Why do they hide the "PARANORMAL" section deep inside the MATHEMATICS section.....??

Question

Why do you have to go through all that just to find it?

Answer 1

Seems kind of ridiculous, doesn't it? From the Yahoo Answers forum, the reasoning they gave for the categorization under Science & Math is that actual "scientific testing" is done in this field. And that's actually partially true -- some scientific testing has been done, but the studies themselves are of debatable quality, the results weren't compelling to anybody (except the already converted) and these studies have fallen into oblivion as far as the scientific community is concerned. But Yahoo's logic here is faulty as well. One can perform scientific testing on leprechauns and gnomes as easily as one can on ghosts or unconfirmed psychic forces, and likewise come up with negative results... but leprechauns and gnomes are not a scientific phenomenon, are they? No, they're not. So then why does some obscure scientific testing of the paranormal make the paranormal scientific? It doesn't. Whether something qualifies as science or not is not so trivially decided.

So, it's strange. People who want post their ghost stories have a hard time finding Paranormal, and people who want to get a chemistry question answered are left scratching their head as to why their question appears right next to one asking about "spirit guides"!

Answer 2

I think Y/A wants to get more hits by having the skeptics keep fighting against the non skeptics. ( disguised in the science section)
The Christians against the athiests. (disguised as the religion section)
Democrats vs. republicans is disguised as the political section.

All they need do is open a section that invites two opposing views or beliefs and we will argue our point til doomsday. It sells a lot of Viagra.
I guess we are the ones falling for it, although I never buy what they try to sell on here.

What other purpose is there for Yahoo to run this site than to get hits and sell advertising. Get more hits and sell more advertisiing.
Tricking people into passionate fighting day and night is a very smart tactic. Just think if you opened a store where people came in and argued and then they bought your product and left, but had to come back the next day and the next day. Pretty good racket. Think about it.

Answer 3

I don't know the private thoughts of Yahoo management so despite what they might say we can't actually know the reason.
What we can see is the result and that is it gives debunkers a place to preach their non belief of the paranormal.
I truly hope that YA had something more nobble in mind like hoping real skeptics would participate by suggesting better controls, explore possible theories to explain reported activity, and jointly contribute to searching for the truth of reported phenomena.
Unfortunately only debunkers not skeptics have flocked to this section and they act as if they know all the answers to every persons reported experience, often rudely attack those that share their experience and proudly, even if incorrectly, preach their is no evidence.

I have in the past defended parapsychology being placed in this section since it is a science as recognized by the Parapsychological Associations (link below) being elected as an affiliate of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (link below) in 1969.
I have done this mostly because debunkers want it to be placed inappropriately in the Mythology & Religion section which I would support as soon as they also place physics and chemistry under Mythology.
I however am not against and would support both the Paranormal and Parapsychology section being placed under Social Sciences or under it own main category.

I have noticed that YA is mostly unresponsive (to be kind) to the requests of its users.
I'm glad you found the section and I suspect it will be placed here at least until all YA management changes via a buy out, merger, retirement, etc.

Answer 4

None of us who are interested in the Paranormal should have to go through what we do to get here. It should be right with the other categories and just for us to push the key that automatically puts us here.
I bet if they were to put the Paranormal category up against Mathematics, Paranormal would win hands down.

Answer 5

lol i asked the same thing when i saw a question in the mythology section saying there was a paranormal section

Answer 6

I think I understand why they did it, but I was on Answers for a pretty good while and had to be told where to go. I think if they could come up with a better way to navigate the site it would help with the confusion.

Answer 7

I do not know why it is kind of a strange place for it and has caused many heated debates as a result of it being placed here but it has given me a chance to meet some very good people as well and really it is a subject that alot of people are afraid to talk about

Answer 8

Paranormal falls under the heading "Alternative Science" kind of like "Alternative Life Styles" which basically means that it is not part of the societal main stream hence Alternative. And since paranormal investigators attempt to use scientific methods it can be loosely labeled as science.

Answer 9

Same reason why Horoscopes is in Entertainment and Spirituality linked to Religion.

Divide and conquer, as a certain Italian fella once said.

And it wasn't Machiavelli.

Answer 10

thats a good question, dont know why, you would have thought it would be eslewhere in a life type section, beliefs and or religion. I have found that this is not the only topic that Yahoo has put out of its place!