Guest, 

The Skeptical Viewer Looks at the questionable claims of Fringe science. IMHO the site promotes and encourages critical thinking.

By definition critical thinking is. 

1. open-minded and mindful of alternatives

2. Tries to be well-informed

3. Judges  the credibility of sources

4. Identifies conclusions, reasons, and assumptions

5. Judges  the quality of an argument, including its reasons, assumptions, and evidence

6. Can  develop and defend a reasonable position

7. Asks appropriate clarifying questions

8. Formulates plausible hypotheses

9. Defines terms in a way appropriate for the context

10. Draws conclusions when warranted  

In an odd twist of irony, Ghost Hunters is tailored made to test ones thinking using critical thinking.

Well, given the current competition, I agree GH is as good as it gets, for now.  Although when Josh and his team recently investigated two hauntings, I thought they did a more then credible job.  Their experiences in the Japanese "suicide forest" was especially chilling and very strange indeed.  In fact, it was the first time I saw true fright on Josh's face.

But DT is not strictly a ghost investigation show, so it doesn't count.  Given PS and now GA, well, I'll have to agree that GH is currently the best on TV.  And yes, somehow they do keep us watching.

Should the disembodied voices be included on the Grant List? Only once have we had a disembodied voice when Grant wasn't nearby– and it was in a location where he'd been alone with a chance to plant a recorder.

I'm hesitant, because they're more Grant-suspicious than Grant-specific. The odd performance during the live show, when Grant seemed to anticipate what the voice would say and when it would say it, has pushed me over the edge, though.

(A note for those new to the site– I'm specifically referring to the voices which are captured on production audio, starting with the HoofFinFeathers Carriage Inn.)

Stephen said:

Just for the record: the 2008 Halloween Live Fort Delaware Grant Neck Pull definitely goes on the list.

Wondering if we should add the Candle going out (that was not noticed by Grant even in the dark) here as well? At the moment I would hesitate to include the voice ("you're not supposed to be here") to the list and would suggest seeing how Wednesday's reveal plays out.

Re: The Race Rock moving chair  -

This youtube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoNnTw01rGE is very compelling evidence that the chair NEVER moves.

One thing that was allways strange was the sound - it seems much more then simply a folding chair moving.  I suspect it was some lighting fixture by the crew that was being moved outside by the stairs, that both made the sound and threw the shifting light ( IR? ) on the chair.

That could have been why Grant got up and left …  he was called as they had the next shot about ready to go.

Grant's not guilty by reason the event never occured.

I have to stay with their concept - if anything, yours looks as if the chair moving to the left.

I suspect the differences might be caused by the light coming from a different source is reflecting differently on the legs.

Strangely, since the sound of the movement is longer then would seem to apply given a very small total displacement, to stay with the chair movement causing the sound the only explanation then would be a continuous movement left and then returning to the right.

Since that kills the Grant string theory, the only one left is para-normal 

I've got to weigh in here: first off, clearly either the chair moved or the light source moved — I think we can all agree on that as a starting point?  Well, what light source is illuminating the chair?  After the movement the chair legs are reflecting fairly brightly back towards the camera. Is the light source coming from the stairwell, reflecting off the wall behind the camera and then onto the chair? Unless there is a giant mirror behind the camera there is no way the light could reflect that brightly.

On the other hand, isn't this an IR camera and doesn't it have an IR light source?  The light we're seeing reflected is coming from the camera itself — this is really the only possibility that makes sense considering how bright the reflection is and how non-diffuse the light is.  The light entering the attic from the stairwell would be less bright and more diffuse — which means it wouldn't only reflect brightly on a small part of one chair leg.

As for the chair not moving left or right, I fully agree. The chair rotates.  It rotates exactly as one would expect it to if someone tied a string to one corner (of a chair leg) and pulled from the stairway.  In fact, this explains the light in the stairway too — the reason it changes is because someone is standing partially in front of it, blocking it out.

With this new theory we attribute the "movement" of the chair to a shifting light in the stairwell — which does not seem possible — and utterly fail to explain why the light in the stairwell changes.  With the existing theory we can explain why the chair doesn't appear to move (because it is actually just pivoting or rotating) and we explain why the light in the stairwell changes (because someone is pulling the string).

Did anyone read Grant's latest blog entry on 11/7/08?  I'll paste it here in case he decides to change / erase it later:

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=20763368&blogID=447106545

People are now making videos calling TAPS fakers. It is to be expected, I guess. I just wish that people would give us constructive criticism and help us figure out what happened rather than just take the easy way out by saying we fake stuff. 

All I can say is that whoever is making these videos is running on a LOT of assumptions. 

I wasn't scrolling through random audio files. I had just heard a voice and was trying to find it on a digital recorder in the cold, then the batteries died. It is a common paranormal event. I showed several people that the batteries died. 

The voice was heard through the earpieces because everyone can hear what the filmed team is doing through them. Not to mention that they replayed it through the ear pieces for everyone to hear. Now, how could we and our cameraman have heard it through our ears if it came from the equipment? Also, if it came through the earpieces then, how come we don't hear EVERYTHING that is said through those things? We only hear one voice?

We all do NOT enjoy filming the live show because there are people constantly telling you what to do and where to go etc. That is what Steve and Kristyn fell pray to on TV. If they cut back to a team that was walking in a place with no signal, then you wouldn't be able to see or hear them. Therefore, whenever they come to a team after a break, they want to check and make sure that the team is in a spot with signal. Also, if there is something they want you to address then they tell you during a break. 

As far as the sound guy, we all knew he was coming. People aren't just wandering around. He just didn't get there fast enough to deal with the audio issue before we were back from the break.

As for my collar, I really don't know what that is about. There was an earpiece cable running down my sweater that I talked about in the reveal. That is the only thing that could have caused any type of tugging movement. But it was attached to my sweater NOT my jacket and the cable ran to the opposite side of my jacket from the "alleged" hand in an awkward spot. And even then, I had tried pulling on it and it didn't affect my jacket at all. Why did it move when Jay slapped my back? We recreated this event and it did it that way every time. Not sure why. I just don't see how I could have faked it. I understand it looks awkward to people. It doesn't to me because I was just being me. 

This stuff just drives me crazy, I really wish people wouldn't assume we are faking stuff. We are instantly accused before we even are given a chance to really dissect it and try to figure it out. Honestly, no offense, but if the show was canceled tomorrow I would be sad yes, but mostly I would just breathe a huge sigh of relief because I would be able to go back to my quiet life with my family.

I guess it is just TAPS's word against the word of people who hate our show and the field of paranormal investigation.

Dr PV…must have misinterpreted your two posts. If you're saying there WAS movement, then I can see your claim of it being paranormal (don't necessarily subscribe to it [Image Removed by User] ) but makes sense that that's what you were referring to rather than there being no movement at all and _that_ being paranormal.

Fort Delaware: I also find it odd that an "entity" would be so selective about what it drained for power. The tape recorder? Why no fluctuation in the flashlight that he was holding less than a foot away from the recorder and shining on it.

Why, with the battery drain "obviously" being a sign that something was happening, were there no EMF sweeps? He also said he had to go get new batteries. Funny how other times the power is miraculously restored to the batteries and they can continue on. Maybe they need another person with them hauling a car battery around on a dolly that they can then set down whenever something happens and trap these things. :rolling eyes:

Also…wait for it, wait for it Funny how the K-2 never gets it's batteries drained. I mean, obviously the entity is in very close proximity to it (them)