A recurring theme in my thoughts and work lately is psychological resistance to demonstrable facts. (See: Why facts will never be enough to make people believe). Sometimes that’s due to cognitive dissonance, emotional reasoning, or herd reinforcement. But sometimes it’s due to a plain lack of understanding of what science is and how it functions.
So this recent episode from The Onion Radio News reduced me to helpless giggles. Enjoy!
UPDATE: On a related note, science journalist Christie Aschwanden alerted me to this 2008 NYT story:Â Experts Question Placebo Pill for Children. Thanks! Brilliant! You just can’t make this shit up!