Posts by R A Hurley
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Hard News: Our own fake news, in reply to linger,
Even if that study were legitimate, it would still be possible to argue that their success in convincing people could be explained by the backfire effect being either non-existent or much weaker than previously thought. After all, it's not difficult to counteract something that doesn't exist.
But, given that the study was fabricated, its existence manages to say even less than that about the potential existence of a backfire effect. They might as well have claimed to have found evidence that Lynx body spray prevents manticore attacks. All gathered evidence might technically support that hypothesis, but the simpler explanation would be just that there's no such thing as manticores...
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Hard News: Our own fake news, in reply to Dylan Reeve,
It seems that some new research has failed to replicate the presence of any significant Backfire Effect. I find this both reassuring and terrifying, and in about equal measure. Reassuring in the sense that there likely isn't some kind of massively flawed heuristic evolved right into the brain of every single human being. Terrifying in the sense that said flaw can no longer be used to rationalise away the behaviour of people who resist any attempt to be disabused of their nonsense.
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fair point, Russell... please go ahead and consign me to the fire using your mod power... it's entirely deserved...
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i am guessing "Median Auckland house price" is too long? shame... seems to have been something of a national fixation this year...
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Hard News: Why we thought what we thought, in reply to A C Young,
I just read the DHC column in the herald suggesting that Cathy Odgers is lovely (and kind of skating over CO sniggering about someone’s potential murder).
It's a doozy, isn't it! She's just a "naughty girl" who indulges in "stirring" when bored! What an adorable little scamp she is, ruining lives for pay...
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One off it shall have to be for now, I am afraid. Hope it will help keep you on your feet until the next cheque from the Vast-and-Shadowy-Left-Wing-Conspiracy-Which-Dictates-Your-Every-Utterance clears. (The rumours of said tardiness being due to the non-existence of said Shadow Kremlin are greatly exaggerated).
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*done*
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i just surfed here from (accidentally, i promise you!) reading the comments on a stuff.co.nz story... my mind thus filled with a toxic black ooze, i clicked over to PA to see a request for donations... and i thought "yes! take ALL of my money, just PLEASE don't leave me alone with those people!" (shorter version: i gave you as much money as i can spare, and my mother said to say she misses Media 7 terribly)
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"I have read studies about civil unions which show they do not work. It causes chaos."
WTF!? Peer-reviewed journal articles or it didn’t happen…
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Hard News: The witless on the pitiless, in reply to Josh Addison,
OK, now I can only think of Foghorn Leghorn. Russell, perhaps it would help your image if you were to start all posts with "Boy! Ah say, boy!" from now on...
Russell, I really think you ought to consider this. Foghorn Leghorn has, if nothing else, excellent Southern Good Ol' Boy cracker credentials. Might help you shed some of the Middle Class stink. Just something to think about......