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Covid 19 Thread: [no bitching about masks of Fauci edition]

Rentahamster

Rodent Whores
I think DeepBreath87 DeepBreath87 DeepBreath87 DeepBreath87 just gave an excellent example.
No it's not. There's nothing inherently condescending about asking questions designed to steer the subject towards the right answer.

If he's free to extrapolate to whatever degree he likes, he can't "go too far". He can go too far for your liking but that's a different thing. The problem here is that there are qualifiers missing in your propositions. e.g. you constantly assume that you know the truth and your interlocutor doesn't. That comes across as condescending and arrogant.
We're not talking about what I like. It's about what is justified by the evidence. We are discussing scientific matters after all, not matters of opinion. This necessitates a certain degree of specificity and showing of work.

It isn't, you need those qualifiers from time to time. You can't just blanket assume that the sources you cite are always telling the truth and not withholding or distorting information, unless you've verified each and every one of them personally. The core issue here is trust. Just because other people are not as trusting or optimistic as you are doesn't mean their perspective is not valid.
You're arguing semantics now. This is irrelevant to the point at hand. I am not invalidating Zefa's perspective. I'm showing him how it does not match the data he's presenting.
 
No it's not. There's nothing inherently condescending about asking questions designed to steer the subject towards the right answer.


We're not talking about what I like. It's about what is justified by the evidence. We are discussing scientific matters after all, not matters of opinion. This necessitates a certain degree of specificity and showing of work.


You're arguing semantics now. This is irrelevant to the point at hand. I am not invalidating Zefa's perspective. I'm showing him how it does not match the data he's presenting.
You’re just full of shit dude. Either that you have some kind of interpersonal disorder that makes it difficult for you to deal with other people. If multiple people are telling you something and you choose not to hear it, that’s kind of another example of your arrogance, now isn’t it?

“Designed to steer the subject towards the right answer?” The subject? Where do you think you are exactly? And who do you think you are? Again. This is arrogance. The fact you can’t see it as such really just reinforces this.

For a guy who was recommending self reflection, you really have a hard time doing it yourself.

the simpsons adult GIF



If someone said to me, “hey, you can be an asshole online sometimes.” I wouldn’t be like “no way man! You’re wrong.” Have some self awareness.
 
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Pol Pot

Banned
Fellow posters, can we focus on having civil discourse and not on our differences. We were all forced to deal with a pretty brutal year that reset our planet. We should be uniting together, focused on our commonalities. :pie_hugging

You’re just full of shit dude. Either that you have some kind of interpersonal disorder that makes it difficult for you to deal with other people. If multiple people are telling you something and you choose not to hear it, that’s kind of another example of your arrogance, now isn’t it?

“Designed to steer the subject towards the right answer?” The subject? Where do you think you are exactly? And who do you think you are? Again. This is arrogance. The fact you can’t see it as such really just reinforces this.

For a guy who was recommending self reflection, you really have a hard time doing it yourself.

the simpsons adult GIF
Apparently not Chaplain Chaplain
 

Rentahamster

Rodent Whores
You’re just full of shit dude.
Well that's polite of you.

Either that you have some kind of interpersonal disorder that makes it difficult for you to deal with other people. If multiple people are telling you something and you choose not to hear it, that’s kind of another example of your arrogance, now isn’t it?
Argumentum ad populum. The way to resolve this is to show specifically how rude I've been that doesn't rely on feelings.

“Designed to steer the subject towards the right answer?” The subject? Where do you think you are exactly? And who do you think you are? Again. This is arrogance. The fact you can’t see it as such really just reinforces this.

For a guy who was recommending self reflection, you really have a hard time doing it yourself.
For a guy who is recommending self reflection, I sure did ask quite nicely for any dissenting opinions about my behavior and accepted input.

Where do I think I am? On a discussion forum. Discussing matters.
 
I literally posted that about 30 seconds after
Well that's polite of you.


Argumentum ad populum. The way to resolve this is to show specifically how rude I've been that doesn't rely on feelings.


For a guy who is recommending self reflection, I sure did ask quite nicely for any dissenting opinions about my behavior and accepted input.

Where do I think I am? On a discussion forum. Discussing matters.
I did show you. Several times. You are incapable of accepting it even when others point it out besides me. Which is an example of… wait for it. Arrogance.
 

