Jon Ronson often respects the people he writes about and has empathy for the people he writes about. Here’s an article in today’s Guardian about Robbie Williams’ search for answers. I think that’s what it is. I suspect that Robbie Williams, given his experience with psychics, is on a road to scepticism, by a circuitous route. I think there’s a lot of people, like Robbie, who are intelligent, and looking for answers, and find out bit by bit that the paranormal does not stand up to scrutiny. People like Robbie are distinct from those who are deluded or refuse to hear counterarguments. He’s actively seeking answers and discarding things that he finds out are false. Given he was in Take That from aged 16, he’s probably playing catch-up. Robbie Williams is the kind of person that should be visiting websites like The Skeptics Dictionary and reading about critical thinking. To get both sides of the story, in a spirit of balance.
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It’s very annoying when the tiny focal length of a compact digital camera, combined with a flash close to the lens, creates little circles of light from out of focus particles in the air. Aside from the proximity of the flash I suspect the depth of field is a key element, dependent on the aperture sizes available on various digital compacts and the size of their CCD sensor. But I’m no expert. I think that’s a logical explanation for ghost ‘orbs’. Rather than this madness. In the case of 35mm film cameras what’s the bet they’re using a 50mm or less with a small aperture? It would be interesting to experiment with the effect - it’s probably difficult to reproduce with a decent film camera or DSLR - so novel effects may be found that professionals haven’t used. For instance using a large cardboard box with the top and bottom removed as a frame with various thin fishing wire grids with tiny reflective objects at intersections. Shooting through it with the flash.
Don’t the Daily Mail employ professional photographers? Couldn’t they have asked one? Ask yourself those questions and more when you read this.
Picked up on via the Bad Science forums.
