Why are psychics ever surprised?

Bad AstronomyBy Phil PlaitMar 11, 2010 12:00 AM

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Every time a psychic gets surprised by something, the world gets a little smarter. I hope. If that's true, then our collective IQ went up a solid 8 points when the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a suit against "America's Prophet" Sean David Morton on claims he's a big ol' phony. If only he had spelled it "profit" instead, then he wouldn't have been falsely advertising. And given that he made a cool $6 million off of gullible dupes, that moniker would certainly fit better. Now, of course this doesn't mean all psychics are knowing frauds any more than a scientist who perpetrates knowing fraud indicts all other scientists. However, science has given us spaceflight, agriculture, computers, medicine, telescopes, and a deeper and quantitative understanding of the Universe from the quantum level out to its observable edge. Psychics have given us, well... y'know... um... oh! They make it easier for non-critical people to carry their now much-lighter wallets around. Right. Well, to paraphrase Philip J. Fry: psychics 0, regular science a billion. Tip o' the crystal ball to Dale Martin.

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