But That's None Of My Business

Watching a conspiracy theorist try to justify when they’re wrong is fascinating. They somehow manage to find an answer for everything regardless of the reality set before them.

Neil Degrasse Tyson had a good anecdote for dealing with conspiracy theorists

He once met a man at an event who was convinced the moon landing was a hoax. Neil asked him what specific piece of evidence would make him believe that it actually happened. He said he wanted to see photos of the landing site. That would convince him.

Neil went away and did some research, came back to the man and said: here's a link to the official NASA photographs of the landing site.

The man then started ranting about how you can't trust anything from NASA, they're complicit in the cover-up, etc.

Neil said: I gave you exactly the evidence you asked for, you promised you would change your mind, and you didn't. We're done here.

Neil the great science explainer, the man of infinite patience, a man who can explain complex concepts at any level of detail to any audience from kindergarteners to college grads to Ph.D. students, walked away from the man and decided to not waste his time any further.

What a wonderful lesson for dealing with online trolls.

Science is a rabbit hole of the mind for most individuals. Despondency over traditional religion happens in post modern narratives. The internet is a wonderous almost magical place to sort out values.

Lighten up and consider the vast majority of conspiratorial thinking is harmless. Or at worst easily rectified by a smash in the face from reality. There is no reason to walk around like a pompous troll hunter.

Full disclosure Neil DeGrasse displeases me and I dont know why. Consider my belief system triggered.

Conspiracy theories like Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, UFOs: These have long been silly pastimes that have harmed no one, part of our cultural folklore. I'm not going to waste any of my time debunking that stuff. If you want to believe it, and it gives you joy, have at it.

But when it comes to the grand conspiracies that impact the real world and its people and politics -- anti-vaxxing, Covid is a hoax, climate change is a myth, Trump won the election, the government is run by cannibalistic pedophiles -- then we're gonna have problems.

And we do. Some of them have even entered Congress.

"Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts." --Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Far too many have grown incapable of recognizing that distinction.

Yes it was a problem when the president seemingly went off the deep end. That olast one sounds terrifying so please continue to debunk!

woah

On the other hand..