Rentahamster

Rodent Whores
I literally posted that about 30 seconds after

I did show you. Several times. You are incapable of accepting it even when others point it out besides me. Which is an example of… wait for it. Arrogance.
I accepted that, and I pointed out how there's nothing inherently insulting about the way I typed that out. No insults, no expletives, no belittling present. If you can't point out any specific hostile language, then I can only assume that this is a difference of interpretation, which is quite easy to do on the internet, and my response is "no condescension is intended so please do not interpret my text in the worst way possible".
 
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I accepted that, and I pointed out how there's nothing inherently insulting about the way I typed that out. No insults, no expletives, no belittling present. If you can't point out any specific hostile language, then I can only assume that this is a difference of interpretation, which is quite easy to do on the internet, and my response is "no condescension is intended so please do not interpret my text in the worst way possible".
Or… you could adjust your writing style. Like if multiple pointed out that I am abrasive online at times, I wouldn’t be immediately in denial about it. Again, self awareness. At that point I can either accept that yes, I am willing to come across as abrasive, or I can adjust so that I don’t come across that way. You don’t get to dictate how others receive your writing just by virtue of you saying so. If multiple people, people who don’t know each other or agree about things, are telling you that you are being arrogant, and you persist to tell them that no, they are all wrong, and that because you don’t feel you’re being arrogant, that is the way it is, that is, in fact, you being arrogant. You don’t dictate how you are to be received. Other people do. And if you’re consistently told something by others and reject it, that’s a you problem at that point.

But this has gone on long enough. I’d just leave this as a lesson to you at this point on self reflection.
 
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QSD

Member
No it's not. There's nothing inherently condescending about asking questions designed to steer the subject towards the right answer.
There is; assuming you know the right answer.
We're not talking about what I like. It's about what is justified by the evidence. We are discussing scientific matters after all, not matters of opinion. This necessitates a certain degree of specificity and showing of work.
We've just agreed that we are extrapolating/speculating. That doesn't need to be justified by evidence.
Everything you write on this forum falls under the rubric of 'opinion', this isn't a journal or an official debate.
If you try to dictate the terms of the conversation like this, that comes across as overbearing and obnoxious.

You're arguing semantics now. This is irrelevant to the point at hand. I am not invalidating Zefa's perspective. I'm showing him how it does not match the data he's presenting.
I'm trying to explain why your tone is bothering people. You can take it to heart or just continue on. Either way, I'm going to sleep.
 
D

Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
You really have to believe me when I tell you that I'm not approaching this with condescension or arrogance. I haven't once insulted you or your intelligence. I haven't once resorted to passive aggressive language. If you can quote me where I did, I'll take it back, but I really don't see how you're interpreting it that way.

I'll take your word for it and stop bringing it up if that's not your intent.

That's missing the point somewhat. I haven't stated any conclusions because my conclusions, as anyone else's, should mirror the conclusions of the paper. I'm pointing out to you that the conclusions you're coming to aren't necessarily supported by the paper itself and that you're extrapolating too far than is justified.

Again, I was responding to this sentence primarily: "The protein is dangerous, sure, when attached to the actual COVID19 virus. However, the spike protein on its own is not." That seems pretty conclusive to me...

In regards to the conclusion not being supported by the paper, well, here's a tweet from one of the authors of the paper that seems to support the idea that the spike proteins are likely doing damage to humans as well independent of the virus.



Now, he's of course arguing with people who are anti-COVID vax and using his paper to claim the vaccines aren't safe, which he thinks is preposterous and he explains his thoughts in other tweets that can be found in this article: https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-deadly-coronavirus-spike-protein/
 

llien

Member
Germany as of today (left) vs 9th of june (right), grey area means zero (!!!) new cases in the last 7 days:

urKCA9U.png
4h1cwdc.png


Number of infections per 100k down to 15.5 per week with downward trend.

Where I leave, nearly everything has opened (restaurants, non-food shops etc), I wonder what/when we'll see impact.



In Europe cases are dropping, with Portugal, UK and Russia being notable exceptions (Russians are not vaccinated, UK is nearly open and has delta shit, Portugal is the favorite tourism destination for Brits, perhaps they got lots of delta too), Albania also is seeing increase, but number of cases is laughably low:


