Sick to death of this anti science conspiracy nonsense.

[fakenamefornow]

People actually believe the earth is flat.
Anti vaxers.
Creationists.
Young earthers.
Even Brexit, so many people just wrong about stuff and don't believe the facts when they are put in front of them (90% of Boston are now Polish).

Why are these nonsense views increasing?

Anyway, aibu to think people are fucking stupid?

As always, social media is to blame.

Prior to social media, we were pretty ignorant about what most people actually thought.

Now, we know everyone's innermost thoughts.

Turns out, many of those thoughts are often really not great. They also reveal a significant number of people to be hard of thinking.

The world would be simpler - but boring - if everyone thought the same way.

Tolerance and acceptance is all very well. Until it's something that affects you. Brexit may turn out to be a case in point. Not getting much feeling of confidence about our negotiations right now.

I stopped listening to other people's opinions years ago.

Because I know I'm right

... at least I think I am ...

m.youtube.com/watch?v=d0E8QkHwK1s

Okay, the Friends clip was spot on

Some people are so open minded their brains fall out (as my DF used to say)

"Oh... if only they had a brain cell between them."

I think a lot of it is because "science" is now taught and represented as a body of philosophy and belief, rather than a method.

This has led to it being treated as a competing meta narrative to other forms of belief, rather than a process by which we humans figure out how stuff works.

The second thing I would say is that modern culture hasn't helped in that huge swathes of people now live lives where they are pretty ostracised from scientific practicalities. In today's technologically advanced countries, people don't grow their own food, mend their own appliances, fix their own cars, make their own cheese, build their own homes etc. So they don't experience "scientific rules" in the way people once did. Instead, things in their world just magically "appear" for them to purchase or use, with no need for them to consider how the object was created or made.

As a result, they have no recognition of the "science" behind everyday life.

Stargirl, what did you think about that Guardian article?

Most people are quite stupid though. They think that just because they are literate they are educated and have the capacity to understand scientific concepts.

Well put Picking

I think a lot of it is because "science" is now taught and represented as a body of philosophy and belief, rather than a method

What at schools? Sorry no dc so no idea what is taught in schools. I just always thought science was taught as fact!

It's so scary

It is worrying though. I have a friend who has cancer, her tumour is benign and she is trying to cure herself through all sorts of 'woo' such as spending a fortune drinking tea from a cancer bush in South Africa, using crystals and homeopathy. Luckily her tumour is benign, but it is scary how easily people, especially desperate sick people, can get exploited by this nonsense. It's costing her an absolute fortune for these alternative treatments, think hundreds of pounds a month.

I live in a town where it is very normal and fashionable to eschew medical treatments, doctors, vaccines, and where using homeopathy and alternative treatments is laudable. I find it annoying and worrying, it's like people will believe anything that they read in Natural Health News and take it as given fact!

I had a British man working in a Carribbean hotel tell me that the Queen is actually a shape shifting lizard and to google it if I didn't believe him. He was gravely serious about the whole thing..

Burn my cakes watching the Friends clip :)

Gravity, that's another thing my flat earth believing friend doesn't believe is true.

PickingOakum I think you're right about science being taught as a belief system. I also, perhaps controversially, think the culture of respect for others belief is contributing, some belief doesn't deserve any respect imo and I do think nonsense like this is damaging.

I met someone the other day who doesn't believe in dinosaurs. I am stupid and brainwashed on apparently.

I have no people being poorly educated or not educated at all incritical thinking BUT for Petes sake check 2 results on the first page of google for something that outrages you. Britain under Sharia Law, the queen being forced to wear a burka, veterans being fed to pigs. Just google it! By all means follow the click bate but google!

Like PP have mentioned I think it is a combination of science and just the internet with spread of information, people form echo chambers and and natural feeback loops occur so it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.

A lot of people do not understand science and pick up on the "theory" aspect and think that a complete 180 is applicable, I can remember seeing flat earther website in the early 90's that was clearly satirical, everyone would go into the message boards and have fun, but at some point it started to get serious, I still think for every 2 that is a believer there are another 3 just there having a laugh.

Also there are a lot of conspiracy theories that were generally laughed at pre internet, that have been proven to be true so it gives some a reason to hold onto some that are absurd, even during the internet age the fact that governments and facebook, google where tracing you across the web and drag netting everyone's data was generally laughed at until snowden.

As for brexit, there where obviously stupid on both sides and no side can claim playing clean or being solely on the side of evidence, I say that as a firm remainer.

Critical thinking is what is needed, the problem is that a lot of people think they are critical thinkers but then refuse to read/hear or seek out an alternative point of view.

The short answer is that there are lots of thick and gullible people in this world. Trump supporters, Brexiteers, the 'Alt-right', UKIP voters, Britain First, the EDL...they can generally all fuck off.

(Why is there no edit function? Delete random 'on' )

Also, people who don't believe in man made climate change really boil my piss. How much evidence do you need?!

@GrainOfSalt how do they explain all the fossils?

Just google it! By all means follow the click bate but google!

The problem with the "just google it" answer though is that for certain instances algorithms take over and the results offers the top listings of pages that are relevant to you, hence why you get a lot of people on MN thinking that MN is only discussing a certain topic or that if you search for some random supermarket in a part of the country they may be outed.

The short answer is that there are lots of thick and gullible people in this world. Trump supporters, Brexiteers, the 'Alt-right', UKIP voters, Britain First, the EDL...they can generally all fuck off. smile

True, but you forgot avid Corbyn supporters as well

In the case of vaccinations, I completely believe that the charm and listening abilities of the likes of Andrew Wakefield vs the blunt, dismissive and rather condescending voice of science will ensure he will continue to have supporters.
I'm not an anti-vaxxer btw, but I've seen enough parents being treated appallingly during autism assessments, and their concerns ignored, to see that a possible progression is to move away from science and distrust what it tells them.

As for climate change, I'm not sure many people have the capacity to understand something so huge, and when there's a slight glimpse of someone saying its a load of bollocks, it'll be latched onto.