Should we permit interviews on non-core subjects, esp AIDS/HIV?

Why wouldn't an interview with this guy be relevant..? He's anti-mainstream, past editor of the JSE, and believes in the Loch Ness Monster... seems cookie enough to be on here.

I have no objection to cookiness, but personally speaking HIV/AIDS denialism is a "red line" for me - because of the huge damage it has done, especially in Africa - along with Holocaust denialism.

[Ninshub]

I think Psience Quest interviews should be about psi, basically. We're not a replica of Skeptiko.

I think Psience Quest interviews should be about psi, basically. We're not a replica of Skeptiko.

I agree with this. Interviews should stick close to the core topics. (In my opinion.) But I think people who want to do an interview should be encouraged to start a thread and fight to make people see the relation if the initial impulse of the community is "no."

Someone needs to Sheppard the thing. 

Its like a garden, you need to tend it and not just let everything grow wild. 

There will always be some who disagree with a particular choice, but that doesn't mean choices don't need to be made.

Unfortunately, David the gardener used to much fly spray and overdid the pruning. He also put up too many fences  and kept out all the interesting creatures.
(IMHO)

What's the subject matter? AIDs/HIV? What is his position/message?

Wait a minute.  Has anyone asked these questions on the incredibly wide range of topics we've seen discussed here to fore?  (e.g., Pssst's alien line of posting)

I actually liked this most recent Skeptiko interview (well until the end when Alex discussed his forum pruning).  Perhaps the community wants this site uber focused on "psi" but I would cast a vote for expanding to include topics under the intersection of science and spirituality.

I think Psience Quest interviews should be about psi, basically. We're not a replica of Skeptiko.

Maybe someone needs to lay out a definition of psi for me then.  I don't know where 9/11, Greys, and the rest of the wide range of topics so far discussed fit under that umbrella.

Maybe someone needs to lay out a definition of psi for me then.  I don't know where 9/11, Greys, and the rest of the wide range of topics so far discussed fit under that umbrella.

I haven't seen 9/11 discussed, but I don't belong to the hidden forums.

UFO and "others" phenomena have a link with psi, in my opinion. I'm too tired to go into it right now, but it would make an interesting thread. I will at least start the thread now and maybe add to it as I can.

Personally , I don't see the relevance of the topic to what we are all about. 

I think it is reasonable to ask someone who is interested in a particular topic, how it relates to psiencequest, and if doesn't pass the sniff test, than it is not allowed.

I don't think we need to be militant about it, but we should generally have a "relevance filter" of some sort, shouldn't we?

The relevance of bad science to ψ that people are told that science has disproved ψ and/or it has demonstrated it to be impossible in principle.  Those of us who are also interested in science, are here because we can see that science hasn't ruled out ψ, and that in any case, it is fairly flaky right now.

You recently hosted a discussion regarding the viability of evolution by natural selection. Again you might say that is outside the subject area of this forum, but if life on this planet was started by a mechanism that was in some way Intelligent Design, isn't that relevant?

I get the impression that you yourself are interested in science, so don't you want to see how science and ψ inter-relate?

David

The thing I like about the international skeptics forum is the wide range of sub forum subjects open for discussion. There's Art and Literature, Education, Computers for example.

The thing I like about the international skeptics forum is the wide range of sub forum subjects open for discussion. There's Art and Literature, Education, Computers for example.

I think you can open any of those threads under OTHER.