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	<title>UK-Skeptics articles and commentary</title>
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		<title>Herbal Viagra &#8211; Traditional Chinese Medicine health warning</title>
		<description><![CDATA[




One main reason that people are attracted to herbal medicines is that they are &#8220;natural therefore safe&#8221;. This, of course, is a dangerous assumption and is completely wrong. There are two main reasons why &#8216;natural&#8217; does not necessarily mean safe:

Naturally      occurring drugs.If a herbal remedy does work (and almost all [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.ukskeptics.com/cms/herbal-viagra-traditional-chinese-medicine-health-warning/</link>
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		<title>Confirmation: an error of reasoning.</title>
		<description><![CDATA[





John Jackson © UK-Skeptics
C onfirmation bias is where we look for reasons,    or supporting evidence, that matches our belief or thesis whilst disregarding    or placing less weight on disconfirming reasons or evidence against it.As a hypothetical example, let&#8217;s look at someone&#8217;s belief that hypnotherapy    helps people [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.ukskeptics.com/cms/confirmationan-error-of-reasoning/</link>
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		<title>Entitled to an opinion.</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
John Jackson © UK-Skeptics

&#8220;I&#8217;m entitled to my opinion&#8221;, &#8220;you&#8217;re entitled     to your opinion&#8221;. Both of these expressions come up frequently in debates     but what do people mean by them and are they of any relevance in a debate?

I&#8217;m entitled to my opinion



Tom:
I believe X works.


Jerry:
There’s no evidence [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.ukskeptics.com/cms/entitled-to-an-opinion/</link>
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		<title>Drinking coffee makes you see ghosts</title>
		<description><![CDATA[All over the media last week were reports of the finding that drinking coffee can lead to people seeing ghosts. Headlines such as:

Three cups of brewed coffee a day &#8216;triples risk of hallucinations&#8217;;
 &#8216;Visions link&#8217; to coffee intake; and the alarmist
Danger from just 7 cups of coffee a day.

all had the same theme: that drinking [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.ukskeptics.com/cms/drinking-coffee-makes-you-see-ghosts/</link>
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		<title>Critical Thinking petition</title>
		<description><![CDATA[See: Critical Thinking petition.
A new petition has been started to petition the Prime Minister to introduce Critical Thinking as part of the core curriculum in primary and secondary schools.
From the petition&#8217;s creator:
Critical Thinking is an essential skill, providing a mental tool-kit to help the thinker tell fact from fantasy. It is also a skill which [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.ukskeptics.com/cms/critical-thinking-petition/</link>
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		<title>Astrology and Precession</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
vbloke © 2006
Let&#8217;s assume for a minute that astrology actually    works. No questions, it just does. Now, when the astrological signs were drawn up originally, it was done around    600BC. Each sign (e.g.: Scorpio) are exactly 30° wide &#8211; they are measured    eastward along the ecliptic [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.ukskeptics.com/cms/astrology-and-precession/</link>
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		<title>Randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind trials</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Claims are often put forward by proponents of alternative remedies and therapies    stating that they have tested their treatment and it has passed the test: proof    that it works. Skeptics, however, insist that unless a treatment has passed    a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, it is not valid.
Why [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.ukskeptics.com/cms/randomised-placebo-controlled-double-blind-trials/</link>
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		<title>Are you skeptical of skepticism?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
An examination of the question: can skeptics be skeptical of skepticism?
John Jackson © 2008


“There’s no such thing as truth.”
What is wrong with this statement? Well, it’s a statement that is presented      as being factual (true) and yet it’s claiming that there is no such      thing [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.ukskeptics.com/cms/are-you-skeptical-of-skepticism/</link>
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		<title>Zodiacal astrology</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
vbloke © 2006
Western (Zodiacal) astrology relies on the position    of the Sun, Moon and planets at the time of your birth to determine your personality.    Each planet has a particular &#8220;personality&#8221; and affects different aspects    of your personality.How this happens is never really explained, why it [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.ukskeptics.com/cms/zodiacal-astrology/</link>
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		<title>Appeal to the open mind</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
Open Mind: A mind open to new ideas, lacking in prejudice, not dogmatic.
John Jackson © 2004.
It is very common for people who are putting forward a claim to    say something like, &#8220;you must consider this with an    open mind&#8220;, or if their claim is rejected they will say  [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.ukskeptics.com/cms/appeal-to-the-open-mind/</link>
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