Anti intellectualism directed against science.

[Estrid]

I wonder at what stage pursuit hunting became a primary hominid trait?

I don't think Australopithecus's little legs were great for long distance running... but Homo erectus would have been a terror to anything on four legs.

Your Kalahari bushman, pygmies, Eskimos stood up to
large predators into modern times with simple weapons.

Intelligent, sure, but it probably doesn't take terrific brains to
learn rock throwing and sharp- stick pokin

I wish we had a way to know what our ancestors were like.
I kind of think habilis erectus etc were awful tough.

What did they have to know about Sabre tooth cats,
or such as those giant Australian monitor lizards?

 

[Shemjaza]

Your Kalahari bushman, pygmies, Eskimos stood up to
large predators into modern times with simple weapons.

Intelligent, sure, but it probably doesn't take terrific brains to
learn rock throwing and sharp- stick pokin

I wish we had a way to know what our ancestors were like.
I kind of think habilis erectus etc were awful tough.

What did they have to know about Sabre tooth cats,
or such as those giant Australian monitor lizards?

I held a replica of a Homo erectus hand axe, that would have packed a real pounding.

It must have been a shock to big cats once Hominids started making spears... suddenly apes are the deadliest on the savanna.

 

[sjastro]

What did they have to know about Sabre tooth cats,
or such as those giant Australian monitor lizards?

Australia was populated 60000 years ago.
Giant monitor lizards were not a threat.

The mega-dropbear (now extinct the smaller living descendent is shown) was a threat.

Another threat was the yellow tailed black cockatoo bomber which rained terror by dropping cones on unsuspecting individuals.

 

[SelfSim]

Another threat was the yellow tailed black cockatoo bomber which rained terror by dropping cones on unsuspecting individuals.

Today's black cockatoos would have to be one of the loudest birds on the planet!?

Crows drop bombs too! One nearly maimed (or killed) me recently, when a glass object of some type slipped out of its beak during a fly-over, with the shards missing me by inches! Another one bombed my roof and punctured a hole clean through it while I was underneath the drop zone!
Who'd believe me though(?)
These occurrences seem to correlate with garbage collection day(?)

 

[sjastro]

Today's black cockatoos would have to be one of the loudest birds on the planet!?

Crows drop bombs too! One nearly maimed (or killed) me recently, when a glass object of some type slipped out of its beak during a fly-over, with the shards missing me by inches! Another one bombed my roof and punctured a hole clean through it while I was underneath the drop zone!
Who'd believe me though(?)
These occurrences seem to correlate with garbage collection day(?)

I think your exploits open up a whole new perspective on social distancing.
Keep out of your way to avoid being collateral damage in future bombings!

A few months ago I heard an all mighty thump on my colorbond roof.
I retrieved a strange looking cone that resembled a hand grenade.
I allowed it to dry out and extracted the seeds which have been germinated and are growing in punnets.
It will interesting to see what sort of conifers grow from this mysterious gift from the skies.

By far the loudest birds I find here in rural Victoria are galahs.
Here is a pic of galahs not only being noisy but doing a number on a thistle on my property.
I suppose the galahs were doing me a favour as thistles while they were the ancient national emblem of Scotland, are classified as noxious weeds in Victoria.

 

[Estrid]

Today's black cockatoos would have to be one of the loudest birds on the planet!?

Crows drop bombs too! One nearly maimed (or killed) me recently, when a glass object of some type slipped out of its beak during a fly-over, with the shards missing me by inches! Another one bombed my roof and punctured a hole clean through it while I was underneath the drop zone!
Who'd believe me though(?)
These occurrences seem to correlate with garbage collection day(?)

I was thinking of Megalania, though there
may be no evidence that humans ever encountered them.

I think its too bad to dismiss the capabilities and
hardships of our ancestors, thinking they never
existed, or, got God- help and could not have survived
without.

 

[SelfSim]

I think your exploits open up a whole new perspective on social distancing.
Keep out of your way to avoid being collateral damage in future bombings!

Forget masks .. Compulsory hard-hats for visitors at my house, eh?

A few months ago I heard an all mighty thump on my colorbond roof.
I retrieved a strange looking cone that resembled a hand grenade.
I allowed it to dry out and extracted the seeds which have been germinated and are growing in punnets.
It will interesting to see what sort of conifers grow from this mysterious gift from the skies.

By far the loudest birds I find here in rural Victoria are galahs.
Here is a pic of galahs not only being noisy but doing a number on a thistle on my property.
I suppose the galahs were doing me a favour as thistles while they were the ancient national emblem of Scotland, are classified as noxious weeds in Victoria.

At least they're doing a public service and only have small beaks and mouths!
My crows talk too y'know .. (I'd swear that's what they're doing ..) .. and they only pick up bright and shiny objects .. Y'know .. of the type that can do some serious damage!​

 

[SelfSim]

I think its too bad to dismiss the capabilities and hardships of our ancestors, thinking they never existed, or, got God- help and could not have survived without.

I'm not so sure they put in that hardship, nor developed those capabilities, hoping that they'd gain your respect in the future though.

I'd say it was done out of self-interest .. as you say, perhaps out of the desire to survive(!?)

 

[Estrid]

I'm not so sure they put in that hardship, nor developed those capabilities, hoping that they'd gain your respect in the future though.

I'd say it was done out of self-interest .. as you say, perhaps out of the desire to survive(!?)

No doubt same as now, self interest, and protection of family.
That latter sometimes puts present / future ahead of self interest.

