Aliens, ETs and UFOs > Theories

Supersition

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monstr:
You would expect scientists to be the first to pour scorn on stories of alien landings and haunted houses.

However, new research has shown that scientists at the University of Leicester are not immune to superstition. A survey of professors has found they do not dismiss the existence of ghosts or the idea that aliens may once have landed on earth.

They will even go as far as to say certain crystals may be able to keep you healthy and ouija boards could make contact with the other side.

However, they readily dismissed two of the nation's most popular superstitions - astrology and palmistry.

Eighteen professors and honorary fellows from the University of Leicester and Waikato University in New Zealand were interviewed.

The study, submitted to the International Journal of Science Education, was carried out by Dr Richard Coll and Dr Neil Taylor.

Dr Coll, an honorary visiting fellow at Leicester from the University of Waikato, said: "We investigated scientists' perceptions about superstitions and new-age beliefs.

"We were interested to try to understand how scientists think, how they weigh evidence and judge testimony.

"Two things stimulated the research; one was a study of UK schoolchildren that showed, despite years of science education, many students were highly superstitious.

"Second, was an observation by the researchers that many reports in the science education literature work from a prior assumption that scientists work and think in certain ways - specifically that they are totally objective.

"We were suspicious of this rather simplistic stance and decided it warranted investigation."

Dr Taylor, who was a lecturer in primary science education at the University of Leicester when the study was conducted, is now at the University of New England, Australia. He said: "The findings were remarkable and provided a fascinating insight into the way scientists think. Many were much more open-minded than we thought about things such as water-divining and acupuncture.

"A few were even open-minded about things such as the healing powers of crystals, or that aliens have visited the earth and that some houses are haunted."

Dr Coll said: "One would have expected them to say these things were complete nonsense - they didn't.

"The ones they were more likely to believe in were aliens and ghosts - the latter surprised me."

They concluded although the scientists liked to base their ideas on hard facts, they were also ready to consider the unusual.

Stuart Warburton, managing curator at Belgrave Hall, reputedly one of Leicestershire's most haunted locations, said he wasn't surprised by the findings.

He said: "I've heard things and experienced things in Belgrave, but until I've seen a ghost I can't say.

"That's not to say there are not certain things that can't be explained in life."

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