trentmkelly/rationalwiki huggingface dataset:
Variable ratio

{{Psychology}}
'''Variable ratio''' is a [[psychology|psychological]] concept used in operant  behavioral conditioning that describes how often a "reward" is delivered in relation to a discriminative stimulus.<ref>[https://psychology.uiowa.edu/comparative-cognition-laboratory/glossary/schedules-reinforcement Schedules of Reinforcement]</ref> It is by far the most powerful reward schedule discovered,<ref>[https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1901/jeab.1970.13-369 A Comparison of Variable‐Ratio and Variable‐Interval Schedules of Reinforcement]</ref> and the one that creates the greatest response to the stimulus, the quickest rate of learning the connection between the reward and the stimulus, and is the most resistant to extinction when the reward is no longer paired with the stimulus.  It also has the interesting side effect of creating the most "ghost" stimulus - known in humans as "superstitions" or "magical thinking".

The classic example of a variable ratio reward schedule is the slot machine.<ref>[http://jgi.camh.net/index.php/jgi/article/view/3780/3763 
Random-ratio schedules of reinforcement: The role of early wins and unreinforced trials]</ref><ref group=note>Modern machines may instead use the similar, but distinct, random ratio. Slot machines nonetheless remain an important example.</ref> In this case rather an action (or response) is conditioned. The action is putting your money in the machine and pulling the lever, while the reward is "winning" more money than you put in. The reward is delivered based on the number of times the action is performed, but the number of times needed to get a reward is ''variable'' not fixed.

The overwhelming power of this reward schedule is thought to have developed in response to it ecological validity. The mechanisms that underlie conditioned responses developed in order to facilitate survival by linking salient cues with appropriate actions. Conditioned responses are often sub-conscious and very quick. For appropriately conditioned responses this facilitates survival, but for badly conditioned responses it can be detrimental. Therefore, you want conditioned responses to build up most readily to true predictors of consequence. In nature, cues that predict future events are most often going to follow a variable ratio. 

Beyond being capitalized on by casinos the power of the variable ratio has a role to play in [[magical thinking]]. While logically it is easy to see that [[correlation does not equal causation|correlation does not imply causation]], our underlying psychology is constantly forming just such inferences about the world around us. [[Superstition]]s often develop my thinking that certain events predict certain outcomes, when in fact the relationship is random or only loosely related. However, "random" co-variation, or variation due to third variables mimic "variable ratio" reward scheduling. This means that the conditioned response to superstitions and magical thinking becomes highly ingrained very quickly, and is highly resistant to change.

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Psychology]]

Categories: Psychology
Vashti McCollum

{{Sources needed}}{{Law}}
'''Vashti Cromwell McCollum''' {{lived|1912|2006}} was the first [[United States|American]] to successfully sue to confirm that there is a [[separation of church and state]] as expressed in the [[Establishment Clause]] of the [[First Amendment]]. The case (''People of State of Illinois ex rel. Vashti McCollum v. Board of Education of School District № 71, Champaign County, Illinois, et al.'' 333 U.S. 203 (1948), aka ''{{wpl|McCollum v. Board of Education|McCollum v. Board of Education}}'') sought to overturn a policy at the public school that McCollum's son attended which mandated [[Protestant]] [[Bible]] study in the classroom during school hours. ([[Catholic]]s and [[Jew]]s were allowed to attend their own Bible study classes during that time.)

As a non-believer, McCollum refused to allow her son to attend these classes.  The school responded by sending her son to the principal's office during said Bible study periods, or required him to sit at a desk in the hallway that was intended for students with disciplinary problems.

Although she lost her case at the local circuit court and at the [[Illinois]] Supreme Court, the [[United States Supreme Court]] issued an 8-1 ruling in her favor.

McCollum later served as a president of the American [[Humanist]] Association (1962-1965).

