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The Science
of Spooks - 20081107
By Eric Kittleson
Oh god, no. Are you serious?
You're gonna do a column on ghosts because it's near Halloween,
right? Yeah, congrats on being original.
But enough about what you all think of me.
I'd like to bring up something that isn't exactly traditional
conversation in the scientific community. And yes, in honor
of Halloween later this week, I say it's time to really look
at all our funny otherworldly fantasies (ghosts, ghouls, zombies-the
whole nine yards) and figure out if these things really have
any sort of relation to science and real life. Of course I'm
not trying to say that "Dawn of the Dead" is secretly
a documentary, or that if you believe in spirits you must
live inside of Stephen King's brain. All I want to do here
is take a look at the mystical and bring it into context.
First, let me say where I stand, just so that
everyone's aware of my bias. This isn't something that I share
with many people, but I tentatively believe that something
exists around us that we cannot yet explain. Now, some of
you just put down the paper because you feel very strongly
that ghosts and monsters are something hilarious and silly,
not real by any stretch of the imagination. Many people, with
good reason, find the idea of spooks haunting the world absurd
and are probably frightened that this "scientist"
actually would believe in such things. I have to say I respectfully
disagree.
According to a 2005 Gallup poll, about three
in four Americans believe in some form of paranormal activity
(ESP, haunted houses, etc.), consistent with a similar study
in 2001. Some may argue this is heavily influenced by the
number of religious people in the nation, but I want to make
it perfectly clear that this article is not about religion.
The reason I feel the paranormal should be investigated and
not laughed at doesn't extend from any sort of religious beliefs,
but instead from a stubborn and probably naive faith in people.
As I write this article frantically in order
to meet deadline, a history channel documentary is on television
behind me. The subject, ironically, is the legend of an aquatic
monster that lives in Lake Champlain between New York and
Vermont. Sightings of the creature, nicknamed "Champ,"
have apparently been ongoing since the lake was discovered,
however, hard evidence in the case is, as always, scarce.
The washed-up body of a 25-foot-long crocodile-fish thing
doesn't happen too often.
But throughout the documentary, people interviewed
were very sure they had seen something unreal on the shores
of their beloved lake. People like them and so many others
across the world speak up about their paranormal sightings,
be it lake monsters, spirits, UFOs, Bigfoot or anything else
that's outright creepy. Now those who are skeptical will first
say the people who claim these fantastic things are off their
rocker. This could be true, and is demonstrated to us by our
friends who live on Telegraph Avenue. Second, any good skeptic
would assume that a person who is claiming an extraordinary
encounter is possibly just making it up. Recently, a few jokers
tried to show the world a Bigfoot suit in a freezer and claim
they had found the mythical beast. Hoaxes and fakes turn up
everywhere, mostly because of people's sick need for attention.
So do these reasons really provide all that we need to completely
dismiss the paranormal forever? Sorry, but I don't think we
can make that leap.
The sheer number of claims, hoaxes, lies and
fears out there tells us that we have an uncontrollable curiosity
about this stuff. No one can deny how pervasive these stories
are, and I can only imagine they are so abundant and penetrating
because they were based on very real things. Please, before
you send me angry letters, understand that I do not believe
in ghosts and monsters, just science. And I also believe that
not everyone who claims these sorts of things is a liar. What
they see, however, isn't sorcerer's magic or eerie dark powers
of vampires. I personally think it's a phenomenon of science
that we do not yet understand. Remember, we used to wonder
why it rains, how the seasons change, how trees grow and why
the sun and moon change places-and now any fifth grader can
answer those questions. Give it, oh, another 1,000 years and
maybe fifth graders will be able to tell us why hundreds of
people claim their house is haunted, why psychics have helped
solve cold cases and why millions still refuse to give up
believing. Sure, it will make ghost stories a little less
fun, but as anyone who has taken a physics class knows, making
things less fun is sometimes what science does best.
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