Yeah, or they already know why it's there, who made it, and what it stands for.
I'm so over it man.
We may not know why, who, or what but as long as there is a rational or natural explanation for a given phenomena - that would be the reasonable and logical stance to take.
The giant ground carvings like the Cerne Abbas Giant is a great example. There is no evidence whatsoever that they were created by or for aliens (or some advanced flying things) and yet that is a "theory". First, you'd have to prove that aliens existed and you would then need to prove that these carvings are somehow related to them. Whereas the natural explanation of the ancient peoples used these in some kind of ceremony does not rely on anything unproven or supernatural. It is a reasonable explanation that uses a natural explanation of phenomena we already observe (ancient peoples had a lot of ceremonies). Is it the correct one? I don't know but i would say it is the most likely explanation.
Skeptics don't poo-poo everything in a knee-jerk reaction as you seem to infer. I, like most other skeptics i've met, am always willing to change my mind when presented with evidence provided there is not an equally (or more likely a better) rational, naturalistic explanation.
An example: a god-fearing faith healer claims he is able to cure people through the "laying on of hands".
Theories:
1) God granted him the power to do what he says he can do.
2) The faith healer himself has the power to heal (but not granted from God).
3) The faith healer "believes" he has the power but really doesn't and the people that are "healed" are either mistaken (they feel better during the healing but find out when they get home they feel just as miserable or more so), the healing is a result of the placebo effect, or a combination.
4) The faith healer is a lying sack of shit in it for the money and has planted people in the audience to be "healed" and for the rest he uses trickery.
5) I'm sure there are other possibilities...
Are all these theories equally valid? Which of these theories is most likely true? Have any faith healing in the past or present been explained by any of these theories?
This is what a skeptic does - looks for the most likely rational explanation. And regardless how you think or feel or believe, the skeptics are usually correct to be skeptical. Skepticism and the scientific method are the best tools so far to really understand the world around us. Science is magic that actually works for everyone equally.
as an aside, i would add that to all the naysayers or folks who think scientists don't know what they are talking about - or buzzkills, i say look around you. See that jet flying overhead? Do you make calls on a cell phone? how about that computer you're working with? Try sending someone a message half-way around the world using some special powers like ESP or send an email/make a cellular call... which will arrive faster? Or to bring the point home, perhaps I should just ask - which will arrive?
Unless you are a liar, a cheater or a fraud, skeptics and scientists are on YOUR side - they are not the enemy.