==See also==
* ''[[Rationalism vs. Religious Instruction in the Public Schools]]''

==External links==
* [http://www.pbs.org/programs/lord-is-not-on-trial-here-today/ "The Lord Is Not On Trial Here Today"]:  Webpage for [[PBS]] documentary about the McCollum case
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/26/obituaries/26mccullum.html ''New York Times'' obituary for Vashti McCollum]


{{stub|Law}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:McCollum, Vashti}}
[[Category:Atheists]]
[[Category:History]]
[[Category:United States Supreme Court cases]]

Categories: Atheists, History, United States Supreme Court cases
Vatican Observatory

[[File:Vorg.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Offices of the Vatican Observatory in Arizona]]
{{ufology}}
The '''Vatican Observatory''' is an [[astronomy|astronomical]] research group with telescopes at Castel Gandolfo in [[Italy]] and Mount Graham in [[Arizona]], [[United States]].<ref group=note>Lovingly referred to as the "[[Pope]] Scope".</ref> It is one of the few arms of the [[Vatican City]] (and, by extension, the [[Roman Catholic Church]]) that is actually dedicated to [[science|scientific research]].

==José Gabriel Funes==
'''José Gabriel Funes''' {{lived|1963}} is an [[Argentina|Argentinian]] [[Jesuit]] [[priest]] and was the Director of the Vatican Observatory from August 19, 2006, until September 18, 2015, when he was succeeded by [[Pope Francis]]'s appointment of Brother Guy Consolmagno, S.J. {{lived|1952}}.

===On extraterrestrials===
In 2008, Funes asserted that the possibility of the existence of [[extraterrestrial]]s did not contradict the teachings of [[God]], particularly since the Vatican had already reversed its decisions on denying the research of [[Copernicus]] and [[Galileo]] as [[blasphemy|blasphemous]]. According to Funes, to deny the existence of aliens would be to place limits on the creative powers and abilities of [[God]].<ref>http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/14959</ref>

Furthermore, because such extraterrestrials are (most likely<ref group=note>To deny the possibility of a ''Stargate''-style universe would be to place another limit on God, yes?</ref>) not [[human]], and therefore not descended from [[Adam]] and [[Eve]], said extraterrestrials could be free of [[original sin]]… which is kind of a kick in the ass to all of us humans, doncha think?

==George Coyne==
:''Not to be confused with [[Jerry Coyne]]''

'''George Coyne''' {{lived|1933|2020}} 212 Funes' predecessor, also a Jesuit priest. During his purview, he published multiple papers on astronomical observances, radiometry, and space dust.

While a priest, it is clear from his research that he was a [[scientist]] first. In addition to criticizing the Vatican for their meager apology for the [[excommunication]] of Galileo in the 1600s, he has been a vocal opponent against [[intelligent design]], especially as being taught in schools.

{{cquote|"Intelligent design isn't science even though it pretends to be. If you want to teach it in schools, intelligent design should be taught when [[religion]] or cultural history is taught, not science."|||<ref>http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2005-11-18-vaticanastronomer_x.htm</ref>}}

Coyne also appeared in the [[Bill Maher]] film ''[[Religulous]]'', speaking out against the viewpoint that the [[Scientific Facts in the Bible|Bible contains scientific facts]] and going so far to say that the scriptures contain no science whatsoever.

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Catholicism]]
[[Category:Ufology]]

Categories: Astronomy, Catholicism, Ufology
Vibrational medicine

{{significantly problematic}}{{altmed}}
'''Vibrational medicine''', also known as '''vibrational remedies''' or '''energy remedies''', is a particularly asinine part of the lunatic fringe of [[homeopathy]], apparently the bastard child of homeopathy and [[radionics]]. According to proponents, the "energetic imprint" of the mother tincture is transferred by some kind of magic to the remedy. Naturally this is not [[energy]] as the real world understands it, but [[subtle energy|woo energy]], the type which has no objective existence.

Typically, the [[HCG diet]] scammers are promoting this as being "compliant with FDA regulations"<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120416232518/http://alohavibrations.com/ Aloha Vibrations] (warning: woo-mungous)</ref> — this is a response to the fact that homeopathic HCG is illegal (because it's not in the Materia Medica, not because it's fraudulent — that's America for you). Yes, it's legal, but only because it's ''even more fraudulent'' than homeopathic HCG.

