General Discussion

Xithras

(16,191 posts)

66. Woo isn't specific to a party. Just ignore the nutters.

Mon Jan 6, 2014, 02:30 PM

Jan 2014

The difference between left-woo and right-woo is tolerance. Right wing woo demands that you accept it as reality. Left wing woo generally doesn't give a crap if you "believe" or not.

I live in a reality-based world, hold multiple science degrees, and tend to view most woo as the product of poor educational standards, but I can tolerate left-woo more than right-woo because it isn't so "in your face". If left-woo believers start insisting that we teach reincarnation and chakras in our biology courses, I'll reconsider that opinion. Until then, I don't really care what others believe. And neither should you. One of the core principles of liberalism is tolerance and acceptance of differing opinions. You don't have to accept their beliefs as valid or having ANY grounding in the real world, but as a liberal you DO have to accept their right to hold those beliefs if they choose.

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As a scientifically minded person. The propensity for the left to go for "woo"... [View all] Locut0s Jan 2014 OP

Are you a scientist in real life pnwmom Jan 2014 #1

Are you a politician in real life?... Locut0s Jan 2014 #2

A lot of people here have been claiming a scientific expertise pnwmom Jan 2014 #3

Science isn't some impenetrable Gray edifice... Locut0s Jan 2014 #5

I agree. And I know enough scientists personally pnwmom Jan 2014 #6

So you are saying that debunking pseudoscience is speaking for scientists?... Locut0s Jan 2014 #7

You may find this interesting Shankapotomus Jan 2014 #21

the link doesn't work but the concept makes a great deal of sense to me. Voice for Peace Jan 2014 #58

link fixed Shankapotomus Jan 2014 #87

"There is no such thing as political expertise" Lizzie Poppet Jan 2014 #43

Scientific literacy is different than being formally trained as a physicist. Gore1FL Jan 2014 #52

Is scientist a job or a method? The Straight Story Jan 2014 #4

Where in the OP does the poster claim to be a scientist? intaglio Jan 2014 #22

I think there should be equal opportunity skepticism. pnwmom Jan 2014 #25

Question Big Pharma, yes. NuclearDem Jan 2014 #29

No they see credulous persons like yourself intaglio Jan 2014 #36

In any large group of individuals, some will always be closer to various fringes. eShirl Jan 2014 #8

This is true... Locut0s Jan 2014 #10

not necessarily observer bias eShirl Jan 2014 #14

Ok agreed... Locut0s Jan 2014 #16

or unquestioning obedience to your doctor, rather than prayer Voice for Peace Jan 2014 #60

Some Woo That You May Choose To Reconsider cantbeserious Jan 2014 #9

Well, Quantum Enigma is not woo intaglio Jan 2014 #35

Both Topics Interlaced And Related At The Quantum Level cantbeserious Jan 2014 #38

Whargarble eom intaglio Jan 2014 #40

Non Responsive Post cantbeserious Jan 2014 #44

So was yours intaglio Jan 2014 #45

English Written Clearly - One Might Try It Sometime cantbeserious Jan 2014 #46

you haven't read any of my previous posts intaglio Jan 2014 #47

Have Read Them All - All Judged Non Responsive By Woo Fighter - Fight On cantbeserious Jan 2014 #49

Non-responsive Whargarble intaglio Jan 2014 #50

Non Responsive Post cantbeserious Jan 2014 #82

So you cannot be bothered to write more than one phrase or sentence intaglio Jan 2014 #84

Is that you Deepak Chopra? gcomeau Jan 2014 #63

Ad Hominem Attacks - The Worst Of The Logical Fallacies cantbeserious Jan 2014 #67

Please go learn what an "ad hominem attack" is. gcomeau Jan 2014 #68

Once Again - An Ad Hominem Attack - Vacuous Accusations cantbeserious Jan 2014 #72

Wow, you really do like to use terms you don't understand don't you? gcomeau Jan 2014 #73

Wow - Deflection Of The Highest Order - Well Played cantbeserious Jan 2014 #74

Pointing out what is happening is "deflection" now? gcomeau Jan 2014 #75

Yup. Woo Woo credo #10 SidDithers Jan 2014 #76

Your comment that: "In all cases highlighted by Dr Tucker the children were either schooled...... LongTomH Jan 2014 #79

