The metaphysical sensationalism in these pseudo-scientific programs is playing into a cultural trend of rejecting expertise in favor of DIY thinking. There are good (scientific) reasons this is appealing. Humans suffer from two built-in tendencies that make it easy to latch onto unscientific ideas. Our minds seek patterns. We gravitate to the patterns of gestalt to make sense of the world. Apophenia operates along the same lines, where we see connections between unrelated concepts, creating causation from correlation where there is none. The human psyche is just uncomfortable with unresolved questions.
“…brilliant…”
The fact is that science is hard. Conclusions aren’t always obvious, nor necessarily intuitive. Good science asks more questions than it answers. One reason for the rigor of the scientific method is to resist the human craving for a locally knowable solution. Acceptable scientific conclusions only come from predictable, repeatable outcomes. Trash science shows provide a comfort level that ordinary, untrained people can know the answers without relying on an expert. Another section of Science Friction deals with the widely debunked YouTube video Plandemic, in which disgraced researcher and anti-vaxxer Judy Mikovits holds forth at length with wild claims about the Covid-19 pandemic.
Emery knows his way around the skepticism space. He hosts two podcasts, Skeptically Yours and the Ardent Atheist. He was also a contributor to The Atheist’s Guide to Christmas, a book of tips for enjoying the Christmas season as an atheist. In Science Friction, he has not only set the record straight on a great deal of misleading media, but he’s also given a primer on how to watch media with a critical eye. Understanding the way media spin works can help the viewer develop a sniff test for when it might be time to consult a corroborating expert and make sure what you are hearing is based on sound science. As such, this entertaining and enlightening doc is required viewing for the age of Social Media.
Science Friction is a 2023 Award This! Unreal Outsider Documentary nominee.
"…good science asks more questions than it answers."
Yes, watch it 👍 on Tubi or Amazon Prime