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The Antiscience Movement Is Escalating, Going Global and Killing Thousands

scientificamerican.com

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Re: The Antiscience Movement Is Escalating, Going Global and Killing Thousands

#31

Post by brigandish »

maxehmookau wrote: post #14
DethNinja wrote: post #11

I’ve been pro science all my life but heavy censorship on coronavirus made me change my mind, perhaps blame is on the censorers a bit, no? If it is truly science, why censor the ideas of others?

Something about a lie making it half way across the world before the truth can get its boots on. We, as a general population, have proven that completely uncensored speech gives way too much weight to ideas that have no merit.

Quite the opposite. We proved that the imposition of “acceptable” information and censorship to protect it holds back societies, and can see that those with greater freedoms do better economically and otherwise.

Re: The Antiscience Movement Is Escalating, Going Global and Killing Thousands

#32

Post by luckylion »

GavinMcG wrote: post #22
refurb wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Indeed. Only if you ignore anti-vaxxers, healing crystals, “food without chemicals”, essential oils, etc can you say with a straight face anti-science is a problem driven by the right. It’s hard to take an article seriously when it only points the finger in one direction.

I think you're talking about certain subjects being more prevalent in left- or right-wing communities. That's different from making opposition to science a political priority. Yeah, there's kooks on the left who go for healing crystals–but that's not incorporated into left politics. On the other hand, elected Republicans have actively fought in the political arena against climate issues being taken seriously. This sh…

> Yeah, there's kooks on the left who go for healing crystals–but that's not incorporated into left politics.

Mhh, critical race theory, the whole gender studies joke etc seems to be pretty deeply settled in left politics. It's just something that progressives "like" and therefore don't question the absurdity and consider it "science".

Re: The Antiscience Movement Is Escalating, Going Global and Killing Thousands

#33

Post by endisneigh »

there's a fine line between appealing to "experts" and religion. I'd argue though, that there's a monetary incentive to keep people dumb and susceptible to things like advertising - so I don't see this trend reversing soon, if ever.

I intentionally don't mention the word "science", because "science" isn't really the issue here - moreso this idea that certain organizations or individuals somehow know the truth we and should just believe them.

Re: The Antiscience Movement Is Escalating, Going Global and Killing Thousands

#35

Post by prvc »

We have all learned that science as a method of obtaining knowledge is superior to and fundamentally at odds with the blind acceptance of authority. This includes would-be authorities among us. When the authorities then simply claim the mantle of "science" as their own exclusive domain, who is left to oppose them?

Re: The Antiscience Movement Is Escalating, Going Global and Killing Thousands

#36

Post by [deleted] »

dilap wrote: post #27

This conflates "official positions of authorities" with "science". It's like a modern religion, with three tenets: (1) science made everything around us (iPhones and airplanes!) (2) we speak for science (3) therefore you must believe our conclusions. But in fact, that's the opposite of a proper scientific attitude, which always admits doubt, and believes experiment over authority. As for why authorities are increasin…

[deleted]

Re: The Antiscience Movement Is Escalating, Going Global and Killing Thousands

#37

Post by cpursley »

maxehmookau wrote: post #14
DethNinja wrote: post #11

I’ve been pro science all my life but heavy censorship on coronavirus made me change my mind, perhaps blame is on the censorers a bit, no? If it is truly science, why censor the ideas of others?

Something about a lie making it half way across the world before the truth can get its boots on. We, as a general population, have proven that completely uncensored speech gives way too much weight to ideas that have no merit.

I agree, which is why we should just go ahead and hand over all truth to technocrats and all decision making to beurocrats, as only they have our best interest in mind.

Re: The Antiscience Movement Is Escalating, Going Global and Killing Thousands

#38

Post by nerdponx »

maxehmookau wrote: post #14
DethNinja wrote: post #11

I’ve been pro science all my life but heavy censorship on coronavirus made me change my mind, perhaps blame is on the censorers a bit, no? If it is truly science, why censor the ideas of others?

Something about a lie making it half way across the world before the truth can get its boots on. We, as a general population, have proven that completely uncensored speech gives way too much weight to ideas that have no merit.

Except governments actively pushed lies about Covid too.

Re: The Antiscience Movement Is Escalating, Going Global and Killing Thousands

#39

Post by happyopossum »

Articles like this one accelerate the politicization of conspiracies like anti-vax, rather than help address the underlying problem.

To attempt to make this a 'right wing extremist' problem, one has to ignore the fact that one of the historically least vaccinated counties in the US is also one of the most progressive (Marin CO in the Bay Area).

This is a 'nut jobs on Facebook' problem, not a right or left problem.

-- edited to clarify that I'm not referring specifically to the COVID vax

Re: The Antiscience Movement Is Escalating, Going Global and Killing Thousands

#40

Post by StavrosK »

dilap wrote: post #27

This conflates "official positions of authorities" with "science". It's like a modern religion, with three tenets: (1) science made everything around us (iPhones and airplanes!) (2) we speak for science (3) therefore you must believe our conclusions. But in fact, that's the opposite of a proper scientific attitude, which always admits doubt, and believes experiment over authority. As for why authorities are increasin…

The mask thing was a Noble Lie to prevent PPE shortages:

https://noahpinion.substack.com/p/yes-experts-will-lie-to-yo...

I agree that that erodes trust, but it was for "a reason".

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