trentmkelly/rationalwiki huggingface dataset:
Stuart Landsborough

{{sources needed}}
{{skepnav|1}}
'''Stuart Landsborough''' is a [[New Zealand]] born [[skeptic]] who started the New Zealand Psychic Challenge. Stuart Landsborough buried $50,000 worth of New Zealand promissory notes within 5km of the Puzzling World Theme Park he built and offered it to any [[psychic]] who could find it. After six months he made it easier by burying the notes within a 200 metre radius. Four people (seven, according to [[Wikipedia]]) have tried and failed to find the loot.

In 2006 the money was moved again, to within 100 metres of his premises, and he upped the ante by another $50,000 -- however, no "true psychic" would accept the challenge for money despite Landsborough saying he would donate the money to a charity of the psychic's choice.

==See also==
*[[James Randi]]

==External links==
*http://www.psychicchallenge.co.nz/what.html

{{stub|skeptics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Landsborough, Stuart}}

[[Category:Living people]]

Categories: Living people
Subatomic particle

{{Physics}}
'''Subatomic particles''' are things smaller than an [[atom]].

==Types of subatomic particles==
Some subatomic particles are components of atoms, like [[proton]]s, [[neutron]]s, [[quark]]s, tiny [[neutrino]]s and [[electron]]s; these are a subset of {{wpl|Fermion|fermions}}.  There are also [[boson]]s of assorted kinds including [[photon]]s, [[gluon]]s  and possibly [[graviton]]s.  One notable boson is the [[Higgs boson]] which was confirmed to exist in July 2012.

The {{wpl|List_of_particles | list of subatomic particles}} is, according to some theories, literally endless, and certainly is very long—particularly if you include the {{wpl|Resonance_(particle_physics)|resonance particles}}, whose existence can only be inferred by spikes in an energy-capture graph.

Some, perhaps most, subatomic particles have [[anti-matter]] equivalents, but photons, according to current theories, are the same in matter and antimatter.

==Quantum effects==
Reality at the [[Quantum mechanics|subatomic level]] is different from the way reality appears on the macroscopic scale that we normally observe.  We [[evolution|evolved]] to understand reality on our natural scale; reality on the subatomic particle scale is perplexing and counter-intuitive to us.

Subatomic particles have [[Quantum mechanics#Particle-wave duality|both particle-like and wavelike properties]]. It is also intrinsically impossible to tell, simultaneously, a particle's [[Heisenberg's uncertainty principle|exact position and motion]].

==See also==
*[[Physics]]

==External links==
*[http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/subatomic-particles-so-thats-whats-in-an-atom.html Subatomic Particles: So That's What's in an Atom]

[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Fundamental particles]]

Categories: Physics, Fundamental particles
Subincision

{{sex}}
Penile '''subincision''' is a procedure performed on males in which the underside of the penis is split open so that the urethra is exposed. This procedure is far more invasive than an ordinary [[circumcision]], and is more comparable to some forms of [[female genital mutilation]], although it is less common. It is performed primarily as a coming-of-age ritual among some cultures, such as Indigenous Australians. As with FGM, this procedure is sometimes self-performed, and carries a great many health risks, including infections, increased risk of contracting and transmitting [[STDs]], and difficulty urinating.

In some cultures that practice it, subincision is seen as a partial feminization of the male genitalia. Among several Australian tribes, the penetration ''of'' a subincized penis by another penis (usually that of a young boy) is a traditional practice. Some authors have speculated this to be the original purpose of subincision.<ref name="abuse">{{cite web|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/a-long-tradition-of-abuse/story-e6frg7ko-1111114103617|title=A long tradition of abuse}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Stub|sexuality}}

[[Category:Sexuality]]

Categories: Sexuality
Substituting explanation for premise

{{sources needed}}
{{logicnav}}
{{hatnote|Not to be confused with [[Fallacy fallacy]], where (possibly) factually incorrect yet logically fallacious explanation is used to discredit the argument it supports.}}
'''Substituting explanation for premise''' is a [[logical fallacy]] that occurs when a flawed explanation for a phenomenon is taken as evidence that the phenomenon did/does not occur at all.

The fallacy is a [[formal fallacy]].

