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Thank you for this post! nt Ilsa Mar 2012 #1
Pareidolia longship Mar 2012 #2
Great - ANOTHER form of fundamentalism saras Mar 2012 #3
Your strawman is so adorable. cleanhippie Mar 2012 #4
So basically saying science can be used to study the brain and the evolution of it is... Humanist_Activist Mar 2012 #5
I think you might want to explore the research, a little... SamG Mar 2012 #36
What are science's limitations? EvolveOrConvolve Mar 2012 #39
The simplest example of this would be the constellations and looking for shapes in clouds... Humanist_Activist Mar 2012 #6
Exactly. And unfortunately, people still assign agenticity as seen in horoscopes. cleanhippie Mar 2012 #10
One explanation for certain so-called psychic phenomena TlalocW Mar 2012 #7
I have seen this in real life. tabatha Mar 2012 #8
Why do you suppose evolutionary processes selected-for a brain with beliefs? Jim__ Mar 2012 #9
Shermer addresses this in his book. cleanhippie Mar 2012 #11
Can you explain it? Jim__ Mar 2012 #14
If I could explain it like Shermer, I'd write a book. cleanhippie Mar 2012 #22
If you understand something, you should be able to explain it. Jim__ Mar 2012 #25
Seeing patterns is incredibly useful edhopper Mar 2012 #26
A pattern recognizing brain is not necessarily a "belief engine." Jim__ Mar 2012 #31
The OP post makes it quite clear edhopper Mar 2012 #33
Why would you ask for scientific evidence to counter a postulate? Jim__ Mar 2012 #40
A postulate edhopper Mar 2012 #42
Here are a few different ideas about beliefs, religion, and evolution. Jim__ Mar 2012 #45
You seem to be under the misapprehension. edhopper Mar 2012 #47
See post #48. Jim__ Mar 2012 #49
You're right, and I can. cleanhippie Mar 2012 #28
I'll accept that your explanation is Michael Shermer said so. Jim__ Mar 2012 #30
You can assume what you want to, it matters not a bit to me. cleanhippie Mar 2012 #34
Are you trying hard to be snarky? or just repeating a pattern? SamG Mar 2012 #37
Probably to make us aware of our surroundings more... Humanist_Activist Mar 2012 #12
You say false positives wouldn't adversely affect reproductive success. Jim__ Mar 2012 #17
You forget that we live in groups, and so did our ancestors... Humanist_Activist Mar 2012 #18
I don't forget that we live in groups, your explanation didn't have anything to do with groups. Jim__ Mar 2012 #19
Seeing patterns has survival value because there ARE patterns Jim Lane Mar 2012 #13
Do you have any evidence to support your last sentence? Jim__ Mar 2012 #15
Anecdotal evidence: Astrology columns in newspapers. Useless gambling systems. Jim Lane Mar 2012 #21
Jim, those were awesome responses! cleanhippie Mar 2012 #23
Your answer indicates that you are far more prone to see patterns than to be overly skeptical. Jim__ Mar 2012 #24
What are you disagreeing with? edhopper Mar 2012 #27
Is it me or is Jim being unnecessarily antagonistic? cleanhippie Mar 2012 #35
I was reporting an actual Gallup poll. I personally do not believe in ghosts. Jim Lane Mar 2012 #29
Two points. Jim__ Mar 2012 #32
Try these edhopper Mar 2012 #38
Gallup does not make any such claim in those polls. Jim__ Mar 2012 #41
So your argument is based on edhopper Mar 2012 #43
In the first place, I didn't give an argument. Jim__ Mar 2012 #44
I just don't understand what you are trying to say edhopper Mar 2012 #46
Post #9 was my opening of this sub-thread. Jim__ Mar 2012 #48
All it takes for overzealous pattern recognition to be an evolutionary advantage... Silent3 Mar 2012 #50
Thank you S3 edhopper Mar 2012 #51
I can explain that: laconicsax Mar 2012 #54
Do you mean reproductive "value" or "advantage"? SamG Mar 2012 #52
We do have a brain with beliefs edhopper Mar 2012 #53
That does not answer the question of "why" it was selected-for. Jim__ Apr 2012 #55
So everyone who believes in ghosts is because they had a sudden death edhopper Apr 2012 #56
Read posts #41 and 44. Jim__ Apr 2012 #57
I have no idea what you are trying to argue edhopper Apr 2012 #58
Pareidolia: mr blur Mar 2012 #16
Thanks ch for the review. azul Mar 2012 #20
"Fun Science: Randomness" SamG Apr 2012 #59
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