believe them.
Now, some of these claims may in fact be true, despite their self-serving nature. But most of them probably aren't. Believing the authorities without scepticism is an excellent way to spend your life being exploited and taken advantage of. A freethinker, by contrast, casts a critical eye on assertions that originate with other people, and believes something because the evidence supports it and not because the authorities wish us to.
How do freethinkers make up their minds? The answer is that we use our own best judgment, guided by logic and reason, starting from a solid foundation of evidence viewed through the lens of critical thinking. Where possible, we don't make up our minds in isolation, but investigate the reasoning and the conclusions of a community of other people who use the same method - with the hope being that any individual errors or biases will be cancelled out by the consensus judgment.
The method of reason isn't perfect, because we aren't perfect. It may sometimes lead us astray. But it still has a higher probability of leading us to the truth than any other method. And for further proof of this, consider the historical track record: Millennia of obeying tradition, revelation and authority produced virtually no human progress and left us mired in prejudice and superstition, while societies that adopted reason and the scientific method have seen dramatic improvements in both their standard of living and their moral attitude. To be a freethinker is to be an ally of that progressive trend, and to declare your opposition to all the irrationality that has kept humankind ignorant and prevented us from achieving our true potential.
- Adapted from daylightatheism.org
What is Freethought?
Freethought is a philosophical viewpoint that holds that opinions should be formed on the basis of science, logic and reason, and should not be influenced by authority, conventional wisdom, popular culture, tradition, prejudice, and all other dogmas. The cognitive application of freethought is called “freethinking” and its practitioners are called “freethinkers”.
Why is Freethought important?
The wealthy and powerful in any society urge the rest of us to believe a large number of propositions, most for fairly obvious reasons of self-interest. Advertisers for large corporations try to convince us that buying their products will bring happiness and contentment. Politicians pledge to be the guardians of traditional morality, or make us feel afraid and then promise protection, if we'll vote for them and support their campaigns. Religious leaders claim that their sect has the key to salvation, and we can enjoy eternal bliss if we tithe to them and attend their prayers. The super-rich argue that society will be more prosperous if their income taxes are lowered. In each case, it's obvious what the people who make these claims stand to gain if we believe them.
Now, some of these claims may in fact be true, despite their self-serving nature. But most of them probably aren't. Believing the authorities without scepticism is an excellent way to spend your life being exploited and taken advantage of. A freethinker, by contrast, casts a critical eye on assertions that originate with other people, and believes something because the evidence supports it and not because the authorities wish us to.
How do freethinkers make up their minds? The answer is that we use our own best judgment, guided by logic and reason, starting from a solid foundation of evidence viewed through the lens of critical thinking. Where possible, we don't make up our minds in isolation, but investigate the reasoning and the conclusions of a community of other people who use the same method - with the hope being that any individual errors or biases will be cancelled out by the consensus judgment.
The method of reason isn't perfect, because we aren't perfect. It may sometimes lead us astray. But it still has a higher probability of leading us to the truth than any other method. And for further proof of this, consider the historical track record: Millennia of obeying tradition, revelation and authority produced virtually no human progress and left us mired in prejudice and superstition, while societies that adopted reason and the scientific method have seen dramatic improvements in both their standard of living and their moral attitude. To be a freethinker is to be an ally of that progressive trend, and to declare your opposition to all the irrationality that has kept humankind ignorant and prevented us from achieving our true potential.
- Adapted from daylightatheism.org
Friday, March 11, 2011
Join the rationalists online or over chai
[Written for 'The Hindu' http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/article1523406.ece with heavy inputs from Leena Basu, Yedu Prasad, Divya Gandhi and other IISc Freethinkers]
Not long ago, the Bombay High Court shockingly dismissed a PIL petition that challenged the adoption of astrology as a science in India. The news sank soon after it was made, and there was surprisingly little debate about the strange verdict.
But not so among a small group of student rationalists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc.), who regularly indulge in light conversations and heated discourses on dogma and blind belief over cups of coffee.
Our informal discussions led to the inception of a Facebook group ‘IISc Freethinkers', the goal being to promote the atmosphere of free thought among the IISc. community.
Rationalist organisations have existed in the city for a while now but they have never been more visible than they are now. And for that, we have to thank the social networking revolution.
In Bangalore, Nirmukta is one such organisation that aims to promote a scientific temper. Such organisations thrive on the passionate efforts of their members, for whom juggling their demanding careers and their extracurricular obligations is no mean feat.
This is our modus operandi: we post pseudo-science ‘alerts' where news of regressive and irrational claims or unscientific incidents are brought to everyone's attention.
