I haven't met a vampire. I haven't seen a unicorn. I haven't seen fairies. I think it is very unlikely that these creatures exist, and no, i don't believe that America has suddenly become the target for mass alien abduction.

It's not about whether it's happened to me or not. It's about the balance of probability. I am capable of what I consider reasoned judgement and a healthy scepticism - for the record, I never believed in WMD either.

"How exactly would you know that, Ruth? On what basis?" Again, it's about balance of probability. If someone is claiming experiences that seriously transgress the boundaries of reality as we understand it, I think they are probably mentally unstable.

A guy I used to work with was a schizophrenic. He was convinced that he'd been in the cupboard with Patty Hearst, even though she'd been kidnapped before he was even born.

While I can't prove that his story was false, I'm inclined to believe that it was the product of his illness. If that's not giving someone a "fair hearing", sue me.