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{stub|homeopathy}}
[[Category:Homeopathy]]

Categories: Homeopathy
Vietnam syndrome

{{Uspolitics}}
{{Sources needed}}
The '''Vietnam syndrome''' infected American political leaders from the mid-1970s until the late 1990s.

After the end of the [[Vietnam War]], American presidents were loathe to send U.S. troops into combat situations for fear that, as had happened in Vietnam, a [[War on Terror|prolonged engagement]] (or a "quagmire," to use the common parlance) would lead to a loss of support for the administration.

==Case studies==
Two examples of the syndrome in action are the sudden withdrawal of U.S. Marines from a peacekeeping mission in [[Lebanon]] following the [[suicide bombing]] of their barracks in 1983, and the removal of American forces from [[Somalia]] after the infamous "Black Hawk Down" incident a decade later. 

With the nation emboldened by its successes in the first Gulf War, the Kosovo War might be seen as the first sign that America had recovered from Vietnam syndrome; the broad support that the political establishment gave to the invasions of [[Afghanistan War|Afghanistan]] and [[Iraq War|Iraq]] and the lack of dedicated, enduring mass protests against those wars suggest the syndrome is a thing of the past.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{stub|Politics}}

[[Category:United States politics]]
[[Category:War]]

Categories: United States politics, War
Vigilant Citizen

{{hatnote|Not to be confused with [[The Vigilant Christian]]}}
{{conspiracynav|1}}

'''Vigilant Citizen''' is a [[webshite]] that is dedicated to discovering the hidden "symbolism"(?) in the popular media, usually involving the [[Illuminati]].
The outlet is heavily socially [[conservative]] and is always talking about how [[socialism]] is [[conspiracy theory|taking over the world]].<ref>[https://vigilantcitizen.com/vigilantreport/economist-2015-cover-filled-cryptic-symbols-dire-predictions/ The Economist 2015 Cover is Filled With Cryptic Symbols and Dire Predictions] A magazine cover proves the end times are near</ref> So really, it's [[Infowars]] but for popular media.

==Religious crankery==

Articles on Vigilant Citizen wouldn't be out of place on [[CBN]].<ref>[https://vigilantcitizen.com/latestnews/beyonce-accused-of-extreme-witchcraft-by-ex-drummer/ Beyoncé Accused of “Extreme Witchcraft” by Ex-Drummer]</ref><ref>[https://vigilantcitizen.com/latestnews/chilling-adventures-of-sabrina-will-be-extremely-satanic/ “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” Will Be Extremely Satanic]</ref> Vigilant Citizen makes [[Pat Robertson]] jealous with the amount of [[moral panic]] and pearl clutching.

==The problem with "symbolism"==

Most of the "symbolism" isn't even remotely related to [[Freemasonry]] at all (conspiracy theorists consider Freemasons and the [[Illuminati]] to be the same). For example, the pentagram, while mistakenly related to [[satanism]], is actually a [[pagan]] symbol, and has even occasionally been used by [[Christians]]. The magical thing about symbolism is it's very subjective, so while everyone else sees a stupid music video, Vigilant Citizen sees the impending Satanic apocalypse.<ref>[https://vigilantcitizen.com/musicbusiness/the-blatant-occult-symbolism-of-up-by-young-thug-and-lil-uzi-vert/ The Blatant Occult Symbolism of “Up” by Young Thug and Lil Uzi Vert]</ref>

=="Sources" for the crankery==

Most of the articles on Vigilant Citizen refer to "[[Project Monarch]]" and "Sex-kitten programming," which are terms that were used by promoters of the [[Satanic Ritual Abuse]] conspiracy theory. Brice Taylor,<ref>[http://americanloons.blogspot.com/2014/11/1196-brice-taylor.html?m=1 #1196: Brice Taylor]</ref> [[Cathy O'Brien]] and {{wpl|Fritz Springmeier}} popularized these terms amongst conspiracy theorists.

