CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html> <html class="client-nojs" lang="en" dir="ltr"> <head> <meta charset="UTF-8"/> <title>Denialism - RationalWiki</title> <script>document.documentElement.className="client-js";RLCONF={"wgBreakFrames":!1,"wgSeparatorTransformTable":["",""],"wgDigitTransformTable":["",""],"wgDefaultDateFormat":"dmy","wgMonthNames":["","January","February","March","April","May","June","July","August","September","October","November","December"],"wgRequestId":"Z-NFT_bkp9DRrI4bGADnGwAAAAw","wgCSPNonce":!1,"wgCanonicalNamespace":"","wgCanonicalSpecialPageName":!1,"wgNamespaceNumber":0,"wgPageName":"Denialism","wgTitle":"Denialism","wgCurRevisionId":2644213,"wgRevisionId":2644213,"wgArticleId":3978,"wgIsArticle":!0,"wgIsRedirect":!1,"wgAction":"view","wgUserName":null,"wgUserGroups":["*"],"wgCategories":["Pages using DynamicPageList parser function","Bronze-level articles","Denialism","Anti-intellectualism","Pseudoscience"],"wgPageContentLanguage":"en","wgPageContentModel":"wikitext","wgRelevantPageName":"Denialism","wgRelevantArticleId":3978,"wgIsProbablyEditable":!0,"wgRelevantPageIsProbablyEditable":!0, "wgRestrictionEdit":[],"wgRestrictionMove":[],"wgMediaViewerOnClick":!0,"wgMediaViewerEnabledByDefault":!0};RLSTATE={"site.styles":"ready","noscript":"ready","user.styles":"ready","user":"ready","user.options":"loading","ext.cite.styles":"ready","skins.vector.styles.legacy":"ready","mediawiki.toc.styles":"ready"};RLPAGEMODULES=["ext.cite.ux-enhancements","site","mediawiki.page.startup","mediawiki.page.ready","mediawiki.toc","skins.vector.legacy.js","ext.gadget.ReferenceTooltips","mmv.head","mmv.bootstrap.autostart"];</script> <script>(RLQ=window.RLQ||[]).push(function(){mw.loader.implement("user.options@1hzgi",function($,jQuery,require,module){/*@nomin*/mw.user.tokens.set({"patrolToken":"+\\","watchToken":"+\\","csrfToken":"+\\"}); });});</script> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=ext.cite.styles%7Cmediawiki.toc.styles%7Cskins.vector.styles.legacy&only=styles&skin=vector"/> <script async="" src="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=startup&only=scripts&raw=1&skin=vector"></script> <meta name="ResourceLoaderDynamicStyles" content=""/> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=site.styles&only=styles&skin=vector"/> <meta name="generator" content="MediaWiki 1.35.6"/> <meta name="description" content="Denialism is the refusal to accept well-established theory, law, fact, or evidence.&#91;note 1&#93; The word "denialist" has pejorative connotations."/> <link rel="alternate" type="application/x-wiki" title="Edit" href="/w/index.php?title=Denialism&action=edit"/> <link rel="edit" title="Edit" href="/w/index.php?title=Denialism&action=edit"/> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/favicon.ico"/> <link rel="search" type="application/opensearchdescription+xml" href="/w/opensearch_desc.php" title="RationalWiki (en)"/> <link rel="EditURI" type="application/rsd+xml" href="https://rationalwiki.org/w/api.php?action=rsd"/> <link rel="license" href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Copyrights"/> <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="RationalWiki Atom feed" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:RecentChanges&feed=atom"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:site_name" content="RationalWiki"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Denialism"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Denialism is the refusal to accept well-established theory, law, fact, or evidence.&#91;note 1&#93; The word "denialist" has pejorative connotations."/> <meta property="og:url" content="https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Denialism"/>  </head> <body class="mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject mw-editable page-Denialism rootpage-Denialism skin-vector action-view minerva--history-page-action-enabled skin-vector-legacy"> <div id="mw-page-base" class="noprint"></div> <div id="mw-head-base" class="noprint"></div> <div id="content" class="mw-body" role="main"> <a id="top"></a> <div id="siteNotice" class="mw-body-content"><div id="localNotice" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div id="2025_RationalWiki_.27Oregon_Plan.27_Fundraiser"> <table role="presentation" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto; width: 100%;"> <tbody><tr> <td style="width: 60%; text-align: left;"><big><center><b><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Fundraiser" title="RationalWiki:Fundraiser">2025 RationalWiki 'Oregon Plan' Fundraiser</a></b></center></big> <p><b>There is no RationalWiki without you.</b> We are a small non-profit with no staff—we are hundreds of volunteers who document pseudoscience and crankery around the world every day. We will never allow ads because we must remain independent. We cannot rely on big donors with corresponding big agendas. We are not the largest website around, but <a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Fundraiser" title="RationalWiki:Fundraiser">we believe we play an important role in defending truth and objectivity</a>. </p> </td> <td style="width: 40%; text-align: center;"><big><b><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Fundraiser" title="RationalWiki:Fundraiser">Fighting pseudoscience isn't free</a>.