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Wednesday 30 January 2008

How to Make a Start in Junk Science

Having observed this phenomenon in various fields including the link between tobacco and ill health, the link between HIV and AIDS and the link between CO2 emissions and anthropogenic global warming, I can offer a few general hints on how to start a new junk science campaign:


  1. Think of a really obvious objection to a field of science in which many eminent people have put decades of work.
  2. Write up a blog asserting that you have a new, superior theory – ideally one that causes more harm than good, so as to excite attention
  3. Post articles on blogs about the conventional science, asking stupid questions, implying the regulars are ignoramuses
  4. Write letters to the press accusing the mainstream of "junk science" and suppressing dissent, based on angry responses to your stupid questions (no need to mention that your questions were stupid)
  5. Write more articles on your blog, distorting the answers to your questions, and picking out details of the mainstream science which have had to be corrected as evidence that it's all no good

    • Once you start getting responses on your blog, stoke the fires by posting long, snide responses to everyone who disagrees with you
    • You know you've really made it when you start getting supports posting sincere ripostes to your critics

  6. If all goes well, secure a corporate sponsor who benefits from sowing confusion, and you'll have a lifetime of rewarding work, trashing the work of others, ahead of you


Will this work?

It did every time before.

What area should you try? I suggest setting up a campaign to discredit the science showing that cocaine use is harmful. That one hasn't been tried yet. I bet the mafia has even deeper pockets than big tobacco or big oil. No, wait a minute. They probably benefit from cocaine being illegal.

Sorry, you're on your own.

Good luck.

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