Scientists: Earth Endangered by New Strain of Fact-Resistant Humans

[georgegassaway]

Satire from The Borowitz Report
By Andy Borowitz

"Scientists have discovered a powerful new strain of fact-resistant humans who are threatening the ability of Earth to sustain life, a sobering new study reports.

The research, conducted by the University of Minnesota, identifies a virulent strain of humans who are virtually immune to any form of verifiable knowledge, leaving scientists at a loss as to how to combat them.

“These humans appear to have all the faculties necessary to receive and process information,” Davis Logsdon, one of the scientists who contributed to the study, said. “And yet, somehow, they have developed defenses that, for all intents and purposes, have rendered those faculties totally inactive.”

More at: https://tinyurl.com/y55oyrrg

 

[K'Tesh]

I'm sure that there is more than one strain. I think I know several of them.

 

[BigRiJoe]

Then there are humans who only believe scientific facts that fit their personal agenda

 

[cwbullet]

I am going to strategically remind folks to avoid going political. I have noticed the definition of “facts” depends on the person’s point of view.

 

[Onebadhawk]

I am going to strategically remind folks to avoid going political. I have noticed the definition of “facts” depends on the person’s point of view.

Ha,,
Now dats funny,,
and very true..
This powerful new strain of fact-resistant humans
believes that "facts" depends on a particular agenda or point of view...
They don't..
That's why their called facts,, lol..

Teddy

( P.S.- Don't get mad at me Chuck, I'm on your side here, lol.. )

 

[cerving]

There is an innoculation for this. It's called "education"...

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

The thing about facts is that they exist independent of whether we believe them or not. There’s one objective reality, and it doesn’t care about our own individual subjective interpretations, opinions, wishes, or delusions. Reality will assert itself.

In the past year or two I’ve been learning more about why people believe what they believe, even when it is demonstrably false. We like to think of humans as rational, but people are far more motivated by emotion and by psychological needs than by rational thought, facts, or reason. Some of the strongest psychological needs are a sense of one’s own identity and the need to belong within a group, and those two things are entwined. What happens is a person says I’m a member of this group, this group believes certain things, therefore I believes these things. Their beliefs are bound up in their sense of themselves and their sense of belonging, so when something contradictory comes along, it puts a lot of their basic needs under threat. Usually what happens is the fact lose out.

 

[Onebadhawk]

The thing about facts is that they exist independent of whether we believe them or not. There’s one objective reality, and it doesn’t care about our own individual subjective interpretations, opinions, wishes, or delusions. Reality will assert itself.

In the past year or two I’ve been learning more about why people believe what they believe, even when it is demonstrably false. We like to think of humans as rational, but people are far more motivated by emotion and by psychological needs than by rational thought, facts, or reason. Some of the strongest psychological needs are a sense of one’s own identity and the need to belong within a group, and those two things are entwined. What happens is a person says I’m a member of this group, this group believes certain things, therefore I believes these things. Their beliefs are bound up in their sense of themselves and their sense of belonging, so when something contradictory comes along, it puts a lot of their basic needs under threat. Usually what happens is the fact lose out.

++ 1 Million..

Eric,
I'm sorry man but I think if you were standing in front of me right now I'd kiss you..

Mann,, is this well said..
YOU my friend ARE an educated man..
You know what I call this wonderful paragraph ?
Being a student of human nature.
You cannot fight human nature..

And Cris,,
I don't think education necessarily helps...

Teddy

 

[cwbullet]

There is an innoculation for this. It's called "education"...

That is true if the education comes from a person that at least attempts to subject less bias. The problem today is that we folks presenting opinion as fact and claiming facts are opinions.

 

[K'Tesh]

My brother-in-law was able to track down the name of this strain of humans... They're called "DipSticks".

 

[Maxitout]

Education is the answer, but don't get that confused with schooling. I think every one of us has run into someone that doesn't have any schooling past high school, and are pretty intelligent. At the same time, we've also run into people with a Phd that couldn't poor piss out of a boot if the instructions were printed on the heel. I believe that schooling will get you a degree, and will get you some education, but I think one would get more indoctrination into certain beliefs. I don't think people are taught to think for themselves anymore.

