So, just what are we talking about?

[kandrathe]

Since every paranormal claim that has been tested for existence has failed to pass the test, it is reasonable to assume that they all will.

Every one? How do you know this? The general point I'm trying to make is that throughout human history, there have been phenomena that people have observed or reported on. Some of these have been debunked as hoaxes, some of them have been debunked as the raving of lunatics, others through scientific explanation. I chose the two links carefully as examples of phenomena, linked to historical incidents, that occured over a long period of time (as opposed to a one time sighting), have been studied by "experts", and still are not easily explained away by a scientific understanding of the natural world. I wouldn't claim they are true, but they leave some room for doubt. Doubt in that everything fits into a nice and tidy explainable box.

And, frankly, why should anyone with a good brain waste the time proving superstition wrong when they could actually be doing something that advances humanity.

There is plently of wasted good brains watching reality TV, and any other such nonsense. Not many human endeavors actually advance humanity, and most I see as harmful to it. Beyond that, how can one adequately prove something supernatural to be true? By it's definition it is beyond explanation by "nature". I think the best anyone could come up with is that it is either explained, or unexplainable at the current time.