Comment 6 by Schrodinger's Cat :

Graxan: I'd like to be able to quantify this phenomenon with a record of how many individual facts it takes to make someone see that another person's anecdote is not reliable.

Well...being of scientific mind, I threw every question I could at this. Was it just a peculiar angle the spoon was seen from ? Was she distracted ? Etc etc. The trouble is that my questioning led to almost a sort of ' so you're calling me a liar ?' response.

The problem with anecdotal evidence is not just that one was not there.....but that one cannot be certain that one would not oneself have been deceived even if one had been there.

This is a great thread. Suppose all knowledge had monetary value. How many here would then be writing essays to cash in, were they given access to the means to do so, rather than sharing thoughts for free?

Essentially, often this is what occurs - others see personal advantage can be got from information gathered and apply cost to it, for personal gain. Thus is born a market for unpolluted truth and one for deceptions. It may follow that one then becomes a vehicle for truths or one to preserve deceptions (When will Geller reveal his methods?Erm, his ££££ say never.). Humans seek advantage through any avenue open to do so, built upon thousands of years of skillful knowledge - If your lucky enough to be fed from young a truth or a lie for personal advantage therein you are empowered amongst all your competition. It usually won't take you long to conclude "Voila!", and keep shtum, verses the alternative of a life in the crowd!