Why do groups that consider science an annoyance at best

and a cult at worst nevertheless try so hard to make their ideas sound scientific?

I just clicked on the Woo room here, and the thread titles sound like they are trying to be an advanced physics class. :rofl:

and in complete denial about it. They know it's all bullshit woo, and they crave the certainty that science can bring.

After all, how many times can you try to cast a spell and fail and keep believing?

I remember the great Woo/Skeptic wars in the old Meeting Room. The astrologist/woo types had been clamoring for a place they could go (Yahoo, anyone?) and Skinner obliged them. They didn't reckon on us. We were very polite, but very insistent that they offer evidence. We tried to work with them to set up experiments, etc., and they just didn't want to do it. They hated us for exposing their silliness.

Sounds like it was either fun or excruciating.

and it's offline. Maybe it's because of the work admin's doing. I'll ask around.

It's not so much they dislike science as they distrust scientists., because us mean ol scientists think and look at the world rationally and they don't. They also think that their ability to google makes them more knowledgeable than the professionals . There is one poster on DU who is always complaining about the experimental design, I've had a taste of that and even phD's have to work hard to get it right.! They also are no where near as intelligent as they think they are and believe by spouting pseudoscientific technobabble they will impress people with their knowledge. I can't tell you how many times I've jumped on people for totally inaccurate uses of scientific terms..

LOL. So true!

If I only had a nickel for every time I have been "refuted" with cut and paste excerpts from Illuminati websites. :rofl:

It is like living in Alice in Wonderland.

They are jealous of science's hard won legitimacy and authority gained through curing and preventing disease and other such life improvements. They seek to piggyback on that legitimacy by presenting themselves as 'sciency'. Also I cant help thinking of cargo cults.

They'll post blatant, particularly ridiculous, woo woo and try to hide it behind a fake mustache of pseudoscience.

I say trolling because within a few minutes of the OP there'll be a half dozen of the usual suspects showing up in support.

A real who's who of woo woo.

They're even stupid enough to pretend they didn't do anything wrong. Why do they do it? Fuck, I don't know. They're all fucked in the head, so there's no point to try to figure them out.

Which I believe was one of the problems Sokal was trying to point out in his hoax.