Phil L.

 

[dr wogz]

Its one thing to 'get' an education. it's entirely another to 'have' an education..

It's one this to get a concept, it's entirely another to understand the concept..

 

[Onebadhawk]

Wow,,
Very cool for sure..
All very well said..
A pleasure..

But Eric still wins the prize,, lol..

Teddy

 

[jqavins]

The problem with education (or schooling) as the solution is that the very nature of the strain make it difficult or impossible for the individuals to become educated.

Anyway, the thread/article title says it all. Hilarious.

 

[Onebadhawk]

Wow,
You know what this conversation has done..
It's brought out the difference between education, schooling, street smarts, common sense..

Teddy

 

[cwbullet]

The problem with education (or schooling) as the solution is that the very nature of the strain make it difficult or impossible for the individuals to become educated.

True. Before college, I attended high school, but most of my education came from reading on my own. I am not so sure people do the same today,

 

[Maxitout]

I agree with Chuck. I have done a lot of reading in my time, and I think it's the best educational resource. It doesn't even matter what you read, you will learn something. And that is education.

Phil L.

 

[jqavins]

True. Before college, I attended high school, but most of my education came from reading on my own. I am not so sure people do the same today,

Fair enough, but it seems to miss my point. The difference between education and schooling is all well and good, but the Dip-Stick strain of humans, being impervious to facts, is unaffected by both either one.

You can't fix Dip-Stick.

 

[jlabrasca]

Its a funny headline, but

Satire from The Borowitz Report

" ...leaving scientists at a loss as to how to combat them."

"at a loss" is why it is so hard to laugh at stuff like this.

I teach a couple of classes that are intended to introduce the philosophy of science and the scientific method. I face some number of "science resistant" students every term.

There are those who are not impervious to facts, but who are not persuaded by facts. For example, people who understand all of the various evidences that indicate that the earth, as a discrete body, has existed for about 4.5 billion years but who will reject that conclusion. As ThirsytBarbarian notes, there are other motivators. Subtle ideas like parsimony and falsifiability do not always prevail over the taboos and superstitions to which a person adheres to establish identity as a member of a group.

There are also those who simply do not accept that such a thing as a fact exists. Every term I encounter some version of the argument from uncertainty "We used to think the earth was flat, but now we think something different. How can we be sure that we aren't just as wrong about what we think we know now?" Often it is used as a kind of rhetorical judo, which tries to turn the strengths of scientific inquiry back on the scientist" "How can you say you are certain about your conclusions? I thought scientists were supposed to be open-minded?"

Then there are those who just don't care about facts. Most frequently, I encounter this in the "too long, didn't read" student: "I didn't do the reading, but I think I remembered something that I saw in the first 20 seconds of a Khan Academy video that was too boring to watch all the way to the end. Can't you just give me a passing grade? I am not really interested in physics, I am only taking this class because it is required for my degree." These last are the most frustrating. Suspicious, entitled, and full of unexamined opinions and prejudices. They are also, as nearly as I can tell, the students mostly likely to cheat.

None of these categories is susceptible to scientific argument and so, scientists are "at a loss" for a remedy.

There is an innoculation for this. It's called "education"...

Indeed, a cure may not be possible -- but it seems like it might be preventable in some cases. I will amplify cerving's comment, by suggesting that the most effective prevention is a thorough and rigorous education in mathematics. As Roger Bacon observed:

...Neglect of mathematics works injury to all knowledge, since he who is ignorant of it cannot know the other sciences or the things of this world. And what is worse, men who are thus Ignorant are unable to perceive their own ignorance and so do not seek a remedy."

 

[mperegrinefalcon]

People just don't realize that reality doesn't care about your feelings

 

[georgegassaway]

Re: Education.

There are "schools" that refute science.