#Country,
Other
Cases in the last 7 daysCases in the preceding 7 daysWeekly Case % ChangeCases in the last 7 days/1M popDeaths in the last 7 daysDeaths in the preceding 7 daysWeekly Death % ChangeDeaths in the last 7 days/1M popPopulation
1Russia86,54263,949+35%5932,6842,616+3%18145,994,086
2Germany13,86020,423-32%165562817-31%784,039,039
3UK52,07735,796+45%7636659+12%1.068,225,401
4France27,43546,595-41%419390531-27%665,411,076
5Italy12,08315,875-24%200450460-2%760,377,078
6Spain24,86329,232-15%532281283-1%646,772,033
7Ukraine8,92612,558-29%205477679-30%1143,483,060
8Poland2,2793,049-25%604144150%1137,807,102
9Romania8241,215-32%43103167-38%519,115,223
10Netherlands9,16914,967-39%5343358-43%217,170,982
11Belgium5,5369,602-42%4765593-41%511,637,638
12Czechia1,4162,330-39%1321936-47%210,727,905
13Greece5,2357,860-33%505136206-34%1310,374,487
14Portugal5,0383,941+28%49511110%110,168,359
15Sweden2,7447,700-64%270324-88%0.310,159,183
16Hungary9561,551-38%9959133-56%69,636,963
17Belarus5,9385,983-0.8%62968680%79,446,361
18Austria1,6532,264-27%1832237-41%29,055,300
19Switzerland2,3663,629-35%2712031-35%28,714,827
20Serbia1,1751,368-14%1354659-22%58,703,804
21Bulgaria8121,104-26%11861154-60%96,898,520
22Denmark3,1635,721-45%54464+50%15,811,623
23Finland569793-28%10353+67%0.95,548,919
24Slovakia587730-20%1072771-62%55,462,162
25Norway1,2111,950-38%22251+400%0.95,461,559
26Ireland2,2352,844-21%448000%04,990,198
27Croatia9731,427-32%2386165-6%154,081,110
28Moldova329315+4%821730-43%44,025,024
29Bosnia and Herzegovina258398-35%7984158-47%263,261,346
30Albania7769+12%27110%0.32,874,802
31Lithuania1,2682,143-41%4723240-20%122,685,987
32North Macedonia122151-19%591445-69%72,083,292
33Slovenia1,0351,710-39%4981615+7%82,079,210
34Latvia1,2161,689-28%6524337+16%231,866,280
35Estonia382613-38%288212-83%21,327,385
36Luxembourg189324-42%29703-100%0635,641
37Montenegro130211-38%207810-20%13628,142
38Malta1136-69%25000%0442,663
39Iceland926-65%26000%0343,350
 
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betrayal

Banned
Vaccines incredibly effective against new Indian variant :




Get. Your. Bloody. Vaccine. Please.


I am absolutely in favor of vaccination, but these numbers are absolutely meaningless without context. You could also write "96% of all vaccinated people will drink or eat something that they like during the next 3 days.". That would have a similar amount of meaningfulness.

The U.S. had the highest number of infected people on Jan. 24, with ~9 million active cases. Hospitalizations on January 24, including the previous four weeks, totaled around ~430,000. This means that the hospitalization rate was 4.8%. This is a simplified calculation, but even if you add one or two percent and exaggerate, take other time periods or so, it doesn't really change much. The figures are available for everyone to see. Anyone can check them (https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#hospitalizations or https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/ ...and a lot more).

Of course, vaccination also protects against infection per se and it's only about the delta variant, but hospitalizations are certainly anything but a good benchmark...without any meaningful context.
 
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Birdo

Banned
We should be uniting together, focused on our commonalities. :pie_hugging

Impossible now. We are segregated by vaccinated and un-vaccinated, narrative believers and un-believers, authoritative people and anti-authoritative people.

The pandemic is dividing people like nothing in the world has ever done before. And it's only going to get worse.
 

SF Kosmo

Al Jazeera Special Reporter
South Africa. We're busy with wave 3 atm.
Oh yeah, poor South Africa is getting lit up right now. Most of South America too.

It also looks like every country that used SinoVac is getting fucked up right now, like that shit doesn't seem to work AT ALL or at least not on new strains.

Except for China, which hasn't reported any Covid deaths in like a year. I guess it only works when combined with the benevolent love of eternal President Xi.
 

SF Kosmo

Al Jazeera Special Reporter
I am absolutely in favor of vaccination, but these numbers are absolutely meaningless without context. You could also write "96% of all vaccinated people will drink or eat something that they like during the next 3 days.". That would have a similar amount of meaningfulness.

The U.S. had the highest number of infected people on Jan. 24, with ~9 million active cases. Hospitalizations on January 24, including the previous four weeks, totaled around ~430,000. This means that the hospitalization rate was 4.8%. This is a simplified calculation, but even if you add one or two percent and exaggerate, take other time periods or so, it doesn't really change much. The figures are available for everyone to see. Anyone can check them (https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#hospitalizations or https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/ ...and a lot more).

