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Why Some People Think Total Nonsense Is Really Deep (washingtonpost.com)
Earthquake Retrofit writes: The Washington Post has a story about Gordon Pennycook, a doctorate student at the University of Waterloo who studies why some people are more easily duped than others. "Wholeness quiets infinite phenomena" was one of many randomly generated sentences Pennycook, along with a team of researchers at the University of Waterloo, used in a new, four-part study (PDF) put together to gauge how receptive people are to nonsense.
Those more receptive to bull**** are less reflective, lower in cognitive ability (i.e., verbal and fluid intelligence, numeracy), are more prone to ontological confusions [beliefs in things for which there is no empirical evidence (i.e. that prayers have the ability to heal)] and conspiratorial ideation, are more likely to hold religious and paranormal beliefs, and are more likely to endorse complementary and alternative medicine.
Those more receptive to bull**** are less reflective, lower in cognitive ability (i.e., verbal and fluid intelligence, numeracy), are more prone to ontological confusions [beliefs in things for which there is no empirical evidence (i.e. that prayers have the ability to heal)] and conspiratorial ideation, are more likely to hold religious and paranormal beliefs, and are more likely to endorse complementary and alternative medicine.
I think that someone who doesn't understand the difference between i.e. and e.g. has no business criticising others.
Thick people are less intelligent, claims report. Film at 11.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
If this is what his doctorate is on his PHD thesis should be about the stupid things people get qualified in!
Build a Man a Fire, and He'll Be Warm for a Day. Set a Man on Fire, and He'll Be Warm for the Rest of His Life.
The atheist reader who is 5'10" and was born in 1972 is probably looking over his shoulder thinking "how did he know... ?"
(Full disclosure: can't be me; I'm just over 5'11").
Log in or piss off.