Michael Shermer Quotes & Sayings (Page 2)

“We think of our eyes as video cameras and our brains as blank tapes to be filled with sensory inputs.”

“But there is only one surefire method of proper pattern recognition, and that is science.”

“Conspiracies are a perennial favorite for television producers because there is always a receptive audience.”

“But because we live in an age of science, we have a preoccupation with corroborating our myths.”

“Flawed as they may be, science and the secular Enlightenment values expressed in Western democracies are our best hope for survival.”

“We do not just blindly concede control to authorities; instead we follow the cues provided by our moral communities on how best to behave.”

“The reason people turn to supernatural explanations is that the mind abhors a vacuum of explanation. Because we do not yet have a fully natural explanation for mind and consciousness, people turn to supernatural explanations to fill the void.”

“Scientific prayer makes God a celestial lab rat, leading to bad science and worse religion.”

“In my experience, people are usually fired for reasons having to do with budgetary constraints, incompetence or not fulfilling the terms of a contract.”

“The natural inclination in all humans is to posit a force, a spirit, outside of us. That tendency toward superstitious magical thinking is just built into our nature.”