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The science of weird shit : why our minds conjure the paranormal / Chris French ; foreword by Richard Wiseman.

By: Contributor(s): Material type: TextTextPublisher: Cambridge, Massachusetts : The MIT Press, [2024]Description: xxviii, 374 pages, 8 pages unnumbered plates : illustrations (some color) ; 24 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 9780262048361
  • 0262048361
Subject(s): Genre/Form:
Contents:
Foreword / Richard Wiseman -- Preface -- Weird science -- Waking nightmares -- High spirits, part 1: Ghostly encounters -- High spirits, part 2: Communicating with the dead -- Fantastic memories of alien encounters -- Many happy returns? -- Dying to know the truth -- No such thing as coincidence? -- Tricks of the mind -- Skeptical inquiries -- Dreams of the future -- Lessons for (the) living -- Epilogue: the limits of skepticism.
Summary: "Ghostly encounters, alien abduction, reincarnation, talking to the dead, UFO sightings, inexplicable coincidences, out-of-body and near-death experiences. Are these legitimate phenomena? If not, then how should we go about understanding them? In this fascinating book, Chris French investigates paranormal claims to discover what lurks behind this "weird shit." French provides authoritative evidence-based explanations for a wide range of superficially mysterious phenomena, and then goes further to draw out lessons with wider applications to many other aspects of modern society where critical thinking is urgently needed. Using academic, comprehensive, logical, and, at times, mathematical approaches, The Science of Weird Shit convincingly debunks ESP, communicating with the dead, and alien abduction claims, among other phenomena. All the while, however, French maintains that our belief in such phenomena is neither ridiculous nor trivial; if anything, such claims can tell us a great deal about the human mind if we pay them the attention they are due. Filled with light-bulb moments and a healthy dose of levity, The Science of Weird Shit is a clever, memorable, and gratifying read you won't soon forget." -- provided by the publisher.
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Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Shelving location Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Adult Book Dr. James Carlson Library NonFiction New 150 F873 Checked out 06/26/2024 33111011123169
Adult Book Adult Book Main Library NonFiction New 150 F873 Available 33111011336589
Adult Book Adult Book Northport Library NonFiction New 150 F873 Checked out 06/18/2024 33111011154339
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

An accessible and gratifying introduction to the world of paranormal beliefs and bizarre experiences.

Ghostly encounters, alien abduction, reincarnation, talking to the dead, UFO sightings, inexplicable coincidences, out-of-body and near-death experiences. Are these legitimate phenomena? If not, then how should we go about understanding them? In this fascinating book, Chris French investigates paranormal claims to discover what lurks behind this "weird shit." French provides authoritative evidence-based explanations for a wide range of superficially mysterious phenomena, and then goes further to draw out lessons with wider applications to many other aspects of modern society where critical thinking is urgently needed.

Using academic, comprehensive, logical, and, at times, mathematical approaches, The Science of Weird Shit convincingly debunks ESP, communicating with the dead, and alien abduction claims, among other phenomena. All the while, however, French maintains that our belief in such phenomena is neither ridiculous nor trivial; if anything, such claims can tell us a great deal about the human mind if we pay them the attention they are due. Filled with light-bulb moments and a healthy dose of levity, The Science of Weird Shit is a clever, memorable, and gratifying read you won't soon forget.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

"Ghostly encounters, alien abduction, reincarnation, talking to the dead, UFO sightings, inexplicable coincidences, out-of-body and near-death experiences. Are these legitimate phenomena? If not, then how should we go about understanding them? In this fascinating book, Chris French investigates paranormal claims to discover what lurks behind this "weird shit." French provides authoritative evidence-based explanations for a wide range of superficially mysterious phenomena, and then goes further to draw out lessons with wider applications to many other aspects of modern society where critical thinking is urgently needed. Using academic, comprehensive, logical, and, at times, mathematical approaches, The Science of Weird Shit convincingly debunks ESP, communicating with the dead, and alien abduction claims, among other phenomena. All the while, however, French maintains that our belief in such phenomena is neither ridiculous nor trivial; if anything, such claims can tell us a great deal about the human mind if we pay them the attention they are due. Filled with light-bulb moments and a healthy dose of levity, The Science of Weird Shit is a clever, memorable, and gratifying read you won't soon forget." -- provided by the publisher.

Foreword / Richard Wiseman -- Preface -- Weird science -- Waking nightmares -- High spirits, part 1: Ghostly encounters -- High spirits, part 2: Communicating with the dead -- Fantastic memories of alien encounters -- Many happy returns? -- Dying to know the truth -- No such thing as coincidence? -- Tricks of the mind -- Skeptical inquiries -- Dreams of the future -- Lessons for (the) living -- Epilogue: the limits of skepticism.

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