Why does it always seem like Sharon Hill is promoting both sides of the argument?
That was fascinating. I've never seen her speak before, just a little of the writing, and that spectacular fail at the end where she stomped off JREF in a huff.
There was a huge red flag with her comment about "nasty debunking skeptics" in that conference round-table.
Right after that comment she explained that she tries to "be in the middle". I had clean forgotten about that rule in biology, chemistry, astronomy - it really pervades every science, being "in the middle".
Just look what good it did for her credibility at the end at JREF, I think this is the most charitable view a person can take on what happened. She didn't want to be a nasty debunking skeptic, but an "in the middle" skeptic.
She insisted "they're not lying". We can't take that position with them. The Area X people. No matter how asinine, how outlandish and stupid - no, not lying.
Geez, the whole James Randi skepticism approach is to be instantly on guard for sleight of hand, deceit, illusionists, for con-men in every woo corner.
The way Randi exposed it was infiltration. Espionage. Find out how they're doing whatever it is, perpetual motion machines or ghosts or psychic mediums and spoon benders etc.
Then expose them.
So Randi left a lasting legacy with his "They're lying" approach. His "nasty skeptic" approach.
And someone else got her little fanny spanked hard.