To be a scientist by profession, unfortunately, does not always equal having a rationalistic outlook. For instance, a premier scientific institute like IISc. too has its share of people whose views are steeped in dogma and orthodoxy and whose lack of a questioning attitude is complete.
Quite predictably, being such a heterogeneous community, we have seen interesting debates on a wide spectrum of topics: ‘Is science a paradigm shift from evidence-based learning of our ancestors?'; ‘Does astrology have any logical basis?'; ‘How can free thought influence women's rights?'; ‘Homoeopathy, Naturopathy: science or pseudoscience?'; ‘Is the concept of God irrational?', and so on.
We screen documentaries which are followed by lively discussions. The diverse student community in IISc. ensures a dozen different interpretations of the same question. And, of course, there are the Facebook group interactions, the informal coffee and chai meetings with several long hours of charged up debate.
People with every shade of belief and disbelief are welcome to take part. The only condition is: no matter your belief system, your arguments have to be substantiated by sound reason and logical principles.
I come from a traditional family and was raised on a staple diet of chastisement on how curiosity kills the cat. I was a late convert. That was until I realised how I would be disrespecting my own intellect if I didn't question the world I live in. So join our facebook group http://facebook.com/groups/iiscfreethinkers
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Welcome aboard
IISc Freethinkers was born when few jobless students at the Indian Institute of Science, in the delusion of their pseudo intellectual grandeur, decided to loop their friends & fellows in their coffee table fights- by making a permanent abode at (where else) a Facebook group. Pretty soon, our delusion deepened & we felt the need to expand to Google groups & have a blog as the voice of our group.
On a serious note, we thought it was high time when a prominent university like ours, being home to a diverse group of people in diverse disciplines, gets a platform to advocate critical thinking. Bangalore is abuzz with intellectual activities of all sorts, & we hope to get their support & encouragement in due time.
Our first activity was the screening of a documentary called 'Here Be Dragons' by Brian Dunnings at our campus on 19th January, followed by discussions & commentaries on various topics. We had an enthusiastic participation of more than 40 people, including some faculty members. The documentary is an excellent introduction to the basic tenets of critical thinking, & is highly recommended to anyone who has the slightest interest in anything related to it. While there were some people who were overly familiar with the contents & found the documentary a bit simplistic, & some others who took exception to a few points mentioned (I'll describe it in a minute), but to a large extent the documentary was well received.
Now, the interesting & somewhat intriguing part was the discussion that ensued. The initial questions were about homoeopathy, which were easily answerable by an informed answerer. Then, some people raised doubts about the validty of a few facts put forth in the documentary, like mention of FDA approval as a guarantee of a fool proof research, & mocking the claim of a black hole at the center of our galaxy.
We had moderators to prevent the discussion from devolving into a catfight. We might have been partly successful, but the discussion surely did press the wrong vein of some people. And we are talking about a group which is probably more intelligent, informed & articulate than laymen.
Astrology was the first turbulent. We had speakers who claimed to have experienced the correctness of astrology despite their initial skepticism, & others who maintained that it is close-minded to ignore astrology. Still others were convinced that there is enough room in quantum mechanics to allow for astrology. 'What good has science done to us' was the other thing. It was a tough job convincing people to look beyond the anthropocentric notion of science. Why should science bother to do anything for us? Such problems arises when one confuses science with politics of science, sociology of science, & so forth. No doubt that such questions deserves attention, but there are seperate answers for seperate questions. And what is this notion of good anyway? (One commentator opposed the increase in life expectancy as an index of betterment). Some had existential concerns, like why should one not be free to believe whatever the hell (s)he wishes to?
Others had problems with the explanatory power of science, with inductive reasoning, & even with the scientific method! Authority of scientific establishments was questioned (understandably considering the research institution like ours). The over reliance on science was accused as scientism.
Now, that kind of discussion was a bit unsettling for many people- but on a hindsight, isn't this the very nature of an actuating event? As a takeaway from our first event- in future we plan to organized lectures, debates, screenings & good old coffee table discussions on more pertinent issues (please do suggest some topics), & would urge participants & audience to brush up their views & come with handy references. We would make all efforts to keep our tones moderate & more contextualized (concerning, though not limited to, an educated Indian audience). In addition, we would not shy away from actively participating in more practical situations, viz. skeptivism (skepticism+activism!).
This blog is a platform to showcase our scattered discussions in a comprehensive manner, to connect to a wider audience, & to allow for the light to get in.
P.S.- The picture at the top right corner will be used as our official logo :-) (courtesy The Thinking Atheist)
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