Comments | unhipster: Humans often deny science while trying to find meaning in patterns -- chicagotribune.com

unhipster

Humans often deny science while trying to find meaning in patterns -- chicagotribune.com

Aug 04, 2009 15:46

Celebrities die in threes. The moon landing was a hoax. Climate change is a myth. And President Barack Obama? Not born on U.S. soil ( Read more... )

science

Comments 4

(The comment has been removed)

the_archfiend August 4 2009, 23:44:33 UTC

What's especially creepy about Birthers is that they have a very, *very* big rhetorical shotgun that peppers members of the party they profess to support with buckshot. Have a look at

http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2009/07/birthers_on_parade.php#more

(Sorry about the obvious URL text wrap in advance)

Where both Mike Castle (R-Delaware) and Ann Coulter (!!!) end up getting attacked by these strange little people in addition to the Demosocialistacommies they apparently want to burn at the stake.

It's getting to be like Stalinism in reverse.

unhipster August 5 2009, 06:05:52 UTC

Wow, even Ann Coulter thinks they're nuts.

justphoenix August 5 2009, 01:49:02 UTC

I'm kind of amazed the Trib covered this, since they have no problem publishing alt-health nonsense from Julie Deardorff*. But they've been on a roll the past few months. Around Memorial Day, they critically covered an area clinic that claims it can cure autism in boys by giving them Lupron injections. This is essentially chemical castration, the mechanism is highly implausible, and there's no evidence that it works.

A contributing factor on the birthers (besides disliking Obama) may be that the believers feel like they have some special "inside" knowledge. The rest of us are mindless sheeple, but they know the truth! It's a common motive among conspiracy theorists.

*not all of her columns are nutty. This week she had a reasonable story about good breakfast choices.

Birther movement taras_wizard August 7 2009, 02:51:05 UTC

Next time one hears one these Birther nutjobs start in on their spiel. Ask them, "Do you know how one becomes a natural born US citizen, in the sense required by the Constitution as a qualification for POTUS?" When they cannot answer that, it'll become apparent some home worke is needed. Hint: it's not solely dependent on the location of your birth.