their work is laudable, but I don't know if it works.

What I mean is, skepticism has a price... Knowledge. Those people in remote poor villages are very likely ignorant of a lot of things, and uneducated.

They can show them how a con man could trick them, but I wonder if another con man, with different tricks wouldn't still be able to trick them....

Just thinking out loud.

An interesting thought, but what have they learned here? Have they learned that if someone pours water out of an empty jug they may be faking it, or have they learned that miracles can be faked? If it's the latter then they have learned something useful and will question every holy miracle they see. I hope that the people doing this are good enough to explain this.

It's an indian James Randi!

Nobody pauses to think that if he can create a bank note from nothing, why does he need to take their money?

And nobody in this small village is like "who the fuck is this broad?" when they bring that possessed chick out?

>> ^EMPIRE:

their work is laudable, but I don't know if it works.
What I mean is, skepticism has a price... Knowledge. Those people in remote poor villages are very likely ignorant of a lot of things, and uneducated.
They can show them how a con man could trick them, but I wonder if another con man, with different tricks wouldn't still be able to trick them....
Just thinking out loud.


I believe this is how everyone develops skepticism. You start by understanding one charlatan or fool, then another and another, until you're properly weary of unlikely claims. You've got to start somewhere.