I guess we could make something quite similar regarding science/scientists. I mean, look, creationists often complain that we say the same old thing, which is often (not always, naturally) true, because it’s still relevant and they still don’t get it.
I don’t care how many times they sneer at homology, everyone accepts it as showing ancestry if it’s “recent” or acceptable, they just throw it out as “design” once it gets beyond their belief zone. So yes, idiots, your noses are going to be rubbed in homology until you either learn or shut up.
We can get sloppy and lazy, sure, and repeat without thinking, but we’re going to demand evidence (why didn’t he throw that “meme” out there? Too relevant?) however much the credulous hate that demand.
This is nothing less than a predictable attempt to garner attention by applying an old trope that can be applied to anything.
including old tropes.
Though done fairly well (perhaps a bit overly long). It’s not amusing to me at all, simply for the reason that it’s as old as dirt.
seriously, have people NOT seen this shit before?
Browniansays
This is nothing less than a predictable attempt to garner attention by applying an old trope that can be applied to anything.
It seems like both you and Glen are unaware that the Shit [blanks] Say (to [Blanks]s) is a meme going ’round the ‘net right now.
It may be old as dirt, but it’s dirt that’s currently popular with the kids.
Let them have their fun.
kp71says
@Glen and Ichthyic, I think these things are supposed to be self-deprecatory, although I realize that some of them have been pointed outward (e.g., Shit Christians Say to Atheists). But most of the ones I’ve seen are done in good humor (e.g., Shit Dudes in Bands Say).
Browniansays
And, in case people are misunderstanding, this is an in joke made by skeptics taking the piss out of themselves.
We definitely need more of this kind of shit.
kp71says
Yes Brownian said it better than me.
Ichthyicsays
Let them have their fun.
fine, fine.
so long as they do it OFF MY LAWN.
damn kids.
*grumble*
Ichthyicsays
..and, in serious answer to the likely rhetorical question posed in the OP title:
no.
I find the skeptic community evolves its attitudes with surprising frequency to include new information.
it’s rather the opposite of predictable. Which likely is why it’s of interest to me.
Browniansays
Yes Brownian said it better than me.
Don’t feel bad. You’re in solid company.
Why, I’ve said it better than some very well-spoken people.
First time seeing the ghost detector, had to look it up:
The Ghost Meter has been calibrated to ignore the extremely subtle EMF emissions surrounding the human body, yet is still sensitive enough to detect the small, distinct, erratic EMF energy fluctuations frequently found at reputed haunted locations. The Ghost Meter provides three corroborating indicators of EMF emission strength. A needle based display, LED lights, and an adjustable audio signal. The response time of this meter is excellent, easily outperforming more expensive EMF meters. It can also be operated in silent mode so it doesn’t interfere with EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) recordings or distract other investigators during an investigation. Compare the value this meter offers compared to other brands. There is no other offer that comes close to providing these levels of features and performance for the price. You’ve seen television ghost hunters use similar detectors.
AmAzInG~!
Also, +1 on David Tennant.
Browniansays
it’s rather the opposite of predictable.
True, though I was overcome by a humbling feeling of familiarity at the “Actually, that’s a myth” segment.
Ichthyicsays
Wrong blog. This is where you need to go for that kind of thing.
Some of my students were whining about how many buttons they had to push to do a calculation in class this morning. I mock-sympathized and pointed out that my generation had done the same calculations “B.C.” — before calculators. They were vaguely aware that calculators had not always existed, but still seemed horrified to meet someone who had been a student in those ancient and primitive days. I told them not to worry. I did not resent their easy access to vast computational power in this modern era — “as long as you kids stay off my lawn!”
It seems like both you and Glen are unaware that the Shit [blanks] Say (to [Blanks]s) is a meme going ’round the ‘net right now.
No, I’m well aware of that. What white girls do, etc.
Didn’t think any of them were very funny, obviously including this one. Yes, we’re the ones who have to say, “It’s a myth” over and over,” true, but that comes with the territory.
(Mind, I’m in Australia, about 12 hours ahead of you… so the time-stamp is different… Ah well!)
miltoncomptonsays
i literally laughed out loud at the “mom, you need to go to snopes.com…” that hit home.
it was funny once i got that it was an in-joke. dude knows waaaaay to many skeptical tropes.
DLCsays
When half of the people you encounter on a daily basis are believers in some kind of irrationality, you find yourself saying “No, that’s wrong” quite a bit.
