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Science, defiled
Aug. 30th, 2021 04:03 pmAll over the world, people refuse to vaccinate against Covid 19 in amazingly large numbers. This is interesting because it means that a large segment of the population, when push comes to shove, simply do not trust neither science nor the news. Not even a little bit. The impression I get from talking to people on park banks and bus rides is that the Telegram-Chanel dweller and the well informed 'skeptic' is in the minority of this segment of the population. This large segment of the population just does not take any of this seriously on its own terms.
When the grandes from the WHO and the Institute of Advanced This And That appear on TV giving their gospel, a large number of people are not even tuned in and even if they were, they simply do not take these serious people seriously. And of course the situation hasn't improved at all during this episode of mania.
I think one big reason the PMC are so enraged is because of the indignity this means. We, the people, are basically saying to them: you are a bunch of self important, ridiculous clowns, and we've been thinking that for ages. And the worst part is that they are every day more worried that we might be right.
The last time I talked with an ex colleague about this, now a professor, and I showed him graphics and data that couldn't be more conclusive on the simple fact that there is no 'there' there, it felt like the problem for him was the blasphemy. How could I have the temerity to claim such a horrible thing about the institution called science? It felt at times like I was trying to convince him of something akin to his mother being a whore.
He has a point, though. Science is a core element of our civilization. Beyond that, it was supposed to be our messiah and solve all our problems like climate change, cancer, malnutrition, etc. Acknowledging that this messiah, figuratively speaking, came home high on drugs, beat up wifey and the kids, and is now keeping them in the basement so they can't call the police, is just too much.
But what is done is done, and no amount of gaslighting will keep the situation stable for long. No matter where this goes: it will be very interesting to see what happens when even the PMC start seeing the serious science people on TV as little more than a bunch of self important charlatans. We, in the west, are truly losing our religion.
When the grandes from the WHO and the Institute of Advanced This And That appear on TV giving their gospel, a large number of people are not even tuned in and even if they were, they simply do not take these serious people seriously. And of course the situation hasn't improved at all during this episode of mania.
I think one big reason the PMC are so enraged is because of the indignity this means. We, the people, are basically saying to them: you are a bunch of self important, ridiculous clowns, and we've been thinking that for ages. And the worst part is that they are every day more worried that we might be right.
The last time I talked with an ex colleague about this, now a professor, and I showed him graphics and data that couldn't be more conclusive on the simple fact that there is no 'there' there, it felt like the problem for him was the blasphemy. How could I have the temerity to claim such a horrible thing about the institution called science? It felt at times like I was trying to convince him of something akin to his mother being a whore.
He has a point, though. Science is a core element of our civilization. Beyond that, it was supposed to be our messiah and solve all our problems like climate change, cancer, malnutrition, etc. Acknowledging that this messiah, figuratively speaking, came home high on drugs, beat up wifey and the kids, and is now keeping them in the basement so they can't call the police, is just too much.
But what is done is done, and no amount of gaslighting will keep the situation stable for long. No matter where this goes: it will be very interesting to see what happens when even the PMC start seeing the serious science people on TV as little more than a bunch of self important charlatans. We, in the west, are truly losing our religion.