Evidence shows that shoving data in peoples’ faces doesn’t work to change minds.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/10673163

Evidence shows that shoving data in peoples’ faces doesn’t work to change minds.

As a scientist heavily engaged in science communication, I’ve seen it all.

People have come to my public talks to argue with me that the Big Bang never happened. People have sent me handwritten letters explaining how dark matter means that ghosts are real. People have asked me for my scientific opinion about homeopathy—and scoffed when they didn’t like my answer. People have told me, to my face, that what they just learned on a TV show proves that aliens built the pyramids and that I didn’t understand the science.

People have left comments on my YouTube videos saying… well, let’s not even go there.

I encounter pseudoscience everywhere I go. And I have to admit, it can be frustrating. But in all my years of working with the public, I’ve found a potential strategy. And that strategy doesn’t involve confronting pseudoscience head-on but rather empathizing with why people have pseudoscientific beliefs and finding ways to get them to understand and appreciate the scientific method.

  • Aurenkin@sh.itjust.works
    14·
    10 months ago

    It’s a good point, you just can’t expect empathy in return. That tends to wear you down, so I don’t really know what the answer is. Maybe picking your battles is important too.

    • 1984@lemmy.today
      53·
      10 months ago

      Well yes. You don’t have to be a keyboard warrior, you can choose to see something you don’t agree with and just move on.

      It’s like people think downvotes will somehow change the mind of the person who is posting. It probably won’t. :)

      In the real world, people make their own decisions, no matter how much you click the downvote button. :)

      • xePBMg9@lemmynsfw.comEnglish
        182·
        10 months ago

        I don’t down vote to change the posters mind. I down vote as a courtesy to others, so they can see what is relevant and what is not. As a bonus; people who have no idea can look at it and say “this is probably wrong since everyone down voted it”.

        • Aqarius@lemmy.world
          44·
          10 months ago

          Don’t conflate “wrong” with “unpopular opinion”. I was honestly hoping this downvote for disagreement thing would stay behind on reddit.

          The standard, IMO, should be “contributes to the conversation” vs “contributes to the noise”.

          • Bo7a@lemmy.ca
            8·
            10 months ago

            The standard, IMO, should be “contributes to the conversation” vs “contributes to the noise”.

            Respectfuly - I think that should have stayed on reddit. There is no reason we need to follow the cultural norms of a place we left. Downvoting obvious bullshit is always ok to me whether that bullshittery adds to the conversation or not.

            • voracitude@lemmy.world
              3·
              10 months ago

              Bullshit doesn’t add to the conversation, by definition, so I’m not sure what you mean here unless you’re saying to do away with upvotes and downvotes completely. That’s fine, by the way; I don’t really have an opinion myself, just because I’m not sure what would be a good replacement mechanism.

          • otp@sh.itjust.works
            1·
            10 months ago

            I don’t downvote things I disagree with, but I do downvote things that are objectively false or downright stupid.