Of course, vaccination also protects against infection per se and it's only about the delta variant, but hospitalizations are certainly anything but a good benchmark...without any meaningful context.
When they say the vaccine is 96% effective they mean compared to the unvaccinated group.

They don't just mean only 4% of that group's infected is hospitalized they mean that group is 96% less likely to be hospitalized compared to the control group. You're totally misunderstanding these figures.
 
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betrayal

Banned
When they say the vaccine is 96% effective they mean compared to the unvaccinated group.

They don't just mean only 4% of that group's infected is hospitalized they mean that group is 96% less likely to be hospitalized compared to the control group. You're totally misunderstanding these figures.
Ah ok, my bad then. I've just read the tweet and nothing else.

Thanks for clarification!
 

INC

Member
So UK still on lockdown, boris admits it was their fault for not closing the airports and allowing people from Indian to continue to land, even tho they were a RED Country, but AMBER countries like Portugal were banned, but still let Indian planes land for another 14 days

Odd that a UK and India trade was at the same time........

So he admits it was their fault, but refuses to help clubs and nightclubs, and prolong furlough for those industries

How this cunt and his party are still in power is beyond me, but at least his house was redecorated, and sheep keep saying he's doing his best..........well his best is fucking awful. They all need sacking
 
Wow, could not help (a bit of fun):



Please don't turn this into Faucci bashing.

Man. Who knew Jon Stewart was a conspiracy theorist? I was just scolded the other day because pointing out something that fucking obvious like this is toxic.

As Gobbie pointed out, this is why such talk is toxic.

There are over 50 such labs in the world that research viruses at this level.

We don't know if it came from bats yet. We don't know if it was modified. You're suggesting that this is some kind of radically new virus when it's not, it's just another coronavirus that happened to be highly contagious and dangerous.

You've fallen into the typical conspiracy theorist hole of ignorance and don't even realize it. Please stop with this shit in this new thread so we can discuss actual news and science. Pretty please.

Good for Jon. I would disagree with him about a lot of things. But he’s got courage.
 
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Shai-Tan

Banned
Man. Who knew Jon Stewart was a conspiracy theorist? I was just scolded the other day because pointing out something that fucking obvious like this is toxic.



Good for Jon. I would disagree with him about a lot of things. But he’s got courage.

I'm pretty sure he has no direct knowledge or talked to anyone who has expertise understanding the indirect evidence about the nature of the virus. As in, he's talking out of his ass. I don't see why having unwarranted confidence would be worth praising. Quality of evidence matters.
 
I'm pretty sure he has no direct knowledge or talked to anyone who has expertise understanding the indirect evidence about the nature of the virus. As in, he's talking out of his ass. I don't see why having unwarranted confidence would be worth praising. Quality of evidence matters.
Again, using common sense doesn’t require expertise. If people started dying from radiation poisoning down the street from the nuclear power plant, I don’t have to get a degree is nuclear physics to figure out where it probably came from.
 
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Shai-Tan

Banned
Again, using common sense doesn’t require expertise. If people started dying from radiation poisoning down the street from the nuclear power plant, I don’t have to get a degree is nuclear physics to figure out where it probably came from.
people who leap to conclusions often have unwarranted confidence in their beliefs, thinking it's "common sense". there's a fetishization in here of the self as a source of knowledge that puts speculation on par with more reliable sources of information. like literally someone liked your comment here who on this page made the absurd argument that "We've just agreed that we are extrapolating/speculating. That doesn't need to be justified by evidence."
 

QSD

Member
people who leap to conclusions often have unwarranted confidence in their beliefs, thinking it's "common sense". there's a fetishization in here of the self as a source of knowledge that puts speculation on par with more reliable sources of information. like literally someone liked your comment here who on this page made the absurd argument that "We've just agreed that we are extrapolating/speculating. That doesn't need to be justified by evidence."
Call me by my name if you want to talk shit about me.
If you're writing a scientific paper, you've made certain findings, you write your discussion outlining the findings and then you can speculate about what further avenues of research could be warranted/fruitful. You're free to do that, you don't have to do the research prior to speculating.
 