==Alternate names==
*Theoretic fallacy

==Form==
{{syl
|2=Explanation '''X''' explains the occurrence of event '''Y'''.
|4=Explanation '''X''' is wrong.
|5=C|6=Event '''Y''' did/does not occur.
}}

The fallacy ultimately follows the fallacious form:
{{syl
|1=P|2=Not '''X'''.
|3=C|4=Not '''Y'''.
}}

==Explanation==
When this fallacy is committed, someone may attempt to refute claims that the phenomenon occurs by refuting the [[theory]] invoked to explain it. It is fallacious because the reason for believing the phenomenon in question to occur is independent of the theory used to explain it.

This fallacy probably results from a failure to distinguish the reasons for a phenomenon from the reasons to believe a phenomenon occurs. For example, the theory of [[evolution]] by means of [[mutation]] and [[natural selection]] can be used to explain the presence of [[transitional fossils]] and the high levels of consistency of [[phylogeny|phylogenetic]] trees created with different methods. If one determined that the theory did not suffice to explain these phenomena, it would not follow that the phenomena are not real.

==Examples==
The point(s) where the fallacy is committed is/are italicized.

#Alice proposes that iguanas are green because their skin contains [[chlorophyll]]. Bob points out that [[animalia|animals]] do not produce chlorophyll. He claims that ''therefore, iguanas must not really be green''.
#Bob suggests that meteors burn up upon entering [[Earth]]'s atmosphere because they are heated up by the friction from passing air [[molecule]]s. Alice points out that this effect is not significant enough to generate the heat necessary to burn the meteors, and claims that ''therefore meteors really do not burn up upon entering the atmosphere''.  (Alice is correct in that most of the heat of reentry is caused by ''bow shock'' and not by friction, but leaps to the conclusion that sufficient heat isn't generated at all.)

==Demarcation==
You do not commit this fallacy if you:
*Make the inverse of this claim.  A theory ''can'' be refuted if a predicted phenomenon does not occur.
*Assert that a claim is false because it is poorly supported. This is the [[fallacy fallacy]].

==See also==
*[[Fallacy fallacy]]

{{logfal}}

[[Category:Formal fallacies]]

Categories: Formal fallacies
Subtle energy

{{newage}}
'''Subtle energy''' (or '''woo energy''') is any supposed form of [[energy]] that is powerful enough to create [[healing]] effects but too tiny to be detected by [[scientific]] instruments sensitive enough to detect a single quantum leap in a very, very cold piece of metal; or the quantum 'jolt' caused by fluctuations on mirrors with a mass of forty kilograms.<ref>https://astronomynow.com/2020/07/06/quantum-jolts-measure-at-macro-scales-in-gravity-wave-detector/</ref> These energies sometimes [[vibration|vibrate]]; apparently direct current is insufficiently subtle. Some notable alternative therapies based on subtle energy include [[Reiki]] and [[therapeutic touch]].

==Evidence for its existence==
[[File:Tumbleweed.gif]]

==See also==
*[[Homeopathy]]
*[[New Age]]
*[[Qi]]
*[[Quantum woo]]
*[[Woo]]

==External links==
*Eh, [http://www.kongregate.com/games/bgamessite/subtle-energy play] the [http://www.kongregate.com/games/glagolev/subtle-energy-2 games.]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{stub|woo}}
[[Category:Energy woo]]
[[Category:Chinese medicine]]
[[Category:Energy therapy]]
[[Category:Indian medicine]]

Categories: Energy woo, Chinese medicine, Energy therapy, Indian medicine
Sufism

{{Islam}}'''Sufism''', also known as ''Tasawwuf'' (Arabic: تصوف‎‎), is an [[Islamic]] [[mysticism|mystical]] tradition, whose adherents aim to achieve obliteration of the self and complete oneness with [[Allah]]. Sufis believe that nothing exists outside of Allah (similar to the [[Kabbalah|Kabbalistic]] view on the nature of God), and that the [[Qur'an]] has always existed on some metaphysical realm outside of our own, and therefore merely being revealed by Allah, rather than authored by him. This belief caused much persecution of Sufis during some periods of history. Sufis, like most Muslims, view [[Muhammad]] as the prime example of spiritual piety, the ''al-Insān al-Kāmil'', and that he was not only the greatest prophet, but also the greatest man to have lived. <ref> Carl W. Ernst, The Cambridge Companion to Muhammad, Muḥammad as the Pole of Existence, Cambridge University Press, p. 130 </ref> Sufis are particularly fond of ''dhikr'', the practice of reciting the various "names of Allah," of which there are 99.

