The Dawn of the Age of Disinformation Against Science
The age of disinformation against science began in the 1950s when the executives of six of America's largest tobacco companies met at the Plaza Hotel in New York City with a public relations firm to talk about what they should do about the growing research linking smoking and lung cancer.
The age of disinformation against science began in the 1950s when the executives of six of America's largest tobacco companies met at the Plaza Hotel in New York City with a public relations firm to talk about what they should do about the growing research linking smoking and lung cancer.
"Big Tobacco" decided that it wasn't enough to manufacture doubt about science; they needed to convince smokers to DISTRUST it.
Among the tactics Big Tobacco used was to exhort smokers to "do their own research".
Of course, "Do your own research" is basically code for "ignore what legitimate, peer-reveiwed scientific research has found, and keep digging around until you find things that help you believe what you have already decided is true."
"Do your own research" is code for "dig around until you find something that allows you to believe what you've already decided is true."
One problem Big Tobacco had was they knew that they could not convince everyone to disregard science, then they realized that they didn't need to.
All Big Tobacco really needed to do was foster an "us versus them" mindset in the minds of smokers, and in this government and employers were unwitting accomplices.
Smoking polices and laws forced smokers who previously didn't even know each other to socialize with each other in smoking areas outside of buildings. In these bubbles, smokers shared rumors and disinformation, supported each other's anti-science beliefs, and made each other feel less radicalized for embracing their beliefs. For them, there was comfort in their numbers.
Researcher Lee McIntyre, author of "The Scientific Attitude" has attended flat earth conventions to study why groups of people decide to deny science. He found that all science deniers share the same 8 defects in reasoning:
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They insist that because science is imperfect, it is not trustworthy.
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They cherry-pick evidence and ignore whatever proves them wrong.
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They engage in illogical reasoning.
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They rely on fake experts, or distortions of actual experts.
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They seek out and associate with like-believers for validation.
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They feel virtuous for their stance.
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They're willing to believe that hundreds of thousands of highly educated professionals would throw away their careers, and risk prison, to be part of a conspiracy to conceal the truth.
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They see people who disagree with them as deceived or evil, and therefore they would never seriously listen to a point of view outside of those promoted by their bubble.
I don't have to tell you that the tactics pioneered by Big Tobacco are prevalent today with people railing against the science of the pandemic.
(For further information, please read the books "The Scientific Attitude" by Lee McIntyre, and "Merchants of Doubt" by Erik M. Conway and Naomi Oreskes).
Thanks for listening.
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Tom Pittman