“No, vaccines won’t make you an autistic. ” (and when I’m feeling particularly evil) “They will make you an atheist, though. “
brucemawbysays
oh
Is that what I sound like
even the check Snopes comment
now is that a good thing or a bad thing ?
lilithsays
I wonder what it says about me that I got *all* the references in that video.
I’m definitely spending way too much time reading skeptic blogs and listening to podcasts.
And watching Dr. Who.
But yea, Tennant is the best.
My high school chemistry teacher used to race students at doing calculations, him on his slide rule and they on their calculators. He always won. Mine was the last chemistry class that had to learn slide rule – class of ’77.
I thought the video was at least as amusing as the others I’ve seen in the genre. However, Tom Baker still beats David Tennant at Doctoring. (Nothing against Tennant, who was terrific, just not as good as Tom.)
WRT uploading in the dark ages, imagine the effort in transferring megabytes of data using morse code. So there!
gragrasays
I thought that was pretty good. Surely we skeptics can take the piss out of ourselves.
bananaslugsays
Is this guy the love child of Dr. Brian Cox and Zach Braff?
Davrossays
Slide rules (the old slip stick)
I still have mine at home
showed it to my son
he could just not understand it
Kids Today ,bah Humbug, get off my lawn ,in my day we had to use a slide rule uphill both ways and eat cold rocks for dinner
As a wise man once said – it’s funny because it’s true. Skeptic community website posts seems to consist entirely out of tired cliches. While this is probably true of any movement based mostly on fanboyism, coupled with a lack of taste and imagination it seems to reach high levels of comedy even without lumping it all together in one video.
McCthulhu's new upbeat 2012 nym.says
I’m a bit confused. Were people just being ironic in their anger at this one or did they genuinely not recognize it as self-deprecating humour? The observations were much too spot on for it to be anything but. It’s a shame, because it’s much funnier on first viewing if your calibration for recognizing a sincere attack or not are set properly.
andyosays
it’s funny because it’s true.
That it’s true doesn’t mean it’s wrong.
While this is probably true of any movement based mostly on fanboyism, coupled with a lack of taste and imagination
There’s always one. Skeptics make self-deprecating humor, and you idiots go pooping all over it. Happened with Beware the Believers too.
andyosays
The observations were much too spot on for it to be anything but.
That’s what I thought too. “You know what they call alternative medicine that’s been proven to work?” had me on the floor. A couple of elevatorgate references and non-sexist Dawkins were a nice touch as well.
some bastardsays
“So you’re a skeptic, too? I doubt that!”
Dammit, someone’s been reading my stand-up notes!
vytautasjanaauskassays
“Happened with Beware the Believers too.”
Not so much though. Since that was genuine. It was made by the Expelled people afaik.
Started to read that, prepared to be convinced thamy ideas about philosophy were prejudices and wrong.
I’ve not given up yet, but halfway down I am already thinking that this guy sounds full of misunderstandings, and does not exactly inspire trust in his claims. If this goes on, I will feel that much more secure in disregarding philosophy. Which is especially ironic as he starts claiming that philosophers who talk about physics have done their homework – so far, it doesn’t look like that to me.
(I’m out of time right now.)
Richard Smithsays
@jamesheartney (#32):
Mine was the last chemistry class that had to learn slide rule – class of ’77.
I have two old slide rules (6″ and 12″, I believe), and keep meaning to order the one from ThinkGeek. Really got hooked on them when I was more active in the local science fiction community and saw some of Larry “the Doctor” Stewart’s collection. Ooh, I coveted. (And, Maplecon, please come back, all is forgiven!) I’ve even got at least one slide rule app on my iPhone.
Of course, the most important part of the rule is the curser. That’s the part that gets increasingly frustrated trying to remember how to perform particular functions on the !%@#%! thing.
speedweaselsays
Predictable? No… (With apologies to NoR, who I think is awesome, but has clearly honed a ‘magic bullet’ response to creationists…)
What a fuckwitted idjit loser. Still nothing cogent and no solid and conclusive physical evidence for your imaginary deity. Please cite peer reviewed literature and provide evidence that would pass muster with real scientists. The babble is fiction not the inerrant word of god. As a Scientist with 30+ years experience…
Skeptic community website posts seems to consist entirely out of tired cliches.
Citation Required.
