Angry at Free Energy YouTubers...

[Hugoneus]

I was looking for something and came across a YouTube channel with nearly 44 THOUSAND subscribers with videos like this:



 

And then the comments... Some of the videos have more than a million views...

 

[nuno]

Don't worry, they'll all continue to pay for electricity and phones and computers and gadgets and all the working innovations the "real science" people create

[Hugoneus]

Don't worry, they'll all continue to pay for electricity and phones and computers and gadgets and all the working innovations the "real science" people create

It is frustrating to see this because I feel like there is a "wave" of pseudoscience masquerading as real science.

[AndyC_772]

I wouldn't call it pseudo-science. Instead, I prefer "non-science", or "nonsense" for short.

[HighVoltage]

This has taken on such stupidity, that it is almost unbelievable.

But what this shows us the most is, that the subscribers have kind of a believe system in this "none - science"

There was a movie a few years ago, called Idiocracy (2006) and it showed our stupefied planet 500 years in to the future.
The sad part is, we have partially reached that level already in the last 9 years since the movie came out.
And that is why these people have 44 thousand subscribers to their free energy youtube channels.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387808/

[madires]

Don't be angry! It's a new form of religion and it doesn't make any sense to argue with it's believers. They simply ignore any  scientific facts, like they never had physics in school.

[nuno]

I understand you, but in my experience there isn't really much you can do about it. It's like astrology, people just want to believe it.

[daqq]

Guys, that's just the tip of the stupid iceberg - thanks to the miracle of homeopathy and other, well, less than repeatable medical procedures we're seeing the return of illnesses that were nigh eradicated.

Basically, there's a trend that leads people to believe that anything mainstream (mainstream science, mainstream medicine, mainstream history) is an evil fabrication by a naughty conspiracy group of your choice, and the REAL TRUTH is on that obscure channel, with the tinfoil hat guru rambling on about CERN being a portal to hell and how it's riddled with satanic symbols (there actually IS a video with this, I am not making this shit up). Just look on the CERN fan page to see some industrial strength stupid in the comments.

[Warhawk]

Don't worry, they'll all continue to pay for electricity and phones and computers and gadgets and all the working innovations the "real science" people create

It is frustrating to see this because I feel like there is a "wave" of pseudoscience masquerading as real science.

Cheer up !
I guess it is not a matter of what nationality or religion people are, a significant part of the world population is simply dumb, missing elementary common sense and willingness to use their own head... The more you give them utter crap, the more they believe and like it  O0
Enlightenment is futile, but you can benefit the other's stupidity.

btw: I like your work and my GF likes your cat. Thanks for that !

[rolycat]

I don't think it's so much that people are dumb, but that they like a nice, simple story, with a happy ending. Science is rarely simple, frequently not at all nice, and never has a proper ending - there is always more to discover.

In the old days, people mostly believed what they were told by those in authority, whether it was the church or the state. Nowadays they are 'empowered' to believe whatever they like. If they haven't subordinated their belief system to some religion or another, they get on the internet to look for a good story.

[Hugoneus]

btw: I like your work and my GF likes your cat. Thanks for that !

Hehe, Thanks.

[LaserSteve]

Follow the money, the duped  willingly send money to these Charlatans.   Some of them have the charisma to talk seriously experienced tech investors out of their money.  Seen it done.  Often they  escape town just ahead of the civil lawyers and local prosecutor.

Evil, is well, Evil.

Same sort of bunch who are doing the vaccine frauds.  I really, really don't feel like risking Polio or TB  so a housewife can feel good about not risking her child with vaccination. Which is the results of three fraudulent studies done on extremely small sample groups led by one famous physician.  When redone on a large group, no correlation could be found between vaccines and risk of childhood autism.  But a few famous actors and wealthy people picked up on this as an excuse to explain what they observed. Suddenly we have new laws on the books in the US allowing the refusal of mandatory preventative medicine on grounds other then known allergy or religion. Hey, it makes those Moms feel GOOOOOD!  However the man hours spent combating this would have been better spent actually doing beneficial Autism research.

Herd immunity works. If we have to sacrifice say 1 in 250,000 people to  complications, that is a sad but acceptable risk.
I say that being the son of  man who suffered lifelong symptoms from Malaria.

