The Skeptic Steampunk
Back in the 1980′s I was big into Atlantis, aliens (the cute grey guys) and UFOs. Towards the end of the 1990′s an unhealthy amount of conspiracy theories, doomsday prophecies and related matters krept in. I was also into Tarot.
Then came the point when a prediction based on “reliable sources” within the “real world government” completely failed once more. In this particular case it was the invasion of Europe by Russia on the 26th of July 1998.
After this non-incident, I started rejecting all these far-out claims about “secret information”, “ancient wisdom” and conspiracy related matters but still held onto my views on cryptozoology and UFOs.
Looking back now, my fringe-believes were always somewhat technology-related. The “ancient wisdom” (i.e. Atlantean Wisdom) I believed in, was due to super-advanced and probably alien-aided ancient civilizations, not because “ancient is better”. I never thought there was any merrit in homeopathy or other kinds of pseudo-scientific cures peddled these days.
The final push into full-fledged skepticism came through an interest of mine that goes very well with aliens and UFOs: Astronomy.
I have was into astronomy before I was able to read properly and one of my heroes is Carl Sagan. I was always fasciated by the his TV programs and later by his books. Eventually I read The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark.
To say it was an eye-opener would be a massive understatement. The Baloney Detection Kit alone was more than worth the price of the book. I recommend it to everyone. Read the book and do the thinking and do not be afraid to get rid of some pre-conceived notions on the way.
The next big step on the way to Skepticism came when a colleague introduced me to the Skeptoid podcast. After that, there was no turning back. Although it is still painful sometimes to listen to Brian, such as in the episode he ripped the Barney and Betty Hill abduction case to shreds, Skeptoid is one of my favourite podcasts.
So much for my way into skepticism.
By the way: I am still hoping Big Foot is actually out there and as a good Cthulhu cultist I steadfastly choose to believe that The Bloop is a giant undersea creature, so there!
Now why Steampunk and Skepticism and how do they mix?
To me a big element of Steampunk is weird science and the (now often falsified) scientific ideas which were around from the Victorian Age to the beginning of the Atomic Age (which roughly covers the Steampunk and Dieselpunk Eras).
Science and education was also far more to the fore of society. It was fashionable to be educated, to have some interest in science. We have to capture this approach towards science again and banish pseudoscience and the superstitions of the modern world (conspiracy theories etc.) back into the darkness from whence they came.
To me, the fun, jovial and sometimes quirky approach Steampunk has to science combined with its inherent inventiveness and creativity form ideal conditions to make science, rational thinking and therefor skepticism fashionable again.
That’s the long and the short of it for now. I guess I will tinker and modify this page several times before it gets its final form.
And here is a video by my friend C0nc0rdance, check out his Youtube Channel, where he quotes Carl Sagan and which also surmizes my view on Skepticism while keeping an open mind pretty well:
Some of my Skeptical and Science Posts
Atompunk Friday: ENIAC
10. Februar 2012Today I feel like doing a bit of Atompunk, and since I am doing my blogging at a computer I guess it is time to remember the distant ancestor of all computers, the ENIAC. ENIAC is the acronym for E...
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Wooly Mammoth filmed in Siberia
9. Februar 2012Aha! I knew it. In the remote parts of Siberia, the magnificent Wooly Mammoth still roams as it has done for hundreds of thousands of years. Just look at this video, conclusive proof, featured by t...
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Shoutout for Science! RED ALERT!
26. Januar 2012Stop What You're Doing and Explore Mars Right Now! Go here (klick) And since I initially posted this one on the fly (i.e. from my smartphone) here is a little image to beautify the articl...
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2012 is upon us
31. Dezember 2011So, 2011 has come and gone (almost) and we are looking 2012 in the eye. To make one thing absolutely clear: The world will not come to an end in 2012. The Maya never predicted that. Some half-wit w...
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How Cyberpunk: The Future of Science according to the IFTF
20. Dezember 2011CNN recently featured an article about the future of science up to 2021, as predicted by the Institute for the Future. According to the Institute, the future looks something like this: Th...
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Christopher Hitchens 1949-2011
16. Dezember 2011Yesterday, Christopher Hitchens, journalist, author, outspoken critic of many public figures and institutions passed away after a battle with cancer. He will be sorely missed.
Delve deeper...The LHC just blew up the Universe
15. Dezember 2011Actually, it did not, in case you did not notice. Inspired by Symphony of Science (see below) I dug around for the videos containing the lyrics. One particular enlightning one I discovered in th...
Delve deeper...Science is a Song…
13. Dezember 2011... celebrating the beauty and wonder of the universe! Please enjoy the videos I present you here. Even if they are not the type of music you normally enjoy, it is one beautiful way to confront ...
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Atompunk: Happy Bermuda Triangle Day!
5. Dezember 2011I guess this is one of the least-known and at the same time earliest holidays in the Atompunk Calendar: Bermuda Triangle Day! In case you did not know: The Bermuda Triangle is named after the cour...
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Happy Birthday, Mr. Clemens
30. November 2011
... or Mark Twain as he is commonly known. Apart from being one of the greatest literates of the 19th century, he was also a freethinker, skeptic, satirist and technophile.
And: As the image show...
Delve deeper...Hey Steampunks! Help The Gearheart!
29. November 2011My friend Alex of The Gearheart fame needs your help! As some of you may know, his son has rather severe autism. Alex and his wife have found a therapy that works and helps 'The Professor', as...
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MSL Liftoff and Moon Cannon
28. November 2011As an astronomy geek, I simply had to share this one, the launch of the Mars Science Laboratory: Apart from the obvious science and sheer power of technology involved in here, it is also int...
Delve deeper...How to defend earth from Asteroids – Phil Plait
21. November 2011Phil Plait (I featured a video of one of his talks before) strikes again. Please enjoy this talk and presentation he gave at TED in Boulder, Arizona, about how to defend the earth from asteroids. ...
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The Quantum Physics of Genesis
8. November 2011
Nicely done. If the Bible would contain anything even remotely pertaining to the science in this image, some clear statement, I would consider devine inspiration. Alas, all you find are obscure, ...
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First Commercial Spaceport
18. Oktober 2011Virgin Galactic has opened the first commercial space port. This could well be the future of space travel: Driven by private entrepreneurship. Right now the idea is still crazy but it makes perfect...
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I am an anthropologist and in this capacity a minor scholar of the Cthulhu Mythos and H.P. Lovecraft. I am also quite obviously heavily into Steampunk and Dieselpunk and like travelling.
For more info, just drop me a line.
Hello,
have look at our home page (that´s self marketing, indeed) We are doing a type of diesel punk: we love rivets, shiny aluminium, aircraft construction and the surface of old planes. We love to construct and build things with our hands, we can use at home, which are useful and beauty. We are not a company, we earn our money in other jobs, but if we were able to life from our handmade items, that would be a good experience. For my knowledge, there is nobody worldwide, doing such a quality as we do. It´s handmade in Germany, in the tradition of German workmanship and we are proud of it.
Regards Rolf