People are so stupid.
I've been reading this book called "The Hundredth Monkey and Other Pradigms of the Pranormal". It is an anthology of articles by various scientists regarding various paranormal claims from ESP to chiropractic. It's primary theme is attacking "pseudoscientists" who purport to have scientific proof that these things are real and provable, yet on closer inspection of their data their conclusions are found wanting.
Now I'd hardly call myself gullible, since I have never fallen prey to the 180 proof pure stupidity of UFO cults, astrology, tarot, or fringe medicines, although an alarming number of people would swear by their reality. Why? Because they're STUPID, that's why. Granted, the book put it in nicer terms, but that's what it boils down to. OK, maybe not stupid in general, but it is indicative of a total inability to understand the world and a fear to consider the possibility that the universe is brutally random. I doubt that your astrology reading will tell you that you're going to get run over by a bus or your Tarot will predict you slipping in the shower and cracking your head like an egg (separating your head whites! HA HA!). Those things can be clinically PROVEN to be, in scientific terms, compete bullshit, but people still buy it. As far as I'm concerned, the aliens should keep their asses.
It also blasted claims of calirvoyance and ESP. Although it wasn't quite as conclusive, since technically it only showed that no evidence existed to support them and could not prove that they does not exist. What they did show rather well was that people who claim to have special powers were suddenly unable to perform under rigorous scientific scrutiny.
I find that in my old age I'm becoming more and more skeptical of such things. I don't buy psychokinesis, psychics, or any of that Loch Ness Monster crap. I DO, however, believe in rare, isolated occurances of ESP and the existance of ghosts, since I've experienced such things. This are kinda hard to prove in a laboratory setting, though.
It seems that superstition is on the rise again, even in our advanced age. Why? I guess because people would rather believe in weird-ass things like that than in engineering, computer science, or medicine. Like I said, people are dumb.
And do you know what Freddie Mercury died of? Most people think it was AIDS. It was actually Rectal Tunnel Syndrom.
I kill me.