3 ms·

I agree this guy comes off as a crackpot and that damages his credibility. But you have to admit he is unusually self-aware for a crackpot: If you haven’t con

• Confusion 15y ago
  Most crackpots are quite aware of the public, and expert, opinion on their ideas and use that to strategically undermine criticism by acknowledging at upfront. Drawing attention to criticism lowers the chance that someone will be influenced by that criticism: "if the crackpot himself draws attention to the argument, surely it can't be any good?" The fallacy here is that acknowledging some opinion exists in no way implies you have have seriously considered it; let alone have refuted it.