<br />We are 100% user-supported! Help and donate $5, $10, $20 or whatever you can today with <img alt="PayPal Logo.png" src="/w/images/thumb/f/fb/PayPal_Logo.png/61px-PayPal_Logo.png" decoding="async" width="61" height="17" srcset="/w/images/thumb/f/fb/PayPal_Logo.png/92px-PayPal_Logo.png 1.5x, /w/images/thumb/f/fb/PayPal_Logo.png/122px-PayPal_Logo.png 2x" data-file-width="883" data-file-height="244" />!</b></big><a href="https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=67BJMQC85CUFW" title="Donate via PayPal" rel="nofollow"><img alt="" src="/w/images/thumb/1/10/DonateButton.png/100px-DonateButton.png" decoding="async" width="100" height="32" srcset="/w/images/thumb/1/10/DonateButton.png/150px-DonateButton.png 1.5x, /w/images/thumb/1/10/DonateButton.png/200px-DonateButton.png 2x" data-file-width="759" data-file-height="241" /></a> </td></tr></tbody></table> <div role="progressbar" style="width: 100%; border: 2px solid black; position: relative; padding: 2px; border-radius: 18px;"> <a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Fundraiser" title="RationalWiki:Fundraiser"><span style="text-shadow: -1px -1px 0 #FFFFFF, 1px -1px 0 #FFFFFF, -1px 1px 0 #FFFFFF, 1px 1px 0 #FFFFFF; color: black; font-size: 125%; position: absolute; left: 0%; margin: 0 0 0 10px"><b>Donations so far: $8765.50</b></span></a><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Fundraiser" title="RationalWiki:Fundraiser"><span style="text-shadow: -1px -1px 0 #FFFFFF, 1px -1px 0 #FFFFFF, -1px 1px 0 #FFFFFF, 1px 1px 0 #FFFFFF; color: black; font-size: 125%; position: absolute; right: 0%; margin: 0 10px 0 0"><b>Goal: $10000</b></span></a><div style="height: 28px; border-radius: 14px; background-color: hsl(70.124,100%,45%); width: 87.655%;"></div> </div></div></div></div> <div class="mw-indicators mw-body-content"> <div id="mw-indicator-bronze" class="mw-indicator"><a href="/wiki/Category:Bronze-level_articles" title="Category:Bronze-level articles"><img alt="Bronze-level article" src="/w/images/thumb/3/3d/Copperbrain.png/25px-Copperbrain.png" decoding="async" width="25" height="25" style="vertical-align: baseline" srcset="/w/images/thumb/3/3d/Copperbrain.png/38px-Copperbrain.png 1.5x, /w/images/thumb/3/3d/Copperbrain.png/50px-Copperbrain.png 2x" data-file-width="800" data-file-height="800" /></a></div> </div> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading" lang="en">Denialism</h1> <div id="bodyContent" class="mw-body-content"> <div id="siteSub" class="noprint">From RationalWiki</div> <div id="contentSub"></div> <div id="contentSub2"></div> <div id="jump-to-nav"></div> <a class="mw-jump-link" href="#mw-head">Jump to navigation</a> <a class="mw-jump-link" href="#searchInput">Jump to search</a> <div id="mw-content-text" lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"><div class="mw-parser-output"><div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:167px;"><a href="/wiki/File:%27COVID_is_a_lie%27,_Sports_pavilion,_playing_field,_Wakefield_Road,_Pontefract_(4th_September_2020).jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/%27COVID_is_a_lie%27%2C_Sports_pavilion%2C_playing_field%2C_Wakefield_Road%2C_Pontefract_%284th_September_2020%29.jpg/165px-%27COVID_is_a_lie%27%2C_Sports_pavilion%2C_playing_field%2C_Wakefield_Road%2C_Pontefract_%284th_September_2020%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="165" height="124" class="thumbimage" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/%27COVID_is_a_lie%27%2C_Sports_pavilion%2C_playing_field%2C_Wakefield_Road%2C_Pontefract_%284th_September_2020%29.jpg/248px-%27COVID_is_a_lie%27%2C_Sports_pavilion%2C_playing_field%2C_Wakefield_Road%2C_Pontefract_%284th_September_2020%29.jpg 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/%27COVID_is_a_lie%27%2C_Sports_pavilion%2C_playing_field%2C_Wakefield_Road%2C_Pontefract_%284th_September_2020%29.jpg/330px-%27COVID_is_a_lie%27%2C_Sports_pavilion%2C_playing_field%2C_Wakefield_Road%2C_Pontefract_%284th_September_2020%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="5152" data-file-height="3864" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/File:%27COVID_is_a_lie%27,_Sports_pavilion,_playing_field,_Wakefield_Road,_Pontefract_(4th_September_2020).jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div><a href="/wiki/COVID-19_denialism" title="COVID-19 denialism">COVID-19 denialism</a> in <a href="/wiki/England" title="England">England</a></div></div></div> <table class="infobox" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="float: right; margin: 0 0 0.5em 0.5em; text-align:left; border: 1px solid #008080; width:175px;"> <tbody><tr> <td style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center; color:white; background-color:#008080"><b>Not just a river in Egypt</b><br /><a class="mw-selflink selflink"><font size="4" color="white"><b>Denialism</b></font></a> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="background-color:#dcebeb;" align="center"><a href="/wiki/Category:Denialism" title="Category:Denialism"><img alt="Icon denialism.svg" src="/w/images/thumb/c/ca/Icon_denialism.svg/100px-Icon_denialism.svg.png" decoding="async" width="100" height="100" srcset="/w/images/thumb/c/ca/Icon_denialism.svg/150px-Icon_denialism.svg.png 1.5x, /w/images/thumb/c/ca/Icon_denialism.svg/200px-Icon_denialism.