Regardless, I think it is so disrespectful to just say those ancestors
did not even exist, or that they got lots of god- help when things
got tough.
Mileage may vary, some seem to have no particular regard for their ancesters.

 

[sjastro]

A couple of nerds (scientists) give their views on anti-intellectualism.

 

[SelfSim]

A couple of nerds (scientists) give their views on anti-intellectualism.

A neurosurgeon who doesn't accept Evolution? Wow!

Anti-vaxxer 'personal belief exemptions'? So the 'right' to hold beliefs, becomes justification to excuse oneself from responsibilities for maintaining community health? Duh ..! (Should be renamed: 'Self-destructivism' during a pandemic)! I've got a simple solution for that .. we should actively discourage the 'right' to hold beliefs .. simple!

Very sad for them to have to conclude by encouraging kids to stay at school .. that was just the norm when I grew up.

 

[sjastro]

A neurosurgeon who doesn't accept Evolution? Wow!

Anti-vaxxer 'personal belief exemptions'? So the 'right' to hold beliefs, becomes justification to excuse oneself from responsibilities for maintaining community health? Duh ..! (Should be renamed: 'Self-destructivism' during a pandemic)! I've got a simple solution for that .. we should actively discourage the 'right' to hold beliefs .. simple!

Very sad for them to have to conclude by encouraging kids to stay at school .. that was just the norm when I grew up.

This video is fairly old; after 4 years of Trump the situation is probably worse.

 

[sjastro]

Another example of anti-intellectualism where politics and a lack of education "trumps" science.

Some 23% of Republicans said they would “definitely” not get vaccinated, while another 21% said they “probably” won’t get the Covid-19 vaccine when it is made available to them.

Four in ten non-college graduates also say they definitely or probably won’t get immunized.

Only 7% of Democrats said they would refuse to be vaccinated, with 82% having already been vaccinated or planning to do so.

Nearly 1 In 4 Republicans ‘Definitely’ Won’t Get Covid-19 Vaccine, Survey Finds

 

[FrumiousBandersnatch]

Another example of anti-intellectualism where politics and a lack of education "trumps" science.

Nearly 1 In 4 Republicans ‘Definitely’ Won’t Get Covid-19 Vaccine, Survey Finds

Apparently, 'The Donald' has belatedly recommended getting vaccinated, so it will be interesting to see if those figures change

 

[sjastro]

Apparently, 'The Donald' has belatedly recommended getting vaccinated, so it will be interesting to see if those figures change

Despite what is claimed about anti-vaxxers not being motivated by political ideology, the distrust of science is predominately a conservative view which has been ingrained long before the Trumpster came on the scene.
Bad habits are hard to change.

 

[FrumiousBandersnatch]

Despite what is claimed about anti-vaxxers not being motivated by political ideology, the distrust of science is predominately a conservative view which has been ingrained long before the Trumpster came on the scene.
Bad habits are hard to change.

Yes, I agree; I'm just curious to see whether belief in a charismatic (apparently) leader 'trumps' their habitual distrust of science.

Perhaps they'll see his recommendation as somehow coerced, or as 'fake news'...

 

[SelfSim]

Despite what is claimed about anti-vaxxers not being motivated by political ideology, the distrust of science is predominately a conservative view which has been ingrained long before the Trumpster came on the scene.
Bad habits are hard to change.

When something looks like it might require some kind of intellectual horsepower and effort to understand, one is better off taking the short-cut by ignoring it, and undermining the intellect propagating it .. or so it would seem, for conservative mindsets(?)

Remember Kelly Anne Conway's 'Alternative Facts' counter for Trump's demonstrably small inauguration crowd sizes, and more recently, 'The big lie'? For me, these are classic examples of the conservative principle of: 'One man's truth, is just more spin'.

 

[SelfSim]

Yes, I agree; I'm just curious to see whether belief in a charismatic (apparently) leader 'trumps' their habitual distrust of science.

Perhaps they'll see his recommendation as somehow coerced, or as 'fake news'...

I'm not so sure Trump's main attractive characteristic is seen as 'charisma' (I'm taking that as meaning 'charm')? That he occupied the pinnacle of US authoritarianism (ie: the office of the US President) and was also a conservative extremist in that position, I think, may have been his prime allure(?) Coming from that hypothesis, one might now predict disarray, confusion and discordant responses in his call to accept vaccination?
We'll see I suppose ..
(Let's not just make this specifically about Trump, of course .. its about the motivations behind the anti-intellectual-against-science mindset, really).

 

[FrumiousBandersnatch]

I'm not so sure Trump's main attractive characteristic is seen as 'charisma' (I'm taking that as meaning 'charm')?

It can include charm (some seem to find him charming!), but is basically compelling personal attraction and influence.

That he occupied the pinnacle of US authoritarianism (ie: the office of the US President) and was also a conservative extremist in that position, I think, may have been his prime allure(?)

That hypothesis would not explain his unexpected election success in 2006.

Coming from that hypothesis, one might now predict disarray, confusion and discordant responses in his call to accept vaccination?
We'll see I suppose ..

Indeed...

(Let's not just make this specifically about Trump, of course .. its about the motivations behind the anti-intellectual-against-science mindset, really).

The 'Trump effect' is an interesting example.

 

[SelfSim]

That hypothesis would not explain his unexpected election success in 2006.

Agreed .. that might be the topic of another hypothesis about characterisation using TV Reality shows and a willingness to disrespect peers in the reality of non-hierarchical structures(?)