Science operates in the natural, not the supernatural. In fact, I go so far as to state that there is no such thing as the supernatural or the paranormal.
Michael ShermerRead
For solving a surprisingly large and varied number of problems, crowds are smarter than individuals.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Groups can often generate better solutions than individuals when facing complex problems.
Michael Shermer's quote emphasizes the idea that collective intelligence can surpass that of any single individual, particularly in problem-solving scenarios. This suggests that harnessing the diverse perspectives and insights of a crowd can lead to more effective and innovative solutions than relying solely on individual expertise.
Themes
Crowd IntelligenceCollective WisdomProblem SolvingCollaborationDiversity
In practice
Example use cases
In a team brainstorming session, we should remember that crowdsourcing ideas can lead to innovative solutions.
More from Michael Shermer
All quotes βSmart people believe weird things because they are skilled at defending beliefs they arrived at for non-smart reasons.
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Being deeply knowledgeable on one subject narrows one's focus and increases confidence, but it also blurs dissenting views until they are no longer visible, thereby transforming data collection into bias confirmation and morphing self-deception into self-assurance.
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How can we find spiritual meaning in a scientific worldview? Spirituality is a way of being in the world, a sense of oneβs place in the cosmos, a relationship to that which extends beyond oneself. . . . Does scientific explanation of the world diminish its spiritual beauty? I think not. Science and spirituality are complementary, not conflicting; additive, not detractive. Anything that generates a sense of awe may be a source of spirituality. Science does this in spades. (158-159)
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But because we live in an age of science, we have a preoccupation with corroborating our myths.
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Iβm a skeptic not because I do not want to believe, but because I want to know.
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