When we talk about weird beliefs and ideas that people hold, I think we forget to look at ourselves
What weird things do you believe that someone would call you strange for having? What are you DOING with those beliefs?
People talk about Colin Ross and his eye beams as if he's a complete whack job, but you forget that his experimental science has a very good purpose and intention
His invention, and the hypothetical science behind it, is meant to help those with disabilities and limited movement interact with things around their house
Looking at a light switch to turn it on or off, looking at the TV to change channels, turn on stereos and interact with the signals to potentially communicate, if they're currently unable to.
The idea might be crazy, but all the power to him if he can get it working.
Some of these devices now exist, using similar mechanisms, but isn't that how science and invention works? You put an idea out there, other people improve on it, change it, fix it.
He believes in chi. A lot of people do. Would you speak of them all the same way? Do you believe in karma?
I believe in multiple dimensions and that these little "jumps" that I randomly get are from "me" dying in an alternate timeline. It gives me hope and eases my anxiety that if I were to die today in a freak accident, it's not the end. It helps me leave my house, but I'm doing shit all to help people by testing my beliefs. I just call myself weird and move on. Currently, this isn't that strange of a belief, there's an incredible amount of research into this concept, even if it seems unbelievable and impossible.
Look at all the research going into various types of voice hearing and plurality and pause for a second. So far, all of this work is showing promising therapeutic techniques that are HELPING people, and the research is showing, apparently, generally positive impacts on the people experiencing such things.
And we're all here arguing about whether it's real and possible and how impossible it must be, completely ignoring the EFFECTS these things have on a larger scale. And it seems to be positive in highly tangible ways (real, documented positive improvements in voice hearing patients using techniques discussed in syscourse and plural spaces).
The more I think about it, the more I support experimental sciences that are largely harmless on a grand scale but could actually help humanity. Stop putting innocent ideas down so harshly and discrediting everyone who thinks of new, potential ideas or inventions.
We didn't have to kill Giordano Bruno for believing the earth revolved around the sun, but we did. Sometimes, things end up working. I wonder what else he had to offer.