This excellent video by QualiaSoup looks at how people make judgements about science, and how opinion and bias can distort reality. Climate science is not mentioned, but it’s all too obvious how the arguments used here apply to those who deny the need for action — especially in the light of Doug Mackie’s recent post on cognitive dissonance. Hat-tip to GrrlScientist, who suggests it would make an excellent video to show students taking an introductory science course. It would indeed.
10 thoughts on “Skewed views of science”
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My Blackberry is not working!
My Apple needs booting too! 🙂
Gotta get me one of them cheap x-boxes!
I liked that the speaker said to study. I find that many of the people I talk with about climate change have never studied the subject themselves but merely repeat opinions they have heard/read. Study requires diligence and intellectual effort – qualities that many people are sadly lacking.
Yes, Carol. Every now and again I’m extremely irritated when someone pops up on RealClimate or somewhere similarly technical and demands ‘an explanation’. An ‘explanation’ in simple layman’s terms that anyone can understand – usually of something complicated that I accept most of, because I readily understand a certain portion, and I’m unwilling to put in the time and effort.to fully grasp all the seriously technical ins and outs.
There is no law requiring that science could or should be understandable by absolutely everyone, let alone that instantaneous understanding should be gained by reading a few ‘simple’ sentences.
It’s called work.
Ah yes, how many times are we told we’re wrong because ‘most people believe the skeptics now’? Let us enjoy the full majesty of your uninformed ad hoc reckon‘.
That pretty much sums up talkback radio!
Yep, I reckon that sketch highlights a very real problem – ‘all ideas are equal, no matter how idiotic’ – and Mitchell’s barely repressed disdain is spot on…
I think we all have had the “Convince me!” or “How do you explain that?” commenters. Unfortunately, most of them are acting out a form of concern trolling.