Skeptics vs paranormal investigators

Huh. I found this entry on a blog I watch. An amateur skeptic got in "trouble" for making fun of some paranormal investigators. Easy to understand, I think. I watch Ghost Hunters for the interpersonal drama and to debunk every claim they make. Ridiculously easy.

I don't know what's in the picture in question, but the "ghost" image seems rather distinct given the overall fuzziness of the photo. OK, the photo may be enlarged somewhat so it shows the film's grain (like pixilation would for a digital photo), yet the "ghost" image seems quite distinct. It also doesn't really look unambiguously human, either, IMHO. Could be anything. That's the real test--is the evidence unambiguous?

I don't know what's in the picture, but "ghost" is the last conclusion I would ever reach. When you see hoof-prints, think horses, not zebras. Whether or not a skeptic could duplicate the shadow in the photo (as claimed), there is definitely a mundane explanation for this. We just haven't found it, yet. I wonder if it's worth the effort, even.

Fortunately, the bar is set VERY high for any paranormal investigator. I say "fortunately," because just like in real science, tests have to be constructed very carefully to eliminate the many extraneous factors that might skew the results. Given the notorious unreliability of "ghosts," (apparently so, given the "evidence" presented to date) a controlled experiment seems problematic at the very least. But necessary, as it happens. Until then, no quantity of fuzzy photos or compelling personal anecdotes can possibly turn our heads. Sorry. "Unexplained" will never equal "supernatural," just "not explained yet."

I have always said the universe is much weirder and stranger than we can imagine. But at the same time I have also imagined we would either know what something is, or have unambiguous proof that it's something completely outside our ability to know. Tall order, I would think.

If I'm asking too much, let me know. I keep an open mind, but ya still gotta prove it.