Prof Brian Cox says what he really thinks...

[smartcooky]

What about intelligent people who just happened to learn enough about a conspiracy theory to believe it but not enough to know how wrong it is?  I know quite a few of those, and calling them stupid will just make them dig in their heels.

Well, there's an oxymoron right there. People who dig their heels in when they get called stupid are, IMO, just confirming what they have been called.

Gillianren, you may be prepared to give CTs, HBs, twoofers, etc  the benefit of the doubt. I am not. If they have advanced to the stage where they are pestering people like Brian Cox and Neil De Grasse Tyson with their inane CT theories then they have long abandoned any willingness to learn, and are well beyond any sort of redemption.

PS: Do not mistake this for me thinking that they must have mental illness/issues. Like most people, I use terms such as "stupid", "nut job", "idiot" and "feeble minded" in the figurative sense not the literal sense. I understand well that it is not uncommon for people to suffer from mental illness and still be very intelligent.... Howard Hughes, David Helfgott, John Nash, Sir Isaac Newton, Kurt Godel et al. There a large body of evidence to suggest that there really is something to the "Mad Scientist" stereotype, and that highly intelligent people can be more prone to mental issues.

The old saying that there is a fine line between genius and insanity has elements of truth!

[Luke Pemberton]

Prof Cox has only gone and cited Bob B's van Allen belt dose calculations on his FB page.

Well done Bob, you've got Brian Cox reading your website.

https://www.facebook.com/ProfessorBrianCox/posts/10153469525434347?fref=nf&pnref=story

[onebigmonkey]

Beat me to it

[Trebor]

I'm almost regretting my facebook boycott, that is great

[bknight]

I'm almost regretting my facebook boycott, that is great

These type forums are the limit of my internet social media.

[darren r]

The Daily Mail has picked up on this now and is running one of its regular 'did they or didn't they' articles. The comments have turned into a bit of a bunfight (to which I have, admittedly, contributed) with the same tired old nonsense being trotted out and wearily rebutted.

Several of the HB commenters have used the 'if you have to resort to insults, you've lost the argument', in reference to what Dr Cox said, with which I have some sympathy. However, it would be interesting if he released some of the communications he must have received that compelled him to make this statement. I'm sure they would be polite and well-reasoned

[gillianren]

Well, there's an oxymoron right there. People who dig their heels in when they get called stupid are, IMO, just confirming what they have been called.

It's actually a very human reaction.  The psychology is quite clear on this.

Gillianren, you may be prepared to give CTs, HBs, twoofers, etc  the benefit of the doubt. I am not. If they have advanced to the stage where they are pestering people like Brian Cox and Neil De Grasse Tyson with their inane CT theories then they have long abandoned any willingness to learn, and are well beyond any sort of redemption.

I do somewhat agree with that.  However, my friend who believed (we haven't discussed it in years) that there was something fishy about the collapse of the World Trade Center never would have actually pestered anyone famous about it.  She seldom talked about it at all.  But if you responded with, "Only idiots believe that," she was more likely to think, "Sure, you say that because you don't have a real answer."  We treat the idea of lurkers as a joke, given how often the CTs claim the lurkers are being convinced by them, but the fact is, there are almost always more lurkers than participants, and I believe that it's important to consider them when you're responding to something. 

[Luke Pemberton]

I do somewhat agree with that.  However, my friend who believed (we haven't discussed it in years) that there was something fishy about the collapse of the World Trade Center never would have actually pestered anyone famous about it.  She seldom talked about it at all.  But if you responded with, "Only idiots believe that," she was more likely to think, "Sure, you say that because you don't have a real answer."  We treat the idea of lurkers as a joke, given how often the CTs claim the lurkers are being convinced by them, but the fact is, there are almost always more lurkers than participants, and I believe that it's important to consider them when you're responding to something.

There's also the case that someone of 'notable importance' has really stirred up the chickens, and the number of supporting comments and likes Prof Cox has received in a few hours far outnumbers anything that Jarrah White or Adrian could muster, or we could muster here. In fact, the attention that it has spawned provides clear data to the likes of Adrian (and to some degree JW) that the moon hoax is not the popularist movement that they believe.

There are a few casual theorists putting forward the old debunked arguments on Cox's FB feed, such as no stars and blast craters, and people are linking them to sites such as Clavius. Maybe for once a little mean spiritedness has actually had a favourable outcome.

I think it's also a bit of banter on his part too, and I would not die in a ditch over it. He's certainly showing his Lancastrian charm. As someone commented on his FB feed: You can take the boy out of Manchester, but...
 

[smartcooky]

There's also the case that someone of 'notable importance' has really stirred up the chickens, and the number of supporting comments and likes Prof Cox has received in a few hours far outnumbers anything that Jarrah White or Adrian could muster, or we could muster here. In fact, the attention that it has spawned provides clear data to the likes of Adrian (and to some degree JW) that the moon hoax is not the popularist movement that they believe.

Of course, they can always claim that the "likes" have been faked by the The Bilderberg Group / Illuminati / NWO / NASA / The Freemasons [delete if and/or as applicable].

This is the great advantage of being a CT; you can handwave away or dismiss without evidence, any apparent facts that contradict your ludicrous worldview, by claiming "the [insert claimed conspirators here] faked it". There will, of course, be no evidence whatsoever that they have done this, so you simply fabricate some evidence out of whole cloth.

[Bob B.]

Prof Cox has only gone and cited Bob B's van Allen belt dose calculations on his FB page.

Well done Bob, you've got Brian Cox reading your website.

https://www.facebook.com/ProfessorBrianCox/posts/10153469525434347?fref=nf&pnref=story

Cool!  I'm not on Facebook but it's nice to get noticed by somebody like Prof Cox.

[Gazpar]

The Daily Mail has picked up on this now and is running one of its regular 'did they or didn't they' articles. The comments have turned into a bit of a bunfight (to which I have, admittedly, contributed) with the same tired old nonsense being trotted out and wearily rebutted.

You are so right on this one! Im amazed how much they still use the waving flag/ no stars argument.

[Tedward]

The Daily Mail has picked up on this now and is running one of its regular 'did they or didn't they' articles. The comments have turned into a bit of a bunfight (to which I have, admittedly, contributed) with the same tired old nonsense being trotted out and wearily rebutted.

You are so right on this one! Im amazed how much they still use the waving flag/ no stars argument.

I trying to avoid that news outlet now. It does not care, it just wants the traffic so will create the sensationalist stories. And the right hand column is

But I might have a sneaky peak at this......

[Bryanpoprobson]

Brian has coined a new moniker for Hoax Believers #moonnobbers

https://www.facebook.com/ProfessorBrianCox/posts/10153469557799347

I wonder if it's trending yet?

[Allan F]

I like it. And will start using it right now!

[Luke Pemberton]

I wonder if it's trending yet?

It was trending on my FB page for about 4 days, but it has stopped now. I think the storm has died down.