Chaplain

Member


"A new study has found that people who are worried about catching Covid-19 are more likely to judge others harshly for 'moral transgressions'. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Cambridge, found that people who were most afraid of catching Covid-19 were also more likely to look down on others if they broke social rules by, for example, accepting a job with a rival company or bribing a landlord to get their house painted first." (6/14/21)
 

Shai-Tan

Banned
Call me by my name if you want to talk shit about me.
If you're writing a scientific paper, you've made certain findings, you write your discussion outlining the findings and then you can speculate about what further avenues of research could be warranted/fruitful. You're free to do that, you don't have to do the research prior to speculating.
Rationality doesn't begin and end in a formal procedure. The funny paradox of people elevating their ability to read between the lines is that the discernment they think they have is coupled with attitudes that actively get in the way of dissonant information. Why look into what experts think is most likely and take on board their reasoning when you can spin a plausible sounding story free of any cognitive dissonance?
 
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Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
people who leap to conclusions often have unwarranted confidence in their beliefs, thinking it's "common sense". there's a fetishization in here of the self as a source of knowledge that puts speculation on par with more reliable sources of information. like literally someone liked your comment here who on this page made the absurd argument that "We've just agreed that we are extrapolating/speculating. That doesn't need to be justified by evidence."

The fetishization of expertise and seeming belief that only those who are anointed experts in their narrowly focused fields should be able to speak or even speculate on related topics is far more troubling to me.

I believe most of us live in representative Democracies that ostensibly value freedom of speech and open discussion. A Technocracy that demands you do not trust what you see until you are given direction on how to interpret it from your betters is not something I would ever want to live under.
 
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Raven117

Member
Wow, could not help (a bit of fun):



Please don't turn this into Faucci bashing.

LOL. You mean, the main person who helped craft the early narrative that the virus could not plausibly come from the Wuhan lab? What a joke of a post.

Damn, miss Stewart. (Not saying he is right, but common sense does indicate that this was POSSIBLE all along).

I am absolutely shocked by this. Truly shocked. I can't believe it.
 

Raven117

Member
people who leap to conclusions often have unwarranted confidence in their beliefs, thinking it's "common sense". there's a fetishization in here of the self as a source of knowledge that puts speculation on par with more reliable sources of information. like literally someone liked your comment here who on this page made the absurd argument that "We've just agreed that we are extrapolating/speculating. That doesn't need to be justified by evidence."
Nobody is saying it is evidence of anything. Its not. It does, however, put forth a plausible hypothesis based on observable factors (ie...one of the few labs in the world researching coronavirus, has an outbreak in coronavirus in the city it resides....nope...couldn't have escaped from the lab....nope nope....Can't even figure out if a cloth mask works or doesn't, but damn, we are sure that the virus couldn't have come from that lab).

Observable factors and a hypothesis drawn.
 
people who leap to conclusions often have unwarranted confidence in their beliefs, thinking it's "common sense". there's a fetishization in here of the self as a source of knowledge that puts speculation on par with more reliable sources of information. like literally someone liked your comment here who on this page made the absurd argument that "We've just agreed that we are extrapolating/speculating. That doesn't need to be justified by evidence."
You’re free to outsource your own rational thinking. But it doesn’t elevate you. It makes you look foolish. The virus’ origins have not been explained. We have not found an natural animal pathway to human infection. With SARS and MERS we had already determined the animal origins of the virus inside the first year after discovering the viruses. Here we are 18 months later and we cannot do the same with the most consequential virus of our lifetimes.

And all the while, a perfectly rational explanation stares everyone in the face, literally a couple of blocks away from the original epicenter of the outbreak of an apparent bat coronavirus that can infect humans. One of three labs on the planet doing gain of function research on bat coronaviruses just happens to be within walking distance.

The odds of that being a coincidence are so astronomical, that pretending it isn’t the most likely source makes you look like a flat earther. Unless you have actual evidence of a natural origin that doesn’t require speculation on your part, which you don’t, you’re denying the most rational explanation. Appealing to authority doesn’t fix that.

I’m not saying there’s no way the virus couldn’t have originated natural. It’s certainly a remote possibility. But at this point, by far the most likely source is the WIV.
 
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Shai-Tan

Banned
The fetishization of expertise and seeming belief that only those who are anointed experts in their narrowly focused fields should be able to speak or even speculate on related topics is far more troubling to me.

