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Showing posts from October, 2020

Obey the Consensus Because Experts are Smarter than You

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen We have seen numerous example of how people are unwilling, even unable, to think rationally and challenge assertions. Many are willing to follow what "scientists say", but this is often a cessation of thought. Worse is appealing to the majority — the so-called consensus . Original image: Unsplash / Jo-Anne McArthur , modified at Big Huge Labs Let's mount up and ride to the top of yonder hill and get the bigger picture. Dr. Michael Crichton had some excellent statements about how science and consensus are mutually exclusive . While there is a consensus on many things, those things are not necessarily ironclad facts. Also, the consensus is often wrong and even biased: Geocentrism (the earth stands still while the sun, moon and stars orbit it) was the prevalent view for a mighty long time Things burned because they had phlogiston  in them Ignaz Semmelweis determined that doctors should wash their hands, but was ridiculed Piltdown Man fooled the scie