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="200" data-file-height="200" /></a> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="font-size: 95%; color:white; background-color:#008080; text-align:center;"><b>Alternative facts</b> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="font-size: 95%; background-color:#dcebeb;"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Toward_Soviet_America" title="Toward Soviet America">Toward Soviet America</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/American_exceptionalism" title="American exceptionalism">American exceptionalism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Digital_Rights_Management" title="Digital Rights Management">Digital Rights Management</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Space_travel_hoax" title="Space travel hoax">Space travel hoax</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/The_End_of_Racism" title="The End of Racism">The End of Racism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Empirical_evidence_for_the_spherical_shape_of_Earth_-_The_Earth" title="Empirical evidence for the spherical shape of Earth - The Earth">Empirical evidence for the spherical shape of Earth - The Earth</a></li></ul> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="font-size: 95%; color:white; background-color:#008080; text-align:center;"><b>♫ We're not listening ♫</b> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="font-size: 95%; background-color:#dcebeb;"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Freeman_Dyson" title="Freeman Dyson">Freeman Dyson</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Art_Robinson" title="Art Robinson">Art Robinson</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Henry_Stevens" title="Henry Stevens">Henry Stevens</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/David_Irving" title="David Irving">David Irving</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Meghan_Murphy" title="Meghan Murphy">Meghan Murphy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Aung_San_Suu_Kyi" title="Aung San Suu Kyi">Aung San Suu Kyi</a></li></ul> <div class="vte plainlinks" style="font-size:smaller; text-align:center;"><a href="/wiki/Template:DenialismSide" title="Template:DenialismSide">v</a> - <a href="/wiki/Template_talk:DenialismSide" title="Template talk:DenialismSide">t</a> - <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://rationalwiki.org/w/index.php?title=Template:DenialismSide&action=edit">e</a></div> </td></tr></tbody></table> <table style="margin: auto; border-collapse:collapse; border-style:none; background-color:transparent;" class="cquote"> <tbody><tr> <td><div style="padding:4px 50px;position:relative;"><span style="position:absolute;left:10px;top:-6px;z-index:1;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;color:#B2B7F2;font-size:36px">“</span><span style="position:absolute;right:10px;bottom:-20px;z-index:1;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;color:#B2B7F2;font-size:36px">”</span>I've read the stories about people who have died of <a href="/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic" title="COVID-19 pandemic">covid</a>, arguing with their caregiver that this is all a <a href="/wiki/Hoax" title="Hoax">hoax</a>, even as they’re hooked up to ventilators and unable to breathe on their own. This is four-star-level denial, but there are many levels below it.</div> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="padding:4px 10px 8px;font-size:smaller;line-height:1.6em;text-align:right;"><cite style="font-style:normal;position:relative;z-index:2">—Tim Carman<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1">[1]</a></sup></cite> </td></tr></tbody></table> <p><b>Denialism</b> is the refusal to accept well-established <a href="/wiki/Theory" title="Theory">theory</a>, <a href="/wiki/Scientific_law" title="Scientific law">law</a>, <a href="/wiki/Fact" title="Fact">fact</a>, or <a href="/wiki/Evidence" title="Evidence">evidence</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3">[note 1]</a></sup> The word "denialist" has pejorative connotations. </p><p>In <a href="/wiki/Scientific" class="mw-redirect" title="Scientific">scientific</a> contexts, the denialist can deny a cause (carbon dioxide does not cause <a href="/wiki/Global_warming" class="mw-redirect" title="Global warming">global warming</a>), an effect (the <a href="/wiki/Earth" title="Earth">Earth</a> is not warming), the association between the two (CO<sub>2</sub> levels are rising and the Earth is warming, but not because of the carbon dioxide), the direction of the <a href="/wiki/Causality" title="Causality">cause-and-effect relationship</a> (carbon dioxide concentrations are increasing <i>because</i> the earth is warming), or the identification of the cause-and-effect relationship (other factors than greenhouse gases are causing the Earth to warm). Often denialists practice minimization ("the Earth is warming, