Ars TechnicaThe key to fighting pseudoscience isn’t mockery—it’s empathy
Evidence shows that shoving data in peoples’ faces doesn’t work to change minds.
Clinton Anderson SwordForHire@arstechnica Why do we need to change minds?
Let people be wrong, and let them suffer the consequences. Fk em
Kellic Tiger 
@ClintonAnderson @arstechnica because it impacts society. See anti-vaxxers as a perfect example of that. By having people not vaccinate against easily avoidable things we allow them to gain a foothold again in society. Measles as one example. 2019 was ridiculously bad for measel outbreaks this shouldn't even be a f****** thing anymore. And before you say well they deserve it..... A small child doesn't have the capability of making that decision nor does immunocompromised people.
@KellicTiger @arstechnica There have been Anti-vaxxers as long as there have been vaccines.
No amout of engagement, one way or the other, has got rid of them.
I prefer to dismiss them. I'd like to see them, by way of example, unemployed.
@KellicTiger @arstechnica Lemme provide a for-instance... An attempt to empathize with anti-science to change minds.
The "debate" between Bill Nye (The Science Guy) and that idiot Creationist, con artist, wife beater, tax-dodger, who built a fake boat, from Australia.
All that happened was, The Grifters income went WAAAAAAY up.
It did far more harm than good.
It would have been better if Bill had said "No, fuck that guy, I'm not elevating his idiocy with my presence"
dennisaurus@ClintonAnderson @KellicTiger @arstechnica This wasn't my understanding. Ham may have claimed donations for the Ark project went up but it's been in financial trouble the whole time.
The debate went well for Nye; even other creationists chastised Ham's poor performance.
P.S. a post on my sadly-neglected blog made at the time in the subject.
@dfrancis @KellicTiger @arstechnica
Some people love to point to The Ark Encounter and say "It's in financial trouble"
And yet, here we are years later and not only is it still here, it's being expanded.
All that debate did is elevate Ham and his nonsense.
@ClintonAnderson @KellicTiger @arstechnica What I am seeing on Google says the project is nowhere near meeting its projections and the economic boon promised to the nearby town never happened. The only ones saying different are Answers In Genesis. This link is pretty typical of the reporting.
https://rightingamerica.net/ark-encounter-not-sinking-but-not-close-to-living-up-to-projections/
@dfrancis @KellicTiger @arstechnica It's open today... It'll be open tomorrow.
The debate ONLY helped the grifter
@ClintonAnderson @KellicTiger @arstechnica Sorry but the evidence doesn't really support that. Ark Encounter will be "open" as long as AIG exists because closing it would admit defeat. Are you saying AE wouldn't even exist if Nye hadn't debated Ham? We both know that's not true.