Hi! It's about time I introduced myself

[NucleicAcid]

I'm NucleicAcid. I've already posted a bunch, I like to get into the thick of things right off the bat. I'm going to make it totally clear, NA is an anonymous front that I use to portray certain angles of my(true)self I don't get to let out all that often. Yay, internet! While it does allow me to be a bit more rash than I usually can be on forums, I still try to be as polite as possible. I started this persona to try to engage someone in a polite, one-on-one formal debate at the now-defunct Richard Dawkins forum. Instead of a formal debate (which they had a specific section for), I got insulted and a flame war ensued. It was only a few specific people, so I'm sure it doesn't speak for the entirety of the Rational and Skeptic communities, but it also does not speak well for them, either. It only served to harden the stereotype of the pseudoskeptic in my mind.

So, about myself. I am a senior undergrad at a decently prestigious technical school somewhere in the US. I'm currently majoring in Chemistry and Psychology, and will be finishing up as soon as I publish my psych thesis, which is, incidentally, on parapsychology. My interests are in organic synthesis, psychopharmacology of small molecules (e.g. dopaminergic agonists), mood disorders, psi research, consciousness, philosophy, logic, quantum mechanics, the questions of why we're here and the meaning of the universe. I used to be a practicing psychic/psion, until I went through a really heavily skeptical period to sort of re-evaluate my life. I am pulling out of that now, with the help of my inescapable personal experiences of the paranormal, aided by the massive body of research by parapsychologists before me. I believe that while there is not enough evidence yet to say, "Psi exists, let's pop the champagne," but their is beyond a doubt enough evidence to say "Something is going on, we should look into this more." I want to help bring about the next wave of psi research, which I hope will move the balance between these two ideologies one way or another. While I acknowledge there is a (very very small) possibility psi doesn't exist, and it's all a big coincidence, I believe all data should be made available and people should draw their own conclusions. But I do believe something is going on.

I think too much. But I'm good at it.

With regards to other paranormal stuff, I think UFO phenomena are interesting, but I don't know nearly enough to make a judgment about it. I think Oswald most likely shot Kennedy, and I think 9/11 was perpetrated by terrorists, because the US government is too brittle and inept to plan anything of ANY magnitude, let alone a conspiracy. If anything, the government knew it was going to happen, but was too slow and bureaucratic to do anything to stop it in time. However, there is something weird about the way Building 7 fell, but I don't know what could be the cause of it. I'm positive we landed on the moon, it would take more money to run a coverup than it would to actually land on the moon. Plus, we've placed retro-reflectors there, and we can take pictures of the abandoned Lunar Landers with satellites. I think Nessie and Bigfoot are more than likely wild goose chases, and I think Elvis died from a combination of opiate-induced heart strain and obesity. Lizards don't run the world, and I wanna punch the orgone-toting cloud-busting chemtrail nutjobs.

So yeah. That's me in a nutshell. XD

[Nostradamus]

Welcome.

I am somewhat close to your beliefs except I do not see the evidence for psi as you do. As far as the reflectors and other objects on the moon, the claim now is that these were planted later. It's one of those evolving conspiracies or so I've been told.

[NinjaPuppy]

Welcome!

[Craig Browning]

So, like me you leave the door cracked just enough to let the occasional... believable... boogieman in

Other than all the formal education you have under your belt (I went to the school of hard knocks and got a BA in BS) we seem to be on par with one another... besides, who can resist that cute puppy avatar you have

[ciscop]

hey!
if you could
post some links to parapsychology articles you find interesting
i love the topic

and i find it really interesting your career path
psychology and chemistry + you are a reader
that´s pretty cool

welcome to this forum

[NucleicAcid]

Thank you all! I'm glad to have such a warm welcome

I have posted a bunch of stuff I've found interesting and will continue to do so, because with the wonderful Internet, information sharing is super easy.