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About RationalWiki Our purpose here at RationalWiki includes: Analyzing and refuting pseudoscience and the anti-science movement; Documenting the full range of crank ideas; Explorations of authoritarianism and fundamentalism; Analysis and criticism of how these subjects are handled in the media. We welcome contributors, and encourage those who disagree with us to register and engage in constructive dialogue. We have 8,032 articles for your enjoyment. Random featured article[What is this?] Poe's Law Poe's Law and its corollaries. Poe's law states: “Without a clear indication of the author's intent, it is difficult or impossible to tell the difference between an expression of sincere extremism and a parody of extremism.” It is an observation that it's difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish between parodies of fundamentalism and other absurd beliefs, as well as their genuine proponents, since they both seem equally insane. Poe's law applies not only to the absurdity of beliefs, but also to the absurdity of the arguments that are used on behalf of those beliefs. Arguments on behalf of young-Earth creationism and theodicy are especially known for their absurdity. It is important to note that: linking a claim to Poe's Law is not the same as suggesting that said claim is in fact any type of parody at all. On the contrary, linking to Poe's Law just means that you could not tell if said claim was parody, or indeed sincerely held crankiness — assuming the original claimant didn't decide to also supply a clear indication of intent. When one is presented with a claim that is so over-the-top as to either be a brilliant parody or reflect a genuinely outrageous extremist belief, Poe's Law has been invoked. Participate in RationalWiki RationalWiki portal: See our guide for newcomers! A brief history of RationalWiki... Share how you found RationalWiki! For general chatter that doesn't fit anywhere else, the Saloon Bar is the place to go. Essay portal: Essays written by individual users covering a wide range of subjects. Comment on the talk pages or write your own. Debate portal: Informal debates covering political and philosophical issues. Participate freely or start your own. Writing articles: Read up on what a RationalWiki page is and our community standards. Take a look at the help pages if you're having trouble. We also keep a list of useful links. Our to do list is where we pile up ideas for articles. See if anything piques your interest!

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