Arguing with the anti-maskers, anti-vaxxers, flat earthers, and climate change deniers is a heck of a job. If you've ever tried, you’ll know what I am talking about.
And even though you recognize the fallacy in their arguments, like saying that masks don’t help to stop the coronavirus, you sometimes need heavy artillery.
Luckily, some people who know what they’re talking about have done everyone a service and stepped in to school the science deniers big time. From biochemists to sport scientists, these are some of the most mic-drop moves in stopping the spread of misinformation.
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These days, when there are so many science deniers, it may feel like arguing with them is absolutely pointless. But a 2019 study published in the journal Nature Human Behavior showed that it’s in fact worth arguing with them.
Philipp Schmid and Cornelia Betsch of the University of Erfurt in Germany conducted six experiments with 1,773 subjects. They assessed “how to mitigate the influence of a denier on the audience.”
The results showed that “not responding to science deniers has a negative effect on attitudes towards behaviors favored by science (for example, vaccination) and intentions to perform these behaviors.”
Alan Turing was praised for what he has done during war time and condemned for whom he loved. That's the great tragedy of his life.
Dear God-botherers. If god drowned everyone except one family on the planet because they were evil then he believed that unborn children could be evil (not to mention all the born children). You anti-abortion types must really hate god for that.
Facing deniers can be treated as a concerned and important effort to fight misinformation. The authors of the study suggest that “not turning up to the discussion at all seems to result in the worst effect.”
Meanwhile, showing up on an acquaintance's Facebook post, even if you think it's pointless, will surely do some good.
Interestingly, the authors claim that science deniers use the same rhetoric across domains. It means that “uncovering their rhetorical techniques is an effective and economic addition to the advocates’ toolbox.”
Never ending story of idiots spreading a disease because they do not believe in science.
I can't believe that the idiot had 1.8k up-votes. Yowsers, so many dafties.
Lol. How dare you debunk the nonsense I'm spewing on the internet with science? Don't you ever do that again!!!!
Even if you'd put the entire flat-earth movement in a spaceship and circle the earth in any way they want, they'd be telling you that it's a trick with mirrors and projectors. But at least they are harmless and don't hurt other people with their nonsense.
hahahaha I love it when people who have no flippin' idea who they are talking to make an a*s out of themselves. I always look up whoever I am in a discussion/argument/debate with before I make a comment that I might regret later. You never know if someone's background qualifies them to be right or not.
History is there to teach the future lessons. But of course, you do need some kind of education to be able to understand those lessons.
Do people forget that literally everything is made up of chemicals...?
Someone should probably tell them that Darwin believed in God and evolution simultaneously throughout most of his research years.
More and more European countries make vaccinating mandatory. Unvaccinated children are banned from schools in those countries and parents can be forced to have their children vaccinated. And rightly so. Screw your "strong convictions" and "religious beliefs", our national health is endangered because of your b******t and we are getting tired of your stupidity.
It's so sad to see one thinks that if their kids are momentarily healthy without vaccination, that's proof that this state will keep up indefinitely. It most likely won't. It would be funny to see their faces when they realize their mistakes, but it won't, because it would be to the expense of the child who'd deserve better.
Tell that to the families of women who died from cervical cancer. Including a 15 year old girl in the UK a few years ago. Plus it’s been proven that men can be affected by HPV as well so some are campaigning for teenage boys to have the vaccine too. Oh and it might not cause cancer, but more often genital warts and other infections. Who would want to be protected from getting genital warts right?! Morons...
I had to stop reading these. People who embrace ignorance and stupidity are scarier than Freddie Kruger.
Yep. Even if Freddy were real, he'd still be less dangerous. He's killed far less people than willful ignorance has.
Load More Replies...Are these science deniers really stupid or are they trolls trying to make a joke? I always thought no one can be that stupid.
Same but there are some scary as levels of stupid and denial out there. Intelligence is knowing enough to know that you dont know everything. So many people lack that insight its disheartening for our future as a species
Load More Replies...I was caught spreading unproven facts (aka BS) on several occasions during my lifetime. It was really embarrassing bacause I considered myself an intelligent human being. Hopefully, these people learned something like I had learned, and will know better.
At least you can admit to being wrong and have made the choice to be educated. Well done you :)
Load More Replies...I had to stop reading these. People who embrace ignorance and stupidity are scarier than Freddie Kruger.
Yep. Even if Freddy were real, he'd still be less dangerous. He's killed far less people than willful ignorance has.
Load More Replies...Are these science deniers really stupid or are they trolls trying to make a joke? I always thought no one can be that stupid.
Same but there are some scary as levels of stupid and denial out there. Intelligence is knowing enough to know that you dont know everything. So many people lack that insight its disheartening for our future as a species
Load More Replies...I was caught spreading unproven facts (aka BS) on several occasions during my lifetime. It was really embarrassing bacause I considered myself an intelligent human being. Hopefully, these people learned something like I had learned, and will know better.
At least you can admit to being wrong and have made the choice to be educated. Well done you :)
Load More Replies...