Quickies
Skepchick Quickies, 6.8
- Texas police find no bodies after psychic tip-off. “Police in Texas are investigating whether a tip-off from a psychic about a supposed mass grave containing dozens of dismembered bodies was a hoax.” (From a few of you.)
- Kids who spot bullshit, and the adults who get upset about it. From Ben Goldacre.
- Why do scientists spend so much time proving the obvious? To influence perceptions and policy.
- From the Oprah files. (From Mark.)
Those Texas police officers could have really used those bullshit-spotting kids.
I can’t really fault the Texas police for following up on the psychic tip (any less than if it were an anonymous tip). A vindicated psychic makes a very good suspect, after all.
As long as the ‘psychic’ part didn’t factor in when they pushed for their warrant.
I’ll admit, I imagine they were more interested in the grisly details and the specificity of the location rather than the psychic claim.
I agree. One can’t fault the Texas police. They have to follow up on that kind of a tip regardless of where it comes from. The same is true for a bomb scare, or even a dropped 911 call.
Now they need to prosecute the psychic for a false police report.