Check James Randi's site for detail. intaglio Jan 2014 #85

I won't ignore it, despite your ad hominem LongTomH Jan 2014 #89

Quantum physics works the same whether the observer is a human or a computer FarCenter Jan 2014 #81

Tell That To The Authors, Not The Poster cantbeserious Jan 2014 #83

You are the one proposing that these books be taken seriously intaglio Jan 2014 #86

Just an idea truebluegreen Jan 2014 #11

Anti-science Beliefs Jeopardize US Democracy etherealtruth Jan 2014 #12

I think you are right. I was too quick to jump the gun... Locut0s Jan 2014 #13

Look at the polling regarding belief in evolution etherealtruth Jan 2014 #15

"Republican science denialism tends to be motivated by antiregulatory fervor and fundamentalist pampango Jan 2014 #17

It rings rather true etherealtruth Jan 2014 #18

Industry, abetted by its paid scientists, has a long history of hiding pnwmom Jan 2014 #26

and Locrian Jan 2014 #33

I get your concern... Locrian Jan 2014 #19

This is true... Locut0s Jan 2014 #20

exactly - thanks for getting it Locrian Jan 2014 #24

Your points a,b,and c are very valid and extremely important etherealtruth Jan 2014 #30

Woo is just..... BrainDrain Jan 2014 #23

Then acupuncture is not "woo," despite the repeated claims here. pnwmom Jan 2014 #27

The "woo" in acupuncture is the attempts to explain how it works. jeff47 Jan 2014 #54

The western doctors who use it acknowledge they don't know how or why it works. pnwmom Jan 2014 #71

Again, the woo is the attempts to explain how it works. jeff47 Jan 2014 #77

The biggest UFO nuts I've met klook Jan 2014 #28

It's not just a "left" thing ProudToBeBlueInRhody Jan 2014 #31

Politics... the greatest woo of them all. LanternWaste Jan 2014 #32

Ha! I think you may be right. ZombieHorde Jan 2014 #53

You are not a doctor. NOBODY asked you for medical advice. Romulox Jan 2014 #34

I agree. I think one of the big problems is that... stevenleser Jan 2014 #37

There is nothing wrong with disagreeing. What is wrong is the obsession some have with liberal_at_heart Jan 2014 #39

I rec this post. Voice for Peace Jan 2014 #61

I would agree if I didn't think they were helping to perpetuate frauds... Humanist_Activist Jan 2014 #70

I'm surprised that you can make the leap to "anti-scientific" for people who embrace alternative Sheldon Cooper Jan 2014 #41

Fair enough LeftishBrit Jan 2014 #57

yes. thankyou. Voice for Peace Jan 2014 #62

Why shocked at woo on the left? thesquanderer Jan 2014 #42

Einstein (a pretty cool scientist): "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious... polichick Jan 2014 #48

For cripes sake... gcomeau Jan 2014 #64

For cripes sake, nobody said it was. Think harder. polichick Jan 2014 #80

The left is more idealistic and chafes at the constraints of reality FarCenter Jan 2014 #51

Woo is literally killing people. Vashta Nerada Jan 2014 #55

I don't think it's a predominantly left-wing attitude at all LeftishBrit Jan 2014 #56

My opinion.. the right has way more woo, just a different sort. Voice for Peace Jan 2014 #59

Not just more ... but, widely accepted! etherealtruth Jan 2014 #65

Woo isn't specific to a party. Just ignore the nutters. Xithras Jan 2014 #66

Good post. nt laundry_queen Jan 2014 #90

I don't think liberals are any more prone to woo. lumberjack_jeff Jan 2014 #69

Oh good grief, stop with the woo!!! Will hide any post I see with that word. madfloridian Jan 2014 #78

Let me offer you a slightly different view of this nadinbrzezinski Jan 2014 #88

And the other physics theory that is so interesting pnwmom Jan 2014 #91

I have re-read that one a few times nadinbrzezinski Jan 2014 #92

Yes! I was just writing something about that yesterday. pnwmom Jan 2014 #93

I have no doubt that god does not exist nadinbrzezinski Jan 2014 #94

"The more you learn, the more you know you don't know." pnwmom Jan 2014 #95

When I turn off my computer where does the information stored in RAM go? FarCenter Jan 2014 #96

Not at the quantum level nadinbrzezinski Jan 2014 #98

I think questioning if money is influencing science is fair game but beliefs that fly in the face Quixote1818 Jan 2014 #97