==See also==
*[[Pareidolia]]
*[[MKULTRA]]
*[[Whale.to]]
*[[Jesus Is Savior]]

==External links==
*[http://vigilantcitizen.com/category/vigilantreport/ The Vigilant Report]
*[http://vigilantcitizen.com/moviesandtv/gravity-falls-a-new-disney-tv-show-loaded-with-illuminati-symbolism/ Not only do they miss the point satire in shows like Gravity Falls, but the comments section ends up looking into this further than the developers intended the satire to go]
{{stub|internet}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

[[Category:Internet kooks]]
[[Category:Webshites]]

Categories: Internet kooks, Webshites
Vigrid

[[File:Vigrid livsrune.jpg|thumb|165px|Vigrid emblem]]
{{cults}}
'''Vigrid''' (named after the field on which the battles of [[Ragnarok]] will be fought, and not to be confused with the main setting of ''Bayonetta'') is a [[Neo-Nazism|neo-Nazi]] [[Odin]]ic [[cult]] based in [[Norway]]. It was founded by 
Führer
 
Father
 Pastor 
Balder
 Tore Tvedt and is currently led by Thorgrim O. Bredesen.

Unlike Norse neo-pagan religions such as [[Asatru]], Vigrid's theology is [[Monotheism|monotheistic]], revolving around a belief in an omnipotent, [[Yahweh]]-esque "Odin" as the true god, and ignoring the rest of the Norse pantheon. Odin's arch-enemies, according to the Tvedtites, are [[Jews]] and all non-whites, which his army of Nordic blue-eyed blondes must destroy. Unfortunately, the [[International_Jewish_conspiracy|Vast Jewish Conspiracy]] seems to be too powerful to be destroyed by their supposedly omnipotent god, considering that it continues to control everything in the universe and Vigrid has been unable to stop it. Or maybe, Vigrid is [[bullshit]]. You decide.

Basically, it's a European pagan version of [[Christian Identity]] or the [[Ku Klux Klan]].

Vigrid started a political party that ran in the 2009 elections in Buskerud. They got a poor result overall — precisely 179 votes, 1 more than the Abortion Opponents' List and 6<sup>th</sup> worst overall, coming out at 0.007% of the total votes<ref>{{wpl|Norwegian parliamentary election, 2009}}</ref> — but won 9% in a school election, because some kids thought voting for Nazis would be cool. This exceedingly bad turnout is made worse by the fact that you need 500 signatures of support to run in an election in Norway.

Ironically, the best-known Norwegian Nazi heathen, [[Varg Vikernes]], is not known to be a member of this organization.

==See also==
*[[9/11 conspiracy theories]], a favorite of Vigrid
*[[Asatru]], a ''considerably'' less insane version
*[[Christian Identity]]
*[[Holocaust denial]]
*[[White supremacy]]
*[[Varg Vikernes]] - not related to them in any way, but pretty similar in views, and also Norwegian

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170912134817/http://vigridtvedt.net/ Vigrid website via Internet Archive]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Racism]]
[[Category:Hate groups]]
[[Category:Neo-Nazism]]
[[Category:Cults]]
[[Category:Nordic white nationalism]]

Categories: Racism, Hate groups, Neo-Nazism, Cults, Nordic white nationalism
Virtual particles

{{Physics}}
'''Virtual particles''' are a simplified explanation of spacetime's quantum field activity, most commonly used in a well-known but wrong explanation of [[Hawking radiation]].

In a layperson's conception of reality, particles are specks of matter flying through empty space. On the other hand, [[Quantum mechanics|quantum field theory]] treats space as a field with an energy level at each point. Due to the [[Heisenberg's uncertainty principle|uncertainty principle]], no point can ever be definitively said to have zero energy, but most hover around that level; particles are simply points where the energy is significantly above zero propagating through the quantum field. To make this model's background quantum field activity easier to comprehend, many people subscribe to a lies-to-children explanation that particle-antiparticle pairs constantly appear in space by borrowing a little energy from spacetime before immediately annihilating each other and returning that energy. This model, though widespread, is inaccurate; a more accurate analogy would be to imagine spacetime as an "ocean" where small "ripples" of near-zero energy constantly propagate through its quantum fields.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrUvLlrvgxQ How does Hawking Radiation REALLY work?]</ref>

==See also==
*[[Subatomic particle]]
*[[Zero-point energy]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Physics]]

