The single most important scientific discovery, most relevant to everybody's daily life, is that paranormal phenomena do not exist. Magic, witchcraft, mind-reading, clairvoyance, faith healing and similar practices do not work and have never worked.

There is a large body of very strong scientific evidence for this conclusion, concerning virtually all suggested forms of paranormal phenomena. For careful discussions of this evidence, I refer to the sceptical literature.

The degree to which the public is aware of this evidence, and has accepted and digested the conclusion, is often far from satisfactory and varies a lot from one phenomenon to another. While in Western countries everybody laughs at the idea of witchcraft, belief in astrology is quite widespread, and the efficacy of prayers - say, for health - is hardly ever doubted.

It makes a crucial difference for our lives, whether we imagine ourselves to be surrounded by supernatural beings and happenings or whether we see ourselves instead in a world that science can help us understand. Many scientific principles, concepts, or discoveries need not be understood by the public, despite their importance - they need only be understood by the experts. The question of the paranormal is different, in this respect.

See Roderich Tumulka's website.