# Can ghosts be scientifically proved to exist?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ghosts-be-scientifically-proved-to-exist/266917
**Category:** Great Debates
**Created:** [September 30, 2004, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ghosts-be-scientifically-proved-to-exist/266917 "2004-09-30T20:25:58Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 19
### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [October 20, 2004, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ghosts-be-scientifically-proved-to-exist/266917/361 "2004-10-20T08:21:40Z")
Y’know, Snake, the line between funny and incoherent is about ten feet behind you.
---
### Author:  [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)
#### Post date: [October 20, 2004, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ghosts-be-scientifically-proved-to-exist/266917/362 "2004-10-20T11:43:12Z")
> [@SnakeSpirit](#):
>
> CYNIC: (n.) a faultfinding capitious critic; _esp._ : one who believes that human conduct is motivated wholly by self-interest. One who is contemptuously distrustful of human nature and motives.
>
> from the Greek, kynikos, lit., like a dog.
>
> Webster good enough for you? Or are you too cynical?
>
> (_sigh_) :rolleyes:
>
> “Next!”
Right. It does not, by any stretch of the imagination, mean “one who, in the absence of proof of something, denies the existence of said thing,” which is the way you keep using it. Find the right word. Surprise us.
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### Author:  [@SnakeSpirit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakeSpirit)
#### Post date: [October 21, 2004, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ghosts-be-scientifically-proved-to-exist/266917/363 "2004-10-21T03:10:38Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#):
>
> Y’know, Snake, the line between funny and incoherent is about ten feet behind you.
But miles ahead of you. You can’t even tell the difference.
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### Author:  [@SnakeSpirit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakeSpirit)
#### Post date: [October 21, 2004, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ghosts-be-scientifically-proved-to-exist/266917/364 "2004-10-21T03:12:49Z")
> [@Early Out](#):
>
> Right. It does not, by any stretch of the imagination, mean “one who, in the absence of proof of something, denies the existence of said thing,” which is the way you keep using it. Find the right word. Surprise us.
Why don’t you do it, **Out.** I’m not here to play your petty guessing games.
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### Author:  [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)
#### Post date: [October 21, 2004, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ghosts-be-scientifically-proved-to-exist/266917/365 "2004-10-21T04:03:45Z")
Hey, I’m just trying to help you. If you’re going to use words in ways that don’t conform to their commonly-accepted definitions, no one is going to understand what you’re trying to say, and you’re going to have trouble understanding what they’re trying to tell you. Wouldn’t you agree?
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [October 21, 2004, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ghosts-be-scientifically-proved-to-exist/266917/366 "2004-10-21T07:24:57Z")
> [@SnakeSpirit](#):
>
> But miles ahead of you.
Hey, if the line is miles ahead of me, then I’m comfortably in Funnyland and nowhere _near_ Incoherentstan. Thanks!
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### Author:  [@SnakeSpirit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakeSpirit)
#### Post date: [October 21, 2004, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ghosts-be-scientifically-proved-to-exist/266917/367 "2004-10-21T07:42:35Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#):
>
> Hey, if the line is miles ahead of me, then I’m comfortably in Funnyland and nowhere _near_ Incoherentstan. Thanks!
**Bryan Ekers:** you have already shown yourself in [this thread,](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=5392940#post5392940) and specifically by [this post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=5392940&postcount=168) that you are living happily in fantasyland.
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [October 21, 2004, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ghosts-be-scientifically-proved-to-exist/266917/368 "2004-10-21T08:15:04Z")
> [@SnakeSpirit](#):
>
> **Bryan Ekers:** you have already shown yourself in [this thread,](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=5392940#post5392940) and specifically by [this post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=5392940&postcount=168) that you are living happily in fantasyland.
Using your own post to prove something about me, a post that contains the deeep question “If these pilots are capable of flying, as they claim, why don’t they go up to the moon and bring us back some moon rocks?”
_That’s_ convincing.
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### Author:  [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)
#### Post date: [October 21, 2004, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ghosts-be-scientifically-proved-to-exist/266917/369 "2004-10-21T08:29:12Z")
> [@SnakeSpirit](#):
>
> and specifically by [this post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=5392940&postcount=168) that you are living happily in fantasyland.
😕
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [October 21, 2004, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ghosts-be-scientifically-proved-to-exist/266917/370 "2004-10-21T11:19:37Z")
On reflection, since SnakeSpirit brought it up, I’d like to quite another section from “this post”:
> [@SnakeSpirit](#):
>
> you are making yourself look very stupid and you are making me look overly patient.
and a quite from my reply:
> [@me](#):
>
> I’m prepared to put that question to a poll, actually. I’d like to see ten or more people evaluate my apparant stupidity and your apparant patience. If the poll doesn’t support your statement, will you apologize?
Apparrently, I mispelled “apparent”, twice. I hope that won’t count against me.
