4
hitko
3y

!dev

How do smart (and, I presume, well-educated) people get an idea like "Oh, I know what this world needs, another video where someone scientifically disproves a story from the Bible" or "I should commemorate the new year by telling everyone how insignificant this day is for the universe"? How does someone spend years traveling the world, giving speeches about science, teaching curious people about physics, history, mathematics, chemistry, the space, etc., and then figure that the next thing they should share from their impressive knowledge is an edgy video disproving some old story or tradition?

Comments
  • 3
    Well, being a negation of a widely accepted ideas makes you feels smarter, though. Doesn't matter even if it's actually unused or totally ridiculous.
  • 5
    @imaji Disproving widely accepted ideas is one thing. Making a video where you disprove the story of Noah's ark is like making a video where you disprove Santa's flying reindeer, both stories are accepted by approximately the same group of people...
  • 1
    For more social presence or power
  • 4
    It's an interesting exercise. Like myth busters checking wheter a turd can really be polished or not, or that group that was doing the math for earbud cables getting tangled when putting them in your pocket. It's fun, and you get to learn something in the process.
    I fail to see what's edgy about it, unless our definitions are different. In fact, I find it odd to see this comment in a service aimed at people that most probably like to tinker and experiment.
  • 2
    @hitko That's it. Actually, sometimes I don't know what's their point. "We enlightens people to see the reality", for what actually? If those people happy with their faith and traditions, why bother interrupting? The only thing all people needs to control is the outcome to common interests, not any "deeper" part of the ideas.
  • 4
    @hitko edgy atheists are the worst.

    In generally, most of them do not care about telling truth but proving their “intellectual superiority”.
  • 2
    @ars1 How's telling people that "new year's eve is an insignificant moment for the universe" an experiment and not a childish cry for attention? Especially coming from a scientist at the time most people choose to forget serious topics and just enjoy themselves for a night?
  • 3
    Also, this speech will most likely be heard by those that don't believe either. They'll be preaching to the choir, or rather, at everyone but the choir.

    If their purpose was to promote science (which likely isn't anyways), a better strategy would be to promote it using the other's value system. "Science is a gift from God." "Vaccines are natural because they just help the body heal itself, whereas your exotic herbs were never meant to be put inside the human body." "God wouldn't want you to suffer, so do take the medicine. Have faith because this doctor is an emissary from God."
  • 1
    @hitko if the guy is going out of his way just to be a dick about it, sure. I haven't met anyone doing that though.
  • 1
    @ars1 Nah, you don't have to meet them in personal, they will show themselves, proudfully, with the most annoying manners.
  • 2
    This was true in 2004, is still true today.
    https://penny-arcade.com/comic/...
  • 3
    @eo2875 ”Science is a gift from god”? Why on bloody earth would anyone use rhetorics like that? It straight up diminishes the value of anything else they would say... pfft, gift from god my arse...
  • 1
    @100110111 fight stupidity with less stupid stupidity at least
  • 1
    @eo2875 Or at least accepting both sides as a mere mortals with no one better than another and synchronize their humanity instead of each own arrogance. Like, hakuna matata?
  • 1
    Why should not they do that?
  • 1
    @hitko people can enjoy themselves at any day. They are stupid enough to limit their enjoyment to a specific day imposed by someone.
  • 1
    @iiii Wow, sounds like a bunch of people back at the old days who said, "those are primitive and uncivilized group of people, let's teach them about civilization". And on, and on...
  • 0
    @imaji what are you implying?
  • 2
    @100110111 it worked for early scientists. Literally all prominent western scients after 1600s were believers and tried to understand god given world. Your purity is dangerous.
  • 0
    @aviophile worked for them, shouldn’t be needed in the 20-fucking-20s anymore
  • 0
    @ars1 Bil Nye, Neil deGrasse, and several other "popular scientists" regularly "mention" this exact thing on their twitter. And as you can see in tweets from Neil below, it's usually said in a super condescending way, with the "I bet no one else ever thought about that" tone.

    Edit: DevRant has a problem uploading the image
    https://puu.sh/HnQoL.jpg
  • 0
    @hitko I don't know why he keeps saying it, because it does seem annoying. That said, he's talking about astronomy, not religion, which is what the original post was complaining about.
  • 1
    @aviophile That seems like quite an extraordinary claim. How many prominent scientists would need to be mentioned for you to say "ok I was wrong"? Will the meaning of "prominent" change according to what's convenient?
    The annoying part about claims like these is that it's ultimately someone attempting to use some authority's name and say "see, X is on my team!", rather than caring about truth. I rarely see someone backing down as being mistaken if proven wrong.
  • 0
    @ars1 what are you rambling about in that alphabet soup?
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