I found it amusing as a bit of self-deprecating humour. However the language is mostly spot-on. We say “that’s a myth” repeatedly because so many things we hear are myths, for example. The language used is an efficient way to cut to the chase, to expose the underlying fallacy or ignorance or bad thinking without any fruitless digressions. The phrases may become cliches only because critical thinking is such an uncommon trait to have.
timmysonsays
I prefer to think of it as reproduceible.
vytautasjanaauskassays
“Citation Required.”
LOL, you owe me an irony meter.
vytautasjanaauskassays
And I did it myself…
csrstersays
Ecclestone! Does that mean I’m not a real skeptic?
andyosays
“Happened with Beware the Believers too.”
Not so much though. Since that was genuine. It was made by the Expelled people afaik.
The guy who made it said afterward that he just wanted to make something funny, it wasn’t meant to mock either group. He didn’t say if he was a skeptic or an IDer, AFAIR, but he made a short second video depicting PZ and the Cracker Incident.
Dr. Pablitosays
Like. It’s really important to have a sense of humor about oneself. I think we’re all bozos on this bus.
carolwsays
I found it funny, as I heard echoes of myself, especially telling Mom to look at Snopes, and telling my friends constantly that stories they repeat to me from the web are myths.
The guy who made it said afterward that he just wanted to make something funny, it wasn’t meant to mock either group. He didn’t say if he was a skeptic or an IDer, AFAIR, but he made a short second video depicting PZ and the Cracker Incident.
Andyo, he was part of the expelled crowd, and was tasked with creating a viral video – it worked, and was much better than anything else that ever came out of the expelled crowd, excepting PZ being expelled of course.
I’ve had a few conversations with him over the years; he’s very talented, but unfortunately still can’t seem to get enough work, even with that bit of creativity that became so played at the time the Expelled movie was still playing.
anywho, brief plug for him in case there is someone out there needing the skills of a talented video artist.
Ichthyicsays
Andyo, he was part of the expelled crowd
correction.
no, he wasn’t.
he was simply a graphic artist they hired. He’s been rightly careful to avoid claiming any stance on the issues involved.
andyosays
Ah, that’s what I meant, but I did not remember he was actually hired by the Expelled people.
I am too a cynic. But this was pretty funny.
Shurly a Poe ;-)
I guess we could make something quite similar regarding science/scientists. I mean, look, creationists often complain that we say the same old thing, which is often (not always, naturally) true, because it’s still relevant and they still don’t get it.
I don’t care how many times they sneer at homology, everyone accepts it as showing ancestry if it’s “recent” or acceptable, they just throw it out as “design” once it gets beyond their belief zone. So yes, idiots, your noses are going to be rubbed in homology until you either learn or shut up.
We can get sloppy and lazy, sure, and repeat without thinking, but we’re going to demand evidence (why didn’t he throw that “meme” out there? Too relevant?) however much the credulous hate that demand.
Glen Davidson
Glen’s right.
This is nothing less than a predictable attempt to garner attention by applying an old trope that can be applied to anything.
including old tropes.
Though done fairly well (perhaps a bit overly long). It’s not amusing to me at all, simply for the reason that it’s as old as dirt.
seriously, have people NOT seen this shit before?
It seems like both you and Glen are unaware that the Shit [blanks] Say (to [Blanks]s) is a meme going ’round the ‘net right now.
It may be old as dirt, but it’s dirt that’s currently popular with the kids.
Let them have their fun.
@Glen and Ichthyic, I think these things are supposed to be self-deprecatory, although I realize that some of them have been pointed outward (e.g., Shit Christians Say to Atheists). But most of the ones I’ve seen are done in good humor (e.g., Shit Dudes in Bands Say).
And, in case people are misunderstanding, this is an in joke made by skeptics taking the piss out of themselves.
We definitely need more of this kind of shit.
Yes Brownian said it better than me.
Let them have their fun.
fine, fine.
so long as they do it OFF MY LAWN.
damn kids.
*grumble*
..and, in serious answer to the likely rhetorical question posed in the OP title:
no.
I find the skeptic community evolves its attitudes with surprising frequency to include new information.
it’s rather the opposite of predictable. Which likely is why it’s of interest to me.
Don’t feel bad. You’re in solid company.
Why, I’ve said it better than some very well-spoken people.
Wrong blog. This is where you need to go for that kind of thing.
First time seeing the ghost detector, had to look it up:
AmAzInG~!
Also, +1 on David Tennant.
True, though I was overcome by a humbling feeling of familiarity at the “Actually, that’s a myth” segment.
Wrong blog. This is where you need to go for that kind of thing.
how predictable.
In my day, we had to click both ways uphill in the snow to post a video.