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [October 21, 2004, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ghosts-be-scientifically-proved-to-exist/266917/371 "2004-10-21T11:21:12Z")
And I’ve typed “quite” twice, when I meant “quote”. Sigh.
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### Author:  [@SnakeSpirit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakeSpirit)
#### Post date: [October 22, 2004, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ghosts-be-scientifically-proved-to-exist/266917/372 "2004-10-22T07:19:15Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#):
>
> And I’ve typed “quite” twice, when I meant “quote”. Sigh.
You need to take a break, Ekers.
Do us all a favor.
We’ll be spared your poor science in your posts, and you can get some evidently well-needed rest.
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [October 22, 2004, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ghosts-be-scientifically-proved-to-exist/266917/373 "2004-10-22T08:03:48Z")
> [@SnakeSpirit](#):
>
> You need to take a break, Ekers.
> Do us all a favor.
>
> We’ll be spared your poor science in your posts, and you can get some evidently well-needed rest.
Even with the embarassment of typos, I feel confident I can casually trounce you at debating, at least on this subject. In fact, I feel I already have.
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### Author:  [@SnakeSpirit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakeSpirit)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2004, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ghosts-be-scientifically-proved-to-exist/266917/374 "2004-10-23T03:57:45Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#):
>
> Even with the embarassment of typos, I feel confident I can casually trounce you at debating, at least on this subject. In fact, I feel I already have.
I haven’t seen you substantiate one point, **Eker,** an I don’t count your typos, only petty people hold typos against an argument.
So, what points have you made, and what points of mine have you disproven?
Briefly please\*, how have you trounced me at debating? I don’t see it.
- (Please spare us your fifteen paragraph puff-pieces)
We’d like some substantiatioon of your extraordinary claims.
SnakeS
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2004, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ghosts-be-scientifically-proved-to-exist/266917/375 "2004-10-23T06:51:53Z")
> [@SnakeSpirit](#):
>
> I don’t count your typos, only petty people hold typos against an argument.
Is it petty to hold typos against the man making the argument? I haven’t seen you successfully attack an argument for some time, now, using ad hominems instead.
> [@](#):
>
> We’d like some substantiatioon of your extraordinary claims.
If you’re going to speak on behalf of “we”, I’ll let the readers of this thread voice an opinion on whose claims have been the more extraordinary before I bother adding to the substantiation I’ve already provided and which you so casually and incorrectly dismiss.
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### Author:  [@SnakeSpirit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakeSpirit)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2004, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ghosts-be-scientifically-proved-to-exist/266917/376 "2004-10-23T06:55:57Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#):
>
> If you’re going to speak on behalf of “we”, I’ll let the readers of this thread voice an opinion on whose claims have been the more extraordinary before I bother adding to the substantiation I’ve already provided and which you so casually and incorrectly dismiss.
Polling is more appropriate in another forum, but if you want to start one, put invites here and in “what is paranormal” and I’ll accept.
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### Author:  [@SnakeSpirit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakeSpirit)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2004, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ghosts-be-scientifically-proved-to-exist/266917/377 "2004-10-23T07:15:47Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#):
>
> If you’re going to speak on behalf of “we”, I’ll let the readers of this thread voice an opinion on whose claims have been the more extraordinary before I bother adding to the substantiation I’ve already provided and which you so casually and incorrectly dismiss.
Bryan Ekers has proposed a poll.
It can be found [Here.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=5401785#post5401785)
You perceptions are welcome.
SnakeS
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2004, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ghosts-be-scientifically-proved-to-exist/266917/378 "2004-10-23T08:16:44Z")
Personally, I was hoping for people posting to this thread (if there are any more, it seems to have died) to throw in a sentence or two no the matter. I would have preferred to not inflict this nonsense onto the good people at IMHO. Oh, well…
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### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2004, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ghosts-be-scientifically-proved-to-exist/266917/379 "2004-10-23T08:51:26Z")
> [@SnakeSpirit](#):
>
> Bryan Ekers has proposed a poll.
>
> It can be found [Here.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=5401785#post5401785)
>
> You perceptions are welcome.
>
> SnakeS
I don’t think so. You can keep your popularity contest here in Great Debates.
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### Author:  [@SnakeSpirit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakeSpirit)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2004, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ghosts-be-scientifically-proved-to-exist/266917/380 "2004-10-23T11:12:49Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#):
>
> I don’t think so. You can keep your popularity contest here in Great Debates.
> [@](#):
>
> Originally Posted by Czarcasm
> “Who’s right-him or me? Provide cites!” Not in my forum, bucky. You can keep your fight here in Great Debates.
How surprising.
A moderator who is actively involved in a debate denies the appropriate forum for the debate, and insists it be kept in an inappropriate forum.
Polls are no longer permitted in IMHO?
> [@](#):
>
> In My Humble Opinion
> “What’s your favorite …?” For frank exchanges of views on less-than-cosmic topics. This is also the place for polling.
So, then, where do we take our polls?
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