• UlyssesT [he/him]@hexbear.net
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    1 year ago

    If we want to combat misinformation we should be encouraging people to trust scientists

    That sounds really grand on paper but in reality the societal definition of who a scientist is (and who is a credible scientist) is blurred to the point that you can piously disavow antivax conspiracy theories (some of them pushed by quack scientists with dubious qualifications) but also proclaim that even “shit science” should be freely released for all to see (with “race science” being mentioned in particular with you glibly disavowing knowledge of it) and you still haven’t provided a distinct measurable difference between the two.

    You really seem to be more in favor of “race science” than antivax nonsense, and they are both nonsense.

    • Dr Cog@mander.xyz
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      1 year ago

      I’m not saying trust any random person who calls themself a scientist. Myself included.

      I’m saying people should trust reputable scientists at the top of their field. Ideally, journalists should do the leg work to identify these people and give them a voice, and describe why they should be trusted.

      That doesn’t happen with nearly all right-leaning journalistic publications, unfortunately, resulting in a huge population not knowing who to trust or just mistrusting scientists in general.

      Edit: I realize I didn’t answer your point on freedom of access. I do firmly believe all science should be accessible, because no single study should ever be taken as fact. Science works through repetition, and if you have a study that disagrees with nearly everything else then it’s either a brand new way of looking at things (and will be supported in the future) or is junk (and will be ignored). But just because something is junk doesn’t mean we should prevent people from accessing it.

      • UlyssesT [he/him]@hexbear.net
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        1 year ago

        But just because something is junk doesn’t mean we should prevent people from accessing it.

        Again, after glibly dismissing antivax conspiracy theories as unscientific under the presumption that no one credible would believe them (not that that stopped the spread and distribution of them to the general public) you’re suggestion that all of the harmful prior false science listed at the following:

        https://legacyofslavery.harvard.edu/report

        https://slaveryandjustice.brown.edu/

        https://slavery.virginia.edu/

        https://georgetown.app.box.com/s/nzo1tx4elaerg13akjwxuve3pv9sb03a

        https://news.emory.edu/features/2021/09/emory-unpacks-history-of-slavery-and-dispossession/index.html

        should get openly and freely distributed under some idealistic notion of “set it all free” while you already derided the public for buying into antivax nonsense. Your idealism can and will hurt a lot more people because you clearly are more fine with racism than antivax conspiracy theories.

        • Dr Cog@mander.xyz
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          1 year ago

          You’re very good at putting words into people’s mouths (I didn’t even mention antivax theories), and that point is where I end the conversation. Good day

          • UlyssesT [he/him]@hexbear.net
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            1 year ago

            You’re very good at putting words into people’s mouths (I didn’t even mention antivax theories)

            You previously said:

            Strong disagree, given the vaccine hysteria was on the part of the deniers. The science supported and continues to support the vaccines effectiveness and safety. It’s primarily people who aren’t scientists and don’t know how to interpret medical studies that are claiming that they are dangerous or ineffective.

            Nice to meet you, I’m a medical scientist that specializes in Alzheimer’s research. Absolutely none of my colleagues think vaccines are dangerous.

            If you’re going to complain about “putting words into people’s mouths” don’t be a liar on top of that.

            Good day

            smuglord

            • Dr Cog@mander.xyz
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              1 year ago

              Ah, yes. Good catch, I did mention that there is no scientific evidence to support any widespread negative effects of the vaccines, and there continues to not be. You’re more than able to put yourself in the running for the Nobel prize for saving millions of lives by finding and publishing this evidence, though, since it seems that you’re so confident in it.

              I did not state that “no one credible would believe them”, and your links about slavery are irrelevant because the discussion was about vaccines, not racism.

              And I didn’t lie. Literally none of my colleagues thinks there is any merit to antivax scaremongering.

              • UlyssesT [he/him]@hexbear.net
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                1 year ago

                Ah, yes.

                You should have stuck with your “good day” if you have nothing left to provide but more Reddit tier smug condescension.

                And I didn’t lie.

                Yes, you did lie. The lie was that, direct quote, you “didn’t even mention antivax theories.”