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A debunker is a person or organization that exposes or discredits claims believed to be false, exaggerated, or pretentious. [1] The term is often associated with skeptical investigation of controversial topics such as UFOs, claimed paranormal phenomena, cryptids, conspiracy theories, alternative medicine, religion, exploratory or fringe areas of scientific, or pseudoscientific research.
In science, the burden of proof falls upon the claimant; and the more extraordinary a claim, the heavier is the burden of proof demanded. The true skeptic takes an agnostic position, one that says the claim is not proved rather than disproved.
Kendrick Frazier said that scientific skeptics have a commitment to science, reason, evidence, and the quest for truth. [10] Carl Sagan emphasized the importance of being able to ask skeptical questions, recognizing fallacious or fraudulent arguments, and considering the validity of an argument rather than simply whether we like the conclusion.
This list includes well-known general theories in science and pre-scientific natural philosophy and natural history that have since been superseded by other scientific theories. Many discarded explanations were once supported by a scientific consensus , but replaced after more empirical information became available that identified flaws and ...
The Skeptics Society publishes Skeptic magazine, a quarterly magazine that examines fringe science and paranormal claims, available by subscription or on major newsstands in the U.S. and Canada. Its cover stories have included examination of alleged UFOs in religious icons , [ 13 ] theories of the likelihood of artificial intelligence , [ 14 ...
The history of pseudoscience is the study of pseudoscientific theories over time. A pseudoscience is a set of ideas that presents itself as science, while it does not meet the criteria to properly be called such. [1] [2] Distinguishing between proper science and pseudoscience is sometimes difficult.
In the history of science and the history of pseudoscience it can be especially difficult to separate the two, because some sciences developed from pseudosciences. An example of this transformation is the science of chemistry , which traces its origins to the pseudoscientific or pre-scientific study of alchemy .
Michael Brant Shermer (born September 8, 1954) is an American science writer, historian of science, executive director of The Skeptics Society, and founding publisher [1] of Skeptic magazine, a publication focused on investigating pseudoscientific and supernatural claims. [2]