I believe most of us live in representative Democracies that ostensibly value freedom of speech and open discussion. A Technocracy is not something I would ever want to live under.
there is no "they" here. when you say things other people aren't obliged to agree with you uncritically and part of that process is assessing credibility. this isn't a safe space or echo chamber built for you
 
D

Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
there is no "they" here. when you say things other people aren't obliged to agree with you uncritically and part of that process is assessing credibility. this isn't a safe space or echo chamber built for you

I don't believe I wrote "they" in the post I quoted, so I'm not sure what you're referring to. I also have zero clue why you got the impression that I think people are obliged to agree uncritically with anything I post. I certainly do not, nor would ever want such a situation. I am not approaching these discussions as if I am the only one who has the "right" answers. Nor am I trying to establish discussion guidelines that suit my personal beliefs or prevent other people from being able to participate in the manner they see fit.
 
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Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
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Shai-Tan

Banned
You’re free to outsource your own rational thinking. But it doesn’t elevate you. It makes you look foolish. The virus’ origins have not been explained. We have not found an natural animal pathway to human infection. With SARS and MERS we had already determined the animal origins of the virus inside the first year after discovering the viruses. Here we are 18 months later and we cannot do the same with the most consequential virus of our lifetimes.

And all the while, a perfectly rational explanation stares everyone in the face, literally a couple of blocks away from the original epicenter of the outbreak of an apparent bat coronavirus that can infect humans. One of three labs on the planet doing gain of function research on bat coronaviruses just happens to be within walking distance.

The odds of that being a coincidence are so astronomical, that pretending it isn’t the most likely source makes you look like a flat earther. Unless you have actual evidence of a natural origin that doesn’t require speculation on your part, which you don’t, you’re denying the most rational explanation. Appealing to authority doesn’t fix that.

I’m not saying there’s no way the virus couldn’t have originated natural. It’s certainly a remote possibility. But at this point, by far the most likely source is the WIV.
Have you actively sought out information that would disconfirm your belief about this, like what virologists have said about likelihood of natural origin? If you did you would hear other plausible explanations that might undermine your high level of confidence (that not even most lab leak proponents would agree with). Because something seems palpable in your mind doesn't make it true
 
people who leap to conclusions often have unwarranted confidence in their beliefs, thinking it's "common sense". there's a fetishization in here of the self as a source of knowledge that puts speculation on par with more reliable sources of information. like literally someone liked your comment here who on this page made the absurd argument that "We've just agreed that we are extrapolating/speculating. That doesn't need to be justified by evidence."

Some scientists say it came from a lab, some say it didn't. There is no 100% evidence either way, especially as the full infection route for the natural path is not clear.

With that context, using deductive reasoning off of other facts (came from China, literally came from a block away from a coronavirus research lab apparently doing gain of function research, covered up by the CCP) is perfectly reasonable.
 
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Airola

Member
people who leap to conclusions often have unwarranted confidence in their beliefs, thinking it's "common sense". there's a fetishization in here of the self as a source of knowledge that puts speculation on par with more reliable sources of information. like literally someone liked your comment here who on this page made the absurd argument that "We've just agreed that we are extrapolating/speculating. That doesn't need to be justified by evidence."

Hypotheses are important part of science.

It does no good when certain hypotheses and theories are suppressed and even censored. People seemed to have zero issue to take the claims of the virus coming from wet market at face value. We still have ZERO evidence of it coming from that market. ZERO. Yet people seem to think that's the better option to look at and willing to give an aura of "conspiracy speculation" to any lab leak theories.

We have to be careful of how we treat theories and hypotheses, as one of the best ways to go against science is to attack the hypothesis and not allow it even be tested.
 
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Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
Because something seems palpable in your mind doesn't make it true

Nor did he say it did, but for whatever reason you and a few others seem to think that speculation and hypothesis are the same as claiming something is an iron-clad fact with no room for further discussion.
 
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QSD

Member
Rationality doesn't begin and end in a formal procedure. The funny paradox of people elevating their ability to read between the lines is that the discernment they think they have is coupled with attitudes that actively get in the way of dissonant information. Why look into what experts think is most likely and take on board their reasoning when you can spin a plausible sounding story free of any cognitive dissonance?
The problem with the lab leak story, specifically, is what I outlined before. Experts can be experts in virology but if China withholds access they have to make due with what is most likely incomplete information, which makes their conclusions questionable. The most scientific thing to do would be to suspend judgement and keep asking for the missing information, but they are probably not completely free to do so (as saying the info/access is incomplete would publicly cast aspersions on China) So the problem is multi-faceted, the political component overshadows the scientific one, which is why "listen to the experts" is an unwarranted reduction of the problem.

other than that I agree with what @Zefah and I infinitys_7th have said about freedom to discuss this and not wanting some kind of technocracy
 
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