Evidence shows that shoving data in peoples’ faces doesn’t work to change minds.

Evidence shows that shoving data in peoples’ faces doesn’t work to change minds.

As a scientist heavily engaged in science communication, I’ve seen it all.

People have come to my public talks to argue with me that the Big Bang never happened. People have sent me handwritten letters explaining how dark matter means that ghosts are real. People have asked me for my scientific opinion about homeopathy—and scoffed when they didn’t like my answer. People have told me, to my face, that what they just learned on a TV show proves that aliens built the pyramids and that I didn’t understand the science.

People have left comments on my YouTube videos saying… well, let’s not even go there.

I encounter pseudoscience everywhere I go. And I have to admit, it can be frustrating. But in all my years of working with the public, I’ve found a potential strategy. And that strategy doesn’t involve confronting pseudoscience head-on but rather empathizing with why people have pseudoscientific beliefs and finding ways to get them to understand and appreciate the scientific method.

  • @Paragone
    3•11 months ago

    The key to fighting pseudoscience in people who have it in them to choose considered-reasoning instead of ideology-addiction/prejudice is empathy.

    The systemic-dishonesty/narcissism/machiavellianism/sociopathy-psychopathy/nihilism/sadism Dark Hexad

    ( notice that the professionals don’t accept this set, but only the Dark Triad & the Dark Tetrad:

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_triad#Dark_tetrad )

    … Dark Hexad people, who’re committed to breaking life in order to prove their “power”, I contempt.

    Accelerationists I contempt.

    Etc.

    I’m NOT appeasing the strategically disingenuous, now.

    Perhaps some people can remember how well appeasing Hitler went?

    This planet’s current stabilization/equilibrium temperature, for the 421-ish CO2 & the 1.3 to 1.4ppm added methane, is between +8C & +9C, and that is on historical record, of the last 2 million years.

    The simulations producing 1.5C & 2C increases from baseline are … delusional.

    Sooner or later, whether the enemy is cancer, rabies, or ideology/prejudice, if it’s killing enough lives, you have to get OBJECTIVELY COMPETENT in fighting its “supremacism”/dominion, XOR you accommodate everyone’s extinguishment.

    The Christian bible has a saying; “separating the sheep from the goats”, and it is pertinent to the current situation.

    Empathy for the misled, ruthlessly-effective countermeasures for the prejudice-addicts.

    Salut, Namaste, & Kaizen.

    _ /\ _

    • @[email protected]
      2•11 months ago

      The key to fighting pseudoscience in people who have it in them to choose considered-reasoning instead of ideology-addiction/prejudice is empathy.

      I find I can reduce the effects of non-determinism by choosing mockery every time.