Practitioners are called Sufis, dervishes, or ''murīdīn''. They group themselves into orders based around a '' murshid'', or a guide. These orders are called ''Tariqa''. The etymological origin of Sufism is not clear, but scholars generally agree that ṣūf or "wool" is probably the root word of "Sufi." Sufism has many parallel beliefs alongside different religions, including [[Buddhism]], [[Christianity]], [[Hinduism]], [[Judaism]], as well as Greek concepts.

==See also==
*[[Quranism]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{stub|Islam|Islam}}

[[Category:Islam]]

Categories: Islam
Sumer

[[File:Gudea_of_Lagash_Girsu.jpg|thumb|right|thumb|165px|Gudea of Lagash]]{{historynav}}
'''Sumer''' was an ancient civilization in [[Mesopotamia]] that is accepted by historians as one of the oldest known civilization in [[Middle East|West Asia]] and the first civilization on Earth.  Depending on the definition of "civilization", Sumer can be argued to be the oldest known civilization in the world.<ref group=note>Several other archeological areas, including Gobekli Tepe were settled earlier, but are smaller settlements.</ref>

Cuneiform, so far the oldest example of a complex writing system known<ref  group=note>There are earlier proto-writing systems, consisting of symbolic images that carry specific meaning, that have been found throughout the world, but they are merely symbolic, and not actual codifications of the language</ref> was invented by the Sumerians some time before 2,700 [[BCE]], the dating of the first known written record of the Sumerians.  As a result, the Sumerians hold the record for "world's oldest fart joke".<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7536918.stm Flatulence Joke is World's Oldest], [[BBC]]</ref>

The ''[[Epic of Gilgamesh]]''<ref group=note>The oldest written account of Gilgamesh dates to 1,800 BCE</ref> contains, among other things, the plot outline for what might have been the very first buddy road flick, as well as the most significant attestation of the ancient Sumerian [[Creation myths|creation myth]]. Sumer can be credited with the origins of the ancient Middle Eastern temple-state, and the overall culture proved to be highly influential on the development of ancient civilizations.  Over a 500-1000 year period, the Sumerian culture, including the language and religion, was subsumed into the Akkadian empire.

The direct modern descendants of the Sumerians are the Marsh Arabs, however the Sumerian genetic profile is present to some slight degree in the vast majority of West Asian ethnic groups today from Assyrians to Arabs to Iranians due to intermixing from ancient indigenous people to later migrants. Noted [[astronomy]] [[crank]] [[Zecharia Sitchin]] had a peculiar fascination with the Sumerians, doing for them what [[Immanuel Velikovsky]] did for [[Greece|Greek]] [[mythology]].

Sumer dates from ~4,700 [[BCE]]-1700BCE. Thus they predate [[Creation Week]].<ref>[http://www.theonion.com/articles/sumerians-look-on-in-confusion-as-god-creates-worl,2879/ The Onion]</ref>
==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}
==References==	
{{reflist}}
{{stub|history}}
[[Category:Middle East]]
[[Category:Ancient history]]

Categories: Middle East, Ancient history
Sunday Assembly

The '''Sunday Assembly''' is a [[secular]] congregation that meets on the first Sunday of every month to hear philosophical talks, sing songs and generally celebrate the wonder of life. It's a service for anyone who wants to live better, help often and wonder more. It was started by Sanderson Jones and Pippa Evans. Assembly convenor Kathryn Murray states: "Especially within atheism, I think there's a bit of a stigma that's gotten attached to it that you have to be angry and outraged and anti-religion to be an atheist and it's just not true. There are heaps of people who don't believe and just want to be good people and part of a community".<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-09/church-for-atheists-comes-to-australia/5080996 Sunday Assembly atheist church comes to Australia]</ref>

==Sunday Assembly Everywhere==
Starting in May 2013, people will be able to start their own assemblies, under the banner Sunday Assembly Everywhere.<ref>[http://rationalist.org.uk/articles/4068/start-your-own-sunday-assembly Start Your Own Sunday Assembly]</ref> The rules for doing so are in the Public Charter and Accreditation Model<ref>http://sundayassembly.com/sunday-assembly-everywhere/sunday-assembly-everywher-guidelines/</ref>. The Assembly launched in the United States and Australia in September 2013<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2013/11/10/us/ap-us-atheist-megachurch.html?_r=0</ref>.

