Allison B. Kaufman

The trouble is that the people with the crazy ideas - in this context the ones who reject quantum physics or relativity on principle - are not interested in understanding about the world. They want you to listen to them, yes, but they have no interest in listening to you - if you don't accept their view then you are part of the conspiracy. I tried this approach when I was younger and more optimistic, but gave up long ago.

On the plus side, relativity deniers are harmless as long as they don't programme your GPS. Climate change or vaccination deniers are a different matter, but many of these seem equally uninterested in learning how the world really works.

To believe science - is not the correct way, theoretically. Because in this case it is just as one of religions for people and it will be always only for a minority => "scientists are losing the fight to communicate science to the public".

To understand science - the correct way. For this one needs to work, think, investigate, read a lot, it is not easy => majority will never understand a lot in science => "scientists are losing the fight to communicate science to the public".

I try not to be that guy, the angry righteous science explainer, but sometimes the ignorance of people who are educated and intelligent, about science is jaw dropping. Claims about healing magnets, homeopathy and other nonsense. What is amazing is people will dismiss scientists, experts with years of training and experience one moment. Then the next their position is unarguable, because a scientist or one scientific paper, usually dodgy, agrees with them.

Some Sunday papers are just as bad; their journalists are far the most part pretty clueless about how to use evidence and statistics. My attitude is, it isn't that hard to learn the basics. If you ignore the experts or don't know anything about the subject, you still get a say, but what you say has no value, so should be ignored. When you argue with an idiot they're just going to drag you down to their level and beat you with experience. Their "worries" are unfounded nonsense, why do we have to pander to the lowest common denominator. Provide people the evidence, if they still want to refute it there's no point wasting your time with them.

Of course, it all depends how important the argument is. If you are arguing about the nature of consciousness, or the meaning of quantum mechanics, then sure, go ahead, refuse to engage with them. But if it’s something important, like the MMR vaccine, or global warming then your attitude is dangerous, and will lead to worst outcomes for the human race. And remember, that you are rarely interacting with just the person arguing, but you almost have an audience, whether it’s just the others round the dinner table, or those watching you on twitter, or on TV. And those people are more likely to side with the person they perceive as the nicer person - and they will form that opinion faster than they can assess the evidence - it'll be made by the automatic part of their brain rather than the rational part.… (plus d'informations)