[panicp (Dave)]

Hey all,

This may be an unnecessary distraction for those of us who are fans of Newtonian/Einsteinian Gravitational theory & get enormous pleasure from observing space-time from our own backyards. But - how on earth do you/we counter the increasing amount pseudoscience including the pre-medieaval flat earth argument when the bunch of clowns promulgating this nonsence won't ever accept irrefutable scientific argument? Or should we even bother?

So more of a general queston: how do you you/we approach pseudoscience/conspiracy theory and the bogus arguments used when such parties refuse to offer any plausible evidence for their even less plausible hypotheses.

For what it's worth, I think the power of social media and the pure gullibility of certain people who will refute any science on the basis of a few google seraches warrants challenge (before real science gets buried under a meleé of misinformation, conspiracy and heresay). I think 100 years ago- 50 years ago - even 25 years ago, this question would be laughed at, but given the power that social media has, we really do live in challenging times.


Spot (unscientific) poll:

How should the scientific community respond to outrageous, hyperbolic pseudoscientific claims by other parties who refute established astrophysical theory/law*?

1) Ignore them - like all quacks they will go away sooner or later
2) Challenge them with demonstrable science fact when possible
3) Unsure - how do you convince those who will never be convinced?
4) Maybe we need to look into the psychology of why people have always countered proveable science since the year dot - and address that?
5) Leave them alone - they might be right!

(*given that all astrophysical law may be changed in the future on the back of demonstrable, acceptable, peer-reviewed and testable evidence and thus assuming current accepted theory as it stands today.)