Dr. Victor Stenger Slams Parapsychology, Calls Dr. Stanley Krippner Charlatan
Industry: Science
Interview with Dr. Victor Stenger about his new book, God and the Folly of Faith, and the science of consciousness and near-death experience.
United States (PRUnderground) November 1st, 2012
Join Skeptiko host Alex Tsakiris for an interview with physicist, Atheist and author Dr. Victor Stenger about his new book, God and the Folly of Faith: The Incompatibility of Science and Religion. During the interview Stenger explains why he believes many parapsychologists, consciousness researchers and near-death experience researchers are charlatans:
Alex Tsakiris: As you mentioned, Stuart Hameroff is an anesthesiologist, so he may be crossing disciplines, but he’s also publishing with a Nobel Prize winner and some of the top people in the field.
But let’s move on from that a little bit because what I really wanted to get to with that is what is at stake for Atheism with this idea of consciousness being more than materialism? Mind being just the brain?
Dr. Victor Stenger: All the Atheists I know, that is those who are scientists and really understand the scientific method, will say, “You show me the evidence for something beyond matter, then we’ll believe it.” So we’re open to that. It’s not so much that we have any particular stake other than the stake of determining the truth as best as we can.
And that’s the problem. These people are charlatans to be claiming that there’s evidence for a quantum aspect of the mind. That’s just not true. Maybe they’ll find one someday. We’re open to that. But they just do not have the data to support that and they don’t have the theory to support that. And that’s the thing that’s so upsetting about it because they’re able to get away with this because they’re talking to audiences who are not aware of the science, who really don’t know the science.
Alex Tsakiris: You’re not saying Christof Koch is a charlatan? Or Stuart Hameroff is a charlatan? I assume, right? So who are the charlatans?
Dr. Victor Stenger: I know that I know Stanley Krippner, I know some of the other people that are on the list of people you’ve interviewed in the past. I saw your list and I’ll tell you they’re not part of any mainstream that I know of.
Alex Tsakiris: So do you think Stanley Krippner is a charlatan?
Dr. Victor Stenger: Absolutely.
The Skeptiko interview with Dr. Victor Stenger is available at: https://www.skeptiko.com/victor-stenger-slams-parapsychology-calls-stanley-krippner-charlatan/
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Skeptiko.com is the first scientifically oriented Podcast exploring new research in controversial areas of science such as telepathy, psi, parapsychology, near-death-experience, psychic detectives, medium communication, reincarnation, and after-life encounters. Each episode features open, honest debate on new scientific discoveries. The show includes interviews with top research scientists and their critics.