 

[jqavins]

This doesn't just apply to science. Some people will run a stop sign and T-bone you, only to claim, and actually believe, that the incident is your fault. Or keep doing the same thing, expecting new results (which may be a definition of insanity, but Einstein never said it). Or any number of other things, whether about science or not.

 

[boatgeek]

I believe that there is one set of facts. That said, one problem I see (and have been guilty of) is presenting opinions as fact. “We just can’t afford to...” “It is inhumane to...” “We won’t be safe unless...”

The people saying these things believe them 100% and believe that they are immutable facts. That makes it nearly impossible to come to a reasoned solution, especially if you have two of those in opposition. On the issue of being able to afford something for example, we can afford nearly anything—it’s a matter of trade offs and what you decide to cut.

 

[WhiskyTangoFoxtrot]

Science has all the answers. Now that's a frickin joke

Seems to me that all the ones who are anti-facts and pro-feelings are the well. you know the word that can't be written in this thread

Odd that the cause of climate change is right up front. One group see the "facts": and blames "Humankind" Another group sees the same set of facts and blames a variety of cyclical solar and planetary motion factors. Your choice to INTERPRET a set of "facts" depends on the agenda you're currently supporting

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

++ 1 Million..

Eric,
I'm sorry man but I think if you were standing in front of me right now I'd kiss you..

Mann,, is this well said..
YOU my friend ARE an educated man..
You know what I call this wonderful paragraph ?
Being a student of human nature.
You cannot fight human nature..

And Cris,,
I don't think education necessarily helps...

Teddy

Thanks Teddy. That’s a nice compliment.

I took some training last year about having productive conversations (or arguments) with people who have a very different point of view on hot-button topics. Some of the training was about why it is almost impossible to persuade people away from strongly held beliefs using facts, logic, and reason. It was really interesting, because I have some close friends who I have always thought of as intelligent and who have good educations and good critical thinking skills, but they’ve totally gone down the rabbit hole on things that are provably, factually wrong. I”m not talking about having a different opinion about the meaning of a shared set of facts. That’s understandable. I’m talking about rejecting things we know to be true — observable, measurable facts — because they don’t support my friend’s beliefs. It’s been very frustrating and confusing. The training helped me understand why it happens.

 

[cvanc]

(snip really interesting description) The training helped me understand why it happens.

I'd love to know more about this training, is it something others can get?

Excellent conversation ,everybody.

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

Odd that the cause of climate change is right up front. One group see the "facts": and blames "Humankind" Another group sees the same set of facts and blames a variety of cyclical solar and planetary motion factors. Your choice to INTERPRET a set of "facts" depends on the agenda you're currently supporting

I’m not going to make an argument one way or another on this topic, because it’s forbidden on this forum. But I don’t think both groups you are talking about actually are looking at the same set of facts. It’s mostly not a disagreement about how to interpret the same data. That would be a lot more understandable, and disagreements like that happen all the time. On this topic, a lot of the argument is about the facts themselves, which is really unfortunate and is a symptom of some very big problems in our society right now. A fact is a measurable, verifiable piece of data, like a temperature, or a weight, or a distance, or a color, etc. so you would think we COULD have a shared set of facts on this topic. We could take the measurements and make the observations, and then agree or disagree on what they mean. But unfortunately, the argument is often that you can’t trust the other group’s facts, you can only trust your own group’s facts. That same kind of thinking is now infecting a lot of other areas of public policy too, and it’s a huge problem.

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

I'd love to know more about this training, is it something others can get?

Excellent conversation ,everybody.

I volunteered for several political groups working on the 2018 election, and I got invited by one of the groups to attend the training, which was hosted by one of my groups but conducted by another organization. I don’t remember the name of that organization off the top of my head right now or even which group hooked me up with it, but I’ll check back through the stuff I saved and see what I can find.

 

[OverTheTop]

One incarnation of the problem is if people grow up, and are fed a particular version of reality, and suddently encounter something completely against and outside of what they have been taught/exposed to then cognitive dissonance can kick in. This is actually a known human behaviour.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance

I love this human behaviour stuff .

 

[cwbullet]