In my day, we had to click both ways uphill in the snow to post a video.
at least you had something to click!
we used to have to just scrape our ideas onto rocks with bits of limestone…
it’s not just the scraping, but uploading and downloading took a lot more effort and was downright dangerous.
it’s not just the scraping, but uploading and downloading took a lot more effort and was downright dangerous.
exactly. Those old slate chalkboards weigh quite a lot!
putting them up on the wall at the beginning of the schoolyear was always such a chore. Wouldn’t want it to slip and drop on your foot, or your head.
Shit Christians Say to Atheists.
…It sometimes seems like that was just yesterday…
then I recall I’ve actually been using a computer regularly since 1982.
Hey, I guess that means it’s my… PERL anniversary.
and with that, I’ll be shuffling off, stage right.
Some of my students were whining about how many buttons they had to push to do a calculation in class this morning. I mock-sympathized and pointed out that my generation had done the same calculations “B.C.” — before calculators. They were vaguely aware that calculators had not always existed, but still seemed horrified to meet someone who had been a student in those ancient and primitive days. I told them not to worry. I did not resent their easy access to vast computational power in this modern era — “as long as you kids stay off my lawn!”
They laughed. I was pleased.
No, I’m well aware of that. What white girls do, etc.
Didn’t think any of them were very funny, obviously including this one. Yes, we’re the ones who have to say, “It’s a myth” over and over,” true, but that comes with the territory.
Glen Davidson
How many times do we need to get mentioned on PZ’s blog before we get a prize?
(I know, I know. Just being mentioned is the prize.)
I laughed. However, I’m a skeptic and a cynic.
Predictable
All I see
All I hear
they were vaguely aware that calculators had not always existed
if you want to really freak them out, show them a slide rule.
You might even get some fainters if you can actually show them it works to solve complex problems.
seriously, it’s like you showed them a magic trick!
VERY PREDICTABLE.
BECAUSE I ALREADY BLOGGED IT BEFORE YOU DID, PZ!!! :p
http://freethoughtblogs.com/tokenskeptic/2012/01/25/s-skeptics-say/
(Mind, I’m in Australia, about 12 hours ahead of you… so the time-stamp is different… Ah well!)
i literally laughed out loud at the “mom, you need to go to snopes.com…” that hit home.
it was funny once i got that it was an in-joke. dude knows waaaaay to many skeptical tropes.
When half of the people you encounter on a daily basis are believers in some kind of irrationality, you find yourself saying “No, that’s wrong” quite a bit.
“No, vaccines won’t make you an autistic. ” (and when I’m feeling particularly evil) “They will make you an atheist, though. “
oh
Is that what I sound like
even the check Snopes comment
now is that a good thing or a bad thing ?
I wonder what it says about me that I got *all* the references in that video.
I’m definitely spending way too much time reading skeptic blogs and listening to podcasts.
And watching Dr. Who.
But yea, Tennant is the best.
My high school chemistry teacher used to race students at doing calculations, him on his slide rule and they on their calculators. He always won. Mine was the last chemistry class that had to learn slide rule – class of ’77.
I thought the video was at least as amusing as the others I’ve seen in the genre. However, Tom Baker still beats David Tennant at Doctoring. (Nothing against Tennant, who was terrific, just not as good as Tom.)
WRT uploading in the dark ages, imagine the effort in transferring megabytes of data using morse code. So there!
I thought that was pretty good. Surely we skeptics can take the piss out of ourselves.
Is this guy the love child of Dr. Brian Cox and Zach Braff?
Slide rules (the old slip stick)
I still have mine at home
showed it to my son
he could just not understand it
Kids Today ,bah Humbug, get off my lawn ,in my day we had to use a slide rule uphill both ways and eat cold rocks for dinner
Hah, at least you got to have dinner!
now is that a good thing or a bad thing ?
neither.
don’t worry about it.
Back before The Great Renaming I used to post to Usenet by whistling into a 300 baud acoustic modem.
Hmm. Apparently, I’m a skeptic.
I thought it was funny.
http://edwardfeser.blogspot.com/2012/01/maudlin-on-philosophy-of-cosmology.html Just in case you want to see some of the shitty things that scientists say, and who is going to be correcting them on their nonsense…
As a wise man once said – it’s funny because it’s true. Skeptic community website posts seems to consist entirely out of tired cliches. While this is probably true of any movement based mostly on fanboyism, coupled with a lack of taste and imagination it seems to reach high levels of comedy even without lumping it all together in one video.
