• UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    Understanding is cemented in one’s original source of information about the world. Shaping a pre-existing understand requires not just accuracy but volume, because you’re not competing against faulty logic. You’re competing against accumulated memories.

    If someone is deep into the conspiracy theory rabbit hole, what is shaping their opinion is the consistent repetition of orthodoxy over time. Similarly, if someone is highly educated in a particular scientific field, their opinion is shaped by the persistent need to reaffirm fundamental truths in order to succeed and progress. We are not computers. We are not creatures of pure logic. We are the accumulation of our prior experiences and exposures.

    You should not be surprised if an individual - when confronted with a narrow band of contrary information - does not immediately jettison all their prior information. Because ask yourself - would you? I mean, if a single guy showed up with a stack of papers insisting he’s proved without a shadow of a doubt that chemtrails are real and the entire professional weather reporting community is lying to you, is there anything they could show you that you wouldn’t greet with skepticism proportional to your exposure to professional weather science?

    Because, if the answer is “No”, then why would you expect someone immersed in hundreds of hours of conspiracy theory podcasts and think pieces and social media conversations to behave any differently?

    • AA5B@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      Because even if chemtrails were a thing they’re logistically impractical. There are multiple unlikely leaps of logic

      There are multiple steps of logic here

      • can aircraft spray chemicals? Sure, we have ag planes and fire fighting planes. In Vietnamese War we sprayed defoliant
      • is there a mind control chemical that can be sprayed?
      • if there was, could someone benefit from widespread dispersion?
      • can you spread it through jet engine exhaust within it destroying it?
      • is it possible to include with regularly scheduled air service without passengers or crew noticing?
      • how many people would have to be in on the conspiracy and what are the chances of keeping it secret so long?

      So the current examples of spraying from plane do so all at once through special equipment. You’d notice plus can’t really be widespread. It’s extremely unlikely a chemical could be mixed into jet fuel, survive the combustion process, and be spread with enough concentration to be useful. There’s no way such a large program would go unnoticed, could possibly be kept secret. Most importantly, for what purpose? If someone were trying to mind control the whole country what does it benefit to dose a random person in a field with no special skill or access and where there’s no one around to control them?