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Remember that the NSA spying thing was considered a conspiracy theory until the snowden leaks. Same goes for things like the Glomar Explorer. Being aware that t

Remember that the NSA spying thing was considered a conspiracy theory until the snowden leaks. Same goes for things like the Glomar Explorer. Being aware that there are conspiracies and being sceptical is not a mental defect, but rather a successful evolutionary strategy.

tropdrop 6y ago
From the article: > Encouraging analytic thinking may also help. In a 2014 study published in Cognition, Swami and his colleagues recruited 112 people for an experiment. First, they had everyone fill out a questionnaire that evaluated how strongly they believed in various conspiracy theories. A few weeks later the subjects came back in, and the researchers split them into two groups. One group completed a task that included unscrambling words in sentences containing words such as “analyze” and “rational,” which primed them to think more analytically. Also: > In addition, false conspiracy theories have several hallmarks, Lewandowsky says. Three of them are particularly noticeable. First, the theories include contradictions. For example, some deniers of climate change argue that there is no scientific consensus on the issue while framing themselves as heroes pushing back against established consensus. Both cannot be true. A second telltale sign is when a contention is based on shaky assumptions. Trump, for instance, claimed that millions of illegal immigrants cast ballots in the 2016 presidential election and were the reason he lost the popular vote. Beyond the complete lack of evidence for such voting, his assumption was that multitudes of such votes—if they existed—would have been for his Democratic opponent. Yet past polls of unauthorized Hispanic immigrants suggest that many of them would have voted for a Republican candidate over a Democratic one... A third sign that a claim is a far-fetched theory, rather than an actual conspiracy, is that those who support it interpret evidence against their theory as evidence for it. When the van of the alleged mail bomber Cesar Sayoc was found in Florida plastered with Trump stickers, for instance, some individuals said this helped to prove that Democrats were really behind the bombs. “If anyone thinks this is what a real conservative’s van looks like, you are being willfully ignorant. Cesar Sayoc is clearly just a fall guy for this obvious false flag,” one person posted on Twitter. This article is about encouraging skepticism and analysis, not discouraging it. Notice how it discusses false conspiracy theories, as an acquiescence that sometimes conspiracy theories could become truth.
- ColanR 6y ago
  > acquiescence that sometimes conspiracy theories could become truth If there was an intention of acknowledging the truth behind some theories, they would / should have come right out and said so. As it is, the article is sending a much clearer message that 'if people were to think analytically, they wouldn't believe conspiracy theories'.
- dependenttypes 6y ago
  > some deniers of climate change argue that there is no scientific consensus on the issue while framing themselves as heroes pushing back against established consensus. Both cannot be true Sure they can, scientific consensus != the consensus of the whole society. In addition he says as if this is a central part of the theory rather than just the argument that some random supporters of said theory say. > Trump, for instance, claimed that ... This is not even a theory about a conspiracy though. Why is this in the article? > Yet past polls of unauthorized Hispanic immigrants suggest that many of them would have voted for a Republican candidate over a Democratic one If they disagree they should engage in open dialogue. I have no reason to trust either of them. > This article is about encouraging skepticism and analysis Then let me be sceptic about how they did not include any conspiracy theories that are supported by the democrat party. > Notice how it discusses false conspiracy theories Conspiracy theories which that the one writing the article decided that they were false. > sometimes conspiracy theories could become truth Sometimes conspiracy theories are true from the start.

tropdrop 6y ago

From the article: > Encouraging analytic thinking may also help. In a 2014 study published in Cognition, Swami and his colleagues recruited 112 people for an experiment. First, they had everyone fill out a questionnaire that evaluated how strongly they believed in various conspiracy theories. A few weeks later the subjects came back in, and the researchers split them into two groups. One group completed a task that included unscrambling words in sentences containing words such as “analyze” and “rational,” which primed them to think more analytically. Also: > In addition, false conspiracy theories have several hallmarks, Lewandowsky says. Three of them are particularly noticeable. First, the theories include contradictions. For example, some deniers of climate change argue that there is no scientific consensus on the issue while framing themselves as heroes pushing back against established consensus. Both cannot be true. A second telltale sign is when a contention is based on shaky assumptions. Trump, for instance, claimed that millions of illegal immigrants cast ballots in the 2016 presidential election and were the reason he lost the popular vote. Beyond the complete lack of evidence for such voting, his assumption was that multitudes of such votes—if they existed—would have been for his Democratic opponent. Yet past polls of unauthorized Hispanic immigrants suggest that many of them would have voted for a Republican candidate over a Democratic one... A third sign that a claim is a far-fetched theory, rather than an actual conspiracy, is that those who support it interpret evidence against their theory as evidence for it. When the van of the alleged mail bomber Cesar Sayoc was found in Florida plastered with Trump stickers, for instance, some individuals said this helped to prove that Democrats were really behind the bombs. “If anyone thinks this is what a real conservative’s van looks like, you are being willfully ignorant. Cesar Sayoc is clearly just a fall guy for this obvious false flag,” one person posted on Twitter. This article is about encouraging skepticism and analysis, not discouraging it. Notice how it discusses false conspiracy theories, as an acquiescence that sometimes conspiracy theories could become truth.

ColanR 6y ago
> acquiescence that sometimes conspiracy theories could become truth If there was an intention of acknowledging the truth behind some theories, they would / should have come right out and said so. As it is, the article is sending a much clearer message that 'if people were to think analytically, they wouldn't believe conspiracy theories'.
dependenttypes 6y ago
> some deniers of climate change argue that there is no scientific consensus on the issue while framing themselves as heroes pushing back against established consensus. Both cannot be true Sure they can, scientific consensus != the consensus of the whole society. In addition he says as if this is a central part of the theory rather than just the argument that some random supporters of said theory say. > Trump, for instance, claimed that ... This is not even a theory about a conspiracy though. Why is this in the article? > Yet past polls of unauthorized Hispanic immigrants suggest that many of them would have voted for a Republican candidate over a Democratic one If they disagree they should engage in open dialogue. I have no reason to trust either of them. > This article is about encouraging skepticism and analysis Then let me be sceptic about how they did not include any conspiracy theories that are supported by the democrat party. > Notice how it discusses false conspiracy theories Conspiracy theories which that the one writing the article decided that they were false. > sometimes conspiracy theories could become truth Sometimes conspiracy theories are true from the start.