I almost posted a link to 10 Things You Can Cross Off Your Worry List this morning, mainly because the article was so dumb and anti-research and anti-science, but I’m glad I waited because Treehugger has published the Five Ways New York Times Columnist Distorts Facts instead.
And, of course, you can worry about anything you choose to worry about!
July 30th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
I am surprised that Strangelets are not on the list. Anything that can turn the earth into a strange ball of goo (theory unproven) can not be a good thing. Keeps me up at night.
July 30th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
I can see why!
July 30th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Yea, I thought the article was weirddddd. First, some of those things I am pretty sure no one worried about. Secondly, what in the world qualified the author to decide those are the things not to worry about? It felt soooooooo random.
July 30th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
I’m thinking he might have received a gift from the national institute of plastics or some such group.
I was going to ask CK what the name of that sort of logic is. I think it’s sort of the “red herring” strategy where you throw out a few things that are really absurd to worry about (the red herrings) and then draw the conclusion that everything in the list must be equally absurd.
July 30th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
And for neurotics like yours truly, I suppose you’re screwed no matter what.
July 30th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
I think Matt stays awake thinking of this — http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_goo — which dovetails nicely into my childhood ecological collapse/nuclear annihilation fears. No wonder I listen to The Smiths.