==See also==
*[[Unitarian Universalism]]

==External links==
*[http://sundayassembly.com/ Sunday Assembly]
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21319945 What happens at an atheist church?]
*[http://rationalist.org.uk/articles/4068/start-your-own-sunday-assembly Start Your Own Sunday Assembly]
==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Atheist groups]]

Categories: Atheist groups
Sunshine Policy

{{politics}}
The '''Sunshine Policy''' (햇볕정책) is a type of [[South Korea]]n policy toward [[North Korea]]: the official name is '''Engagement Policy''' (대북화해협력정책). The main aim is to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula by pursuing cooperation between South and North Korea on the basis of [[nationalism]] and [[pacifism]]. Mainstream [[liberals]] in South Korea support this policy.

Supporters of the Sunshine Policy are [[skeptical]] of excessive sanctions and 'maximum pressure' on North Korea, and believe that dialogue, compromise, trust and economic aid can help resolve the North Korean nuclear issue.

This policy is mainly related to liberal nationalism and left-wing nationalism in South Korea. But [[conservative]]s in South Korea hate this policy very much.

In 2000, Kim Dae-jung was awarded the [[Nobel Prize|Nobel Peace Prize]] for his successful implementation of the Sunshine Policy.

The Sunshine Policy lasted from 1998 to 2007 when the liberal South Korean government was in office. However, this policy was suspended since 2008 when the conservative government took office. But with the inauguration of the liberal government in 2017, the Sunshine Policy is being pursued again.

The policy originates from the {{wpl|Ostpolitik}} of Willy Brandt, a former West German chancellor.

Non-mainstream [[U.S.]] politicians such as [[Donald Trump]] and [[Bernie Sanders]] support the policy in part, but not completely. Because even though they agree to talk and compromise during the Sunshine Policy, they don't agree to economic aid to North Korea. This is because they think that there should be talks with North Korea, but at the same time, there should be maximum pressure. (However, some of America's [[alt-right]] actively support this policy. Because it's a policy based on nationalism. Of course, it would not be possible for American alt-rights to like the mainstream liberals in South Korea. Support for [[feminism]] is because mainstream liberals in South Korea!)

South Korea's conservative camp is more extreme on many issues than the U.S. [[Republican Party]]. Of course, there is no lack of non-mainstream liberals in the South who oppose the policy. But the problem is that they are the [[Bareunmirae Party]], which has contacts with Western [[alt-lite]]. As such, South Korean politics is deformed, so many young people are disgusted with politics.
==See also==
* [[Moon Jae-in]]
* [[Minjoo Party of Korea]]
{{stub|politics}}
[[Category:South Korean politics]]

Categories: South Korean politics
Super

{{fork}}
* A prefix of [[Latin]] origin meaning "above" and from which most of these terms were derived. The rough [[Fun:Greek|Greek]] equivalent is "hyper".
* ''[[Noah's Ark#Super 3D Noah's Ark (1994)|Super 3D Noah's Ark]]'', an unlicensed [[video game]] about Noah's Ark
* ''[[Superbook]]'', an anime about the [[Bible]]
* [[Superbug]], a bacterium that has [[evolution|evolved]] a resistance to antibiotics
* [[Superconspiracy]], a conspiracy theory that claims one actor is responsible for multiple different conspiracies
* [[Supercontinent]], a large landmass containing most of Earth's continental tectonic plates. Technically, [[Europe]], [[Africa]], [[Asia]], and both [[America]]s are part of a single supercontinent (as the continental shelves of [[Russia]] and [[Alaska]] are connected and were even traversable during the [[Ice Age]]'s glacial maxima), but the term is typically used to refer to continents that existed in the distant geological past like Pangaea.
* [[Superdelegate]], a delegate during the [[Democratic Party]]'s primary process that isn't limited to voting based on the results of the popular vote
* [[Planet#Super-Earths|Super-Earth]], an exoplanet with a mass between that of [[Earth]]'s and [[Uranus]]'
* [[Superfood]], a food that has its health effects exaggerated for profit
* [[Supernatural]], things that supposedly exist beyond the natural and scientifically observable world
** [[Supernatural debt relief]], the idea that monetary problems can be solved simply through [[prayer]]
** [[Supernatural selection]], an [[old Earth creationism]] alternative to [[natural selection]] where what species appear and die are decided by [[god]]
* [[Super PAC]], a political action committee that is unlimited in the amount of funds it can receive or spend as long as they don't contribute directly to a campaign (although attack ads are fine)
* Superpower, the most geopolitically powerful and influential nation(s) in the world; during the [[Cold War]], these were the [[United States]] and the [[Soviet Union]], whereas today it's the United States and some would argue [[China]]
* ''[[Super Size Me]]'', a documentary critical of [[fast food]] and [[McDonald's]] in particular
* [[Superstition]], the idea that supernatural forces can have an impact on your daily life
* [[Superstraight]], a "sexuality" that is really just an excuse to bash [[transgender]] people, with other derived terms like "Supergay" being used similarly
* [[Superstring theory]], a more modern version of string theory that accounts for all known fundamental particles
* [[Super-uncles theory]], a theory that [[homosexuality]] evolved in [[human]]s to provide more caretakers of children
* [[Superweapon]], another term for WMD
Supernatural debt relief

