"...studies the spread of ignorance" Agnotology

[handmade34]

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20160105-the-man-who-studies-the-spread-of-ignorance

...Agnotology is as important today as it was back when Proctor studied the tobacco industry’s obfuscation of facts about cancer and smoking. For example, politically motivated doubt was sown over US President Barack Obama’s nationality for many months by opponents until he revealed his birth certificate in 2011. In another case, some political commentators in Australia attempted to stoke panic by likening the country’s credit rating to that of Greece, despite readily available public information from ratings agencies showing the two economies are very different...

Proctor explains that ignorance can often be propagated under the guise of balanced debate. For example, the common idea that there will always be two opposing views does not always result in a rational conclusion. This was behind how tobacco firms used science to make their products look harmless, and is used today by climate change deniers to argue against the scientific evidence.
“This ‘balance routine’ has allowed the cigarette men, or climate deniers today, to claim that there are two sides to every story, that ‘experts disagree’ – creating a false picture of the truth, hence ignorance.”...

We live in a world of radical ignorance – Robert Proctor

[sop]

1. "democracy means that my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge" - Isaac Asimov

[TreasonousBastard]

2. "You will believe the lies you wish were true."