"Accomplished" geophysicist was the guy dragging cop down stairs, put baton against officer's neck

[meadowlander]

25. I'm sure I'll get slammed for this,

but a lot of scientists and engineers are also on the autistic spectrum and some people on the spectrum find it easy to fall down "research" rabbit-holes and difficult to climb back out of them. Having your brain wired to be fascinated with collecting the most arcane, complex information you can find and enjoying systematizing it in your head can lead you to be an expert in a STEM field but can just as easily make you susceptible to QAnon bullshit. People on the spectrum also tend to take things literally and have trouble working out when someone is being deceptive so they're more vulnerable to online bullshitters.

There's something about "here's an obscure and improbable fact that only you and I know is true" that's catnip to some people on the spectrum.

Not saying that that explains everyone who rioted on the 6th or that that's true of even the majority of autistic people but I do think it helps explain how someone could be a very well respected, well educated scientist or engineer and also come to believe complete crap at the same time.