{{scam}}
'''Supernatural debt relief''' is the proposition that debt and similar money troubles may be solved through [[prayer]] or some other appeal to [[supernatural]] forces.<ref>[[Creflo Dollar]], "[http://www.creflodollarministries.org/BibleStudy/StudyNotes.aspx?id=527 The Law of Supernatural Debt Release vs. The Law of Intelligent Debt Management (Part 3)]." Creflo Dollar Ministries.</ref> Recently, it has become a favourite of unscrupulous [[televangelist]]s and similar scammers seeking to take advantage of people in difficult economic times.<ref>Judith R. Thompson Devlin. "[http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/03/17/1075226/--Call-now-with-your-900-offering-and-receive-God-s-debt-cancellation 'Call now with your $900 offering and receive God's debt cancellation!']." ''DailyKos''. 2012 March 17.</ref> It is also called '''supernatural debt cancellation'''.

==The con==

In recent times, consumer credit has become a lot easier to get hold of, from easier mortgages ([[banking crisis|what can go wrong?]]) to credit cards, payday loans, and so on. Many people find themselves with high debts that can soon snowball thanks to compound interest, or maybe they lose their job and can't keep up with payments. And, especially in times of recession, this adds up to a lot of desperate people looking for a solution. [[Sociopath|Some people]] do have an answer, however! Just send them your last few dollars and they will put in a good word with [[God]], and before you know it, you'll have been credited with the funds, or win the lottery, or whatever.

Clearly, this is the same old [[faith healing]] scam with a personal finance twist. Some of the same practitioners, including old favourite [[Peter Popoff]],<ref>Ric Romero. "[http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/consumer&id=7984766 Preacher sells debt removal through prayer]." ''KABC-TV News''. 2011 February 28.</ref> are doing the rounds with late-night infomercials promising deliverance from suffering. And [[Credulity|trusting]], innocent people who have already found managing their finances difficult send whatever they have left in the hope that such a seed gift will change the Almighty's mind.

==See also==

*[[Debt slavery]]
*[[Name it and claim it]]
*[[Redemption movement]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==

*[http://caps.fool.com/Blogs/supernatural-debt-relief-god/456914 Some examples of the practice] 

[[Category:Christianity]]
[[Category:Scams]]

Categories: Christianity, Scams
Supernatural selection

{{crenav}}
'''Supernatural selection''' is a [[creationist]] process which was proposed as an alternative to [[natural selection]] by the [[old earth creationist]] Arthur Custance.

==Overview==
Custance described the process of supernatural selection as a form of selection which has the purposefulness of [[artificial selection]] but also introduces [[supernatural]] forces. He discussed the hypothesis of supernatural selection in his book ''Evolution or Creation'' (1981).<ref>Arthur C. Custance ''Evolution or Creation?'' Zondervan, 1981 ISBN 0310229812</ref> According to Custance:

{{cquote|The term "Supernatural Selection" be taken to mean that [[God]] intervened within Nature, sometimes by acting directly upon the environment to change the conditions of life, sometimes providentially to change the directions of life (as when overruling the chance division of genes in the dividing cell), and sometimes creatively to introduce entirely new forms of life when the total ecology had been suitably prepared to accommodate them. And I believe that this makes better sense of the evidence and is more in harmony with the Christian world view than either blind evolution or fiat creation.<ref>[http://custance.org/old/evol/ch1e.html The Concept of Supernatural Selection]</ref>}}

==Not theistic evolution==
Custance made it clear that supernatural selection should not be confused with the view of [[theistic evolution]]; it is not an evolutionary process. According to Custance, God acted "creatively, in the most distinct and positive manner conceivable, throughout the whole of geological history, introducing new species as they became appropriate, and removing others when they ceased to be."<ref>[http://custance.org/old/evol/index.html#anchor172150 Preface to Evolution or Creation?]</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}
{{stub|Creationism}}
{{crebox}}