Categories: Physics
Vision

{{fork}}
*[[Eye]], the organ responsible for literal vision
*[[Natural vision correction]]
*[[Prophecy]], receiving and interpreting messages from [[God]]
*[[Divination]], which is basically prophecy without the need for [[God]] to be involved
*[[Revelation]]
*[[Precognition]]
*[[Dream interpretation]], one common medium for prophecy and divination
*[[Hallucination]], the usual reality of prophecy and divination
*[[Apophenia]], the other usual reality of prophecy and divination

==External links==
*{{wpl|Vision}}
*{{wpl|Visual perception}}
*{{wpl|Visual system}}
*{{wpl|Vision (spirituality)}}
VisualPolitik

{{youtubenav}}'''VisualPolitik''' is a [[Politics|political]] [[YouTube]] channel that provides detailed commentary on world politics and current affairs, often from an aggressively [[neoliberal]] perspective. Originally founded by Enrique Couto, Enrique Fonseca and Alberto Rodriguez in 2017 as a Spanish-language channel,<ref>[https://www.elnortedecastilla.es/valladolid/201702/01/visual-politik-proyecto-auspiciado-20170130101654.html Visual Politik, un proyecto auspiciado por un vallisoletano, logra 146.000 seguidores en un año]</ref> it has since created English- and German-language subsidiaries, with the English-language version presented by Simon Whistler as only one of his approximately 2 million infotainment channels. These channels provide little of their own content, instead doing cut-and-paste translations of the videos on the original Spanish channel, and as a result there's a large number of videos about [[Spain]] or [[Latin America]] by the standards of English-language media. As of May 2020, the English-language channel alone has close to a million subscribers and more than 100 million total views,<ref>[https://socialblade.com/youtube/channel/UCT3v6vL2H5HK4loLMc8pmCw VisualPolitik EN]</ref> while the original Spanish channel has almost double these numbers.

In spite of the channel's success, its videos have received some criticism both for their openly neoliberal [[ideology]], with a large number of their videos advocating for [[free trade]] and [[tax]] breaks for large businesses as the main method of achieving economic development, and more generally for being sloppily-researched and valuing quantity over quality. A good example is its video on [[New Zealand]] about how it was such a great economic success story due to its policy of {{wpl|Rogernomics||,}}<ref>[https://youtu.be/tYbrWOfhtKY The Great REVOLUTION of NEW ZEALAND? - VisualPolitik EN]</ref> in which they used clips of a demonstration in the early 1980s that they insinuated was due to economic turmoil, but was actually an anti-[[apartheid]] demonstration and had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the domestic issues at the time. Its videos about [[Canada]], in particular, have also come under fire for oversimplifying Canada's main political issues and for aggressively cheerleading the government of [[Justin Trudeau]].<ref>[https://youtu.be/pWivGcHdla0 I don't like this guy's videos about Canada]</ref> In addition, they have been criticised for using tactics to pad out the runtime of their videos, such as repetitive use of the same three songs in all their videos (often over the top of the presenters themselves so you can barely hear what they're saying), long pauses and captions read out in slow motion by a guy who sounds like he's had a couple of pints too many.

==External links==
*[https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCT3v6vL2H5HK4loLMc8pmCw Official English-language channel]

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

[[Category:Politics]]

Categories: Politics
Vox

{{fork}}
* The news website [[Vox (website)|Vox]]
* [[Vox Day]], a [[white supremacist]] and former [[science fiction]] author
** [[Manosphere#Vox Popoli|Vox Popoli]], blog of the above
* The [[far-right]] [[Spain|Spanish]] [[political party]] {{wpl|Vox (political party)|Vox}}
* Vox.News, a [[fake news]] [[webshite]] [[List of websites owned by Mike Adams|owned by Mike Adams]]
Vox populi

{{fork}}

*The "voice of the people":  The opinion of the general public, as frequently used in journalism, especially broadcasting, when members of the public are asked their opinions on a news item.
*"[http://voxday.blogspot.com/ Vox Popoli]":  [[Vox Day]]'s website.  Dude doesn't know his [[Latin]].
*A group of revolutionaries in ''Bioshock Infinite'' that swing between left and far left because they are in different worlds.
* A song from season 2 of the animated musical series ''Hazbin Hotel''.