The good news is I just served as a judge for the regional science fair. The Brilliant Seventh Grader who tried to build multiple versions of a perpetual motion machine with DC motors and magnets came to the conclusion he could never overcome friction losses. On his own, with decent statistics and no adult help.  We made very sure he will have a mentor for the next few years. With his self  taught mechanical construction and measurement skills, I have no doubt I was talking to a future engineer.

Now if we could just address the fraud perpetuated by certain folks that says Arduino PWM will solve ALL analog electrical engineering problems, I'd be happy...    (Sarcasm)

Steve

[Hugoneus]

Now if we could just address the fraud perpetuated by certain folks that says Arduino PWM will solve ALL analog electrical engineering problems, I'd be happy...    (Sarcasm)

Who says that? 

[CatalinaWOW]

It is not always money.  Stupid has many roots.  One is the desire to justify what you want to do.

Example:  I want to smoke marijuana.  Which becomes: I have some malady which only marijuana can cure.  Which, with the application of more stupidity becomes:  Marijuana is medicine which cures everything.  Now it is the evil drug companies suppressing marijuana to protect their profits.  Of course money is involved in this chain too, as there will always be someone to exploit any market.

In our wealthy societies (actually a surprisingly large part of the world nowdays), the penalties of stupidity are small, so it spreads rapidly.  It hasn't always been that way, and won't remain that way forever.

[mikerj]

There was a movie a few years ago, called Idiocracy (2006) and it showed our stupefied planet 500 years in to the future.
The sad part is, we have partially reached that level already in the last 9 years since the movie came out.

I totally agree.  It's was more of a dystopian prediction than a comedy.

[Hugoneus]

There is this whole idea that being "open-minded" means accepting that everything is possible, that we could be wrong about anything and everything. This is really frustrating because it does not take probability into account. What are the chances that we are wrong about water being two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen? Well, the odds are extremely small and it is not worth considering because there is more than a century of evidence behind it. But according to some people, we should be open-minded!!!

[Zero999]

They're trolls who prey on the ignorant.

The trouble is, some uneducated people fall for it. I think most people would agree it's not possible to spontaneously produce matter out of thin space but some have a problem with believing the same about energy because it's mostly invisible and is a more abstract concept which makes is less intuitive.

[daqq]

There is this whole idea that being "open-minded" means accepting that everything is possible, that we could be wrong about anything and everything.

The best comment I've read sums the whole open-minded situation nicely:

If your mind is too open your brain might fall out.

[jolshefsky]

I only feel sad that it is in my constitution to be honest and considerate. I sort-of envy those who have no qualms about ripping people off.

[Alex Eisenhut]

There is this whole idea that being "open-minded" means accepting that everything is possible, that we could be wrong about anything and everything. This is really frustrating because it does not take probability into account. What are the chances that we are wrong about water being two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen? Well, the odds are extremely small and it is not worth considering because there is more than a century of evidence behind it. But according to some people, we should be open-minded!!!

OK, what do you do when someone tells you this liquid is H2O2? Do you drink it because you are not open to the possibility of it being H2O2?
 

[c4757p]

If your mind is too open your brain might fall out.

I've heard this saying the most out of the holy rollers in my family warning me not to accept evolution...

[paulie]

I won't drink H2O2 because I know even small doses will kill a human in short order.

I think most people would agree it's not possible to spontaneously produce matter out of thin space

Most people, not privy to principles of quantum physics, would be wrong. Also interesting to note that 3/4 of world population believe in ghosts and less than a quarter in biological evolution.

 BTW if you guys don't wise up and realize there are forces beyond the physical laws then God will most certainly punish you spoiling all chance of EVER getting into heaven.

[rolycat]

There is this whole idea that being "open-minded" means accepting that everything is possible, that we could be wrong about anything and everything.

The best comment I've read sums the whole open-minded situation nicely:

If your mind is too open your brain might fall out.

It's an old saying, but in case you haven't heard it this song by Tim Minchin with a similar title is entertaining:

[Hugoneus]

I really like Tim Minchin. I highly recommend listening to his performances and his songs.

[LaserSteve]

A good example  for this thread, the classic web site(s) on banning DHMO


www.BanDMHO.org

http://www.dhmo.org/facts.html

Amazing how every April Fools, some one starts circulating a petition to Ban DHMO... Amazing even more, when done as a psychology experiment, how many people sign without regard to content or context...

Although some of the MSDS for water do list a few hazards...


Steve