http://www.vice.com/read/professor-brian-cox-interview-172What are your thoughts on conspiracy theories—that the moon landing was faked, for example?
If you’re idiotic enough to think that we didn’t land on the moon, then you’re idiotic enough to mess up crossing the road. So there’s a Darwinian element there. But it does become a problem if these conspiracy theories then start distrusting science in general—vaccination policy, nutrition, or climate change. These are serious issues that deserve serious treatment.
The moves for this dance:
1 Take a question about something non-mainstream and isolate what you think as its most outlandish.
- all people who don't buy all the official lines believe there was no moon landing
2 Using that reduction label all such people (hence of course their viewpoints) as being not even worthy of consideration.
- those people are just basically idiots
3 (this one is a beauty and relatively new) Propose that those people are not to blame. Natural selection has made them idiots.
4 Conclude in an appropriate pseudo open-minded fashion. You don't mind "those people" - just as long as they aren't taken seriously.
- all people who don't buy all the official lines believe there was no moon landing
2 Using that reduction label all such people (hence of course their viewpoints) as being not even worthy of consideration.
- those people are just basically idiots
3 (this one is a beauty and relatively new) Propose that those people are not to blame. Natural selection has made them idiots.
4 Conclude in an appropriate pseudo open-minded fashion. You don't mind "those people" - just as long as they aren't taken seriously.