Cryptids

[Statler Waldorf]

So I have been really busy lately but I had some time to kill so I thought this might be a rather interesting thread and a break from the atheist vs. theist discussion. I have always found cryptozoology interesting and fun to ponder. For the following cryptids I’d like everyone to give a percentage indicating whether or not they lean that the creature actually exists or does not exist (so 50% would be a true straight down the middle agnostic, 0% would be certain it does not exist, and 100% would be certain that it does in fact exist).

Bigfoot/Yeti – 55%
Aliens- 5%
Aliens that have visited Earth- <1%
The Loch Ness Monster- 40%
Chupacabra- 10%
The Jersey Devil- 0%
Mokele-mbembe- 70%

Those are the ones I am more familiar with, if anyone else wants to add any please do. Here is a helpful list…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cryptids

[vorlon13]

Bigfoot/Yeti – ZERO
Aliens- life forms, 100%; more advanced than us in our galaxy <10%
Aliens that have visited Earth- ZERO
The Loch Ness Monster- ZERO
Chupacabra- ZERO
The Jersey Devil- ZERO
Mokele-mbembe- ZERO

Elves- ZERO
Sprites- ZERO
Kobolds- ZERO
Werewolves- ZERO
Vampires- ZERO
Sincere TV preachers- ZERO

[rexbeccarox]

Bigfoot/Yeti – ZERO
Aliens- life forms, 100%; more advanced than us in our galaxy <10%
Aliens that have visited Earth- ZERO
The Loch Ness Monster- ZERO
Chupacabra- ZERO
The Jersey Devil- ZERO
Mokele-mbembe- ZERO

Oh, c'mon... really? You can't be that certain.

Bigfoot: I'll give it a 10
More advanced aliens in our galaxy: 5
Aliens that have visited Earth: 10
Nessy: Meh... with the thousands of sightings... I'll give it a 10
Chupacabra: no one even can agree on what is is, so 1
The Jersey Devil: as its description makes it sound sort of like a dragon, forked tail and all, I'd say 1
Mokele Mbebe: Sort of like Nessy. 10

Also, why is a thread about cryptozoology in the Science forum? It's most definitely not science.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

I'm with vorlon on this - nil to everything except ETs that have NOT visited Earth.

Why am I so certain? Several reasons:

1. No hard evidence for any of them.

2. Most of the creatures (as commonly described) could not survive in the environs postulated for them.

3. If these things were as common as the cryptonuts typically claim, we be shooing Bigfeet away from our dustbins and tripping over chupacabras.

Sorry, but cryptozoology is just one of the many, many things dreamed up by sad, disaffected people who want the universe to be more marvelous than it already is.

Boru

[Statler Waldorf]

Oh, c'mon... really? You can't be that certain.

Bigfoot: I'll give it a 10
More advanced aliens in our galaxy: 5
Aliens that have visited Earth: 10
Nessy: Meh... with the thousands of sightings... I'll give it a 10
Chupacabra: no one even can agree on what is is, so 1
The Jersey Devil: as its description makes it sound sort of like a dragon, forked tail and all, I'd say 1
Mokele Mbebe: Sort of like Nessy. 10

Also, why is a thread about cryptology in the Science forum? It's most definitely not science.

Thanks for the response! I always find it interesting that so many atheists believe in the existence of alien life even though there’s no tangible evidence any such life exists.
I do not see why cryptozoology would not be a science; it fits the definition of a methodological study of the natural world. Nobody thinks that there are no undiscovered animals that exist today (or animals previously thought to have gone extinct who still exist). It certainly has a purpose and sometimes hits scientific gold (i.e. the coelacanth). The word science has a particular meaning, it’s not some magic trophy given to only those whom you agree with or respect. When thousands claim to have seen a large bipedal primate in the forests of North America I think it’s perfectly scientific to methodologically investigate its existence.

[vorlon13]

Any 'crypto' lifeform in North America we would ALREADY know about because somebody would have run over one with a car.

Especially Bigfoot.

Granny would have nailed one with her Buick back in 1953 if they were real.

[Jackalope]

I'm remaining agnostic on all of them until, for example, some redneck pulls into town with a dead Bigfoot on the hood of his rig. I won't my breath - with as many people as have been beating the proverbial bushes for such things, I'd expect to have some strong evidence by now. I'm willing to be wrong on this.

With respect to extraterrestrial life - such that's visited earth, (excluding panspermia events), vanishingly close to zero. Other life, particularly microbial life, I believe the sheer numbers support the idea that there ought to be something, somewhere - but I'll still wait for something concrete before I "believe in it". I'm also willing to be wrong on this, but it would seem like such a waste of space.

[Anomalocaris]

Bigfoot/Yeti – ZERO
Aliens- life forms, 100%; more advanced than us in our galaxy <10%
Aliens that have visited Earth- ZERO
The Loch Ness Monster- ZERO
Chupacabra- ZERO
The Jersey Devil- ZERO
Mokele-mbembe- ZERO

Elves- ZERO
Sprites- ZERO
Kobolds- ZERO
Werewolves- ZERO
Vampires- ZERO
Sincere TV preachers- ZERO

Agreed, except more advanced aliens in our galaxy - 90%

As to have aliens visited earth, as in ever, in only form, including dropping automated probes into atmosphere or coming into solar system with remote sensing probes, during any part of earth's 4.6 billion years, and not backwoods visitation or abduction after UFO scare of 1950s, I would say fairly high, 50%

[vorlon13]

I don't rule out 'weird' germs, fungi, etc.

Read a quick report there is an 'electrically' powered microbe just been discovered. Funny people think they need to make up oddities when there are plenty of real ones waiting to be discovered.

---

Agreed, except more advanced aliens in our galaxy - 90%

As to have aliens visited earth, as in ever, in only form, including dropping automated probes into atmosphere or coming into solar system with remote sensing probes, during any part of earth's 4.6 billion years, and not backwoods visitation or abduction after UFO scare of 1950s, I would say fairly high, 50%

I'm a big 'fan' of the Fermi Paradox. I find it extremely convincing. And the greater the number of 'advanced' lifeforms predicted to exist in our galaxy, curiously, the stronger and more convincing the Fermi Paradox becomes.

Really. Think about it.

[Anomalocaris]

Funny people think they need to make up oddities when there are plenty of real ones waiting to be discovered.

Uhem. Religion.