Q&A
What is the Weird Things blog?
Weird Things is a popular science blog which also deals with conspiracy theories, questions about alien life and common religious concepts. It addresses interesting curiosities, oddities, frequent misconceptions and strange ideas to research the truth and set the record straight.
Is it a debunking blog?
Not per se. Weird Things is dedicated to skeptical inquiry which means that theories aren’t taken at face value but investigated to see if there’s any kernel of truth in them. For example, when dealing stories about alien life, I’m assuming that aliens exist, but want to see if the story seems to fit sound science and logic. As skeptical inquiry does require a good deal of debunking, it may occasionally seem like a debunking blog.
Do you moderate comments?
Very rarely. This blog generally allows anyone to comment at will without registering or waiting for moderation unless you have more than two links in your reply. However, if a comment links to porn or random advertising, attempts to incite racism, acts of violence against ethnic groups or links to a site which supports such views, it will be deleted. I also reserve the right to remove off-topic, rambling, and incoherent or repetitive replies for the benefit of my readers. Comments with contrary opinions are very welcome.
Can I submit an idea for a post?
Certainly. If you’d like this blog to review and write something about a topic of interest for you, please feel free to contact me with your suggestions. As this blog grows, it’s very likely the topic has been addressed before so your idea might already be the covered by an existing article.
Are you an atheist?
I would consider myself agnostic since I see no strong, conclusive evidence for a personal deity as described in holy books. If there’s ever a demonstrable proof of the divine during a scientific investigation, I will duly note it. In the meantime, I feel that not knowing something doesn’t mean that you can just make up your reality and inject it into the unknown. I’d rather just say “we don’t know.”
Why do you cover conspiracy theories as well as popular science?
Many conspiracy theories are based on a lack of scientific understanding or they’re studies in mythmaking and social sciences like sociology, economics and psychology. I include posts that deal with theology, history and cultural conflicts on this blog for the same reason. Science is after all, a study of ourselves as much as it is the study of the world around us.