I’m a bit confused. Were people just being ironic in their anger at this one or did they genuinely not recognize it as self-deprecating humour? The observations were much too spot on for it to be anything but. It’s a shame, because it’s much funnier on first viewing if your calibration for recognizing a sincere attack or not are set properly.
That it’s true doesn’t mean it’s wrong.
There’s always one. Skeptics make self-deprecating humor, and you idiots go pooping all over it. Happened with Beware the Believers too.
That’s what I thought too. “You know what they call alternative medicine that’s been proven to work?” had me on the floor. A couple of elevatorgate references and non-sexist Dawkins were a nice touch as well.
“So you’re a skeptic, too? I doubt that!”
Dammit, someone’s been reading my stand-up notes!
“Happened with Beware the Believers too.”
Not so much though. Since that was genuine. It was made by the Expelled people afaik.
Started to read that, prepared to be convinced thamy ideas about philosophy were prejudices and wrong.
I’ve not given up yet, but halfway down I am already thinking that this guy sounds full of misunderstandings, and does not exactly inspire trust in his claims. If this goes on, I will feel that much more secure in disregarding philosophy. Which is especially ironic as he starts claiming that philosophers who talk about physics have done their homework – so far, it doesn’t look like that to me.
(I’m out of time right now.)
@jamesheartney (#32):
I have two old slide rules (6″ and 12″, I believe), and keep meaning to order the one from ThinkGeek. Really got hooked on them when I was more active in the local science fiction community and saw some of Larry “the Doctor” Stewart’s collection. Ooh, I coveted. (And, Maplecon, please come back, all is forgiven!) I’ve even got at least one slide rule app on my iPhone.
Of course, the most important part of the rule is the curser. That’s the part that gets increasingly frustrated trying to remember how to perform particular functions on the !%@#%! thing.
Predictable? No… (With apologies to NoR, who I think is awesome, but has clearly honed a ‘magic bullet’ response to creationists…)
http://www.google.com.au/search?q=site:scienceblogs.com+%22nerd+of+redhead%22+cogent+babble+idjit+loser+scientist+30%2B+evidence+muster+peer+review
#41 vytautasjanaauskas,
Citation Required.
I found it amusing as a bit of self-deprecating humour. However the language is mostly spot-on. We say “that’s a myth” repeatedly because so many things we hear are myths, for example. The language used is an efficient way to cut to the chase, to expose the underlying fallacy or ignorance or bad thinking without any fruitless digressions. The phrases may become cliches only because critical thinking is such an uncommon trait to have.
I prefer to think of it as reproduceible.
“Citation Required.”
LOL, you owe me an irony meter.
And I did it myself…
Ecclestone! Does that mean I’m not a real skeptic?
The guy who made it said afterward that he just wanted to make something funny, it wasn’t meant to mock either group. He didn’t say if he was a skeptic or an IDer, AFAIR, but he made a short second video depicting PZ and the Cracker Incident.
Like. It’s really important to have a sense of humor about oneself. I think we’re all bozos on this bus.
I found it funny, as I heard echoes of myself, especially telling Mom to look at Snopes, and telling my friends constantly that stories they repeat to me from the web are myths.
Dr. Pablito, don’t crush that dwarf, hand me the pliers.
Andyo, he was part of the expelled crowd, and was tasked with creating a viral video – it worked, and was much better than anything else that ever came out of the expelled crowd, excepting PZ being expelled of course.
Source for my claims
As a wise man once said – it’s funny because it’s true
a tired cliche if ever there was one.
The guy who made it said afterward that he just wanted to make something funny, it wasn’t meant to mock either group.
his name is Michael Edmonson.
I’ve had a few conversations with him over the years; he’s very talented, but unfortunately still can’t seem to get enough work, even with that bit of creativity that became so played at the time the Expelled movie was still playing.
anywho, brief plug for him in case there is someone out there needing the skills of a talented video artist.
Andyo, he was part of the expelled crowd
correction.
no, he wasn’t.
he was simply a graphic artist they hired. He’s been rightly careful to avoid claiming any stance on the issues involved.
Ah, that’s what I meant, but I did not remember he was actually hired by the Expelled people.
Brownian @7:
Coming to a youtube channel hear you:
“Skeptics Who Stare At Goats”
(or something.)
Brownian @7:
Coming to a youtube channel near you:
“Skeptics Who Stare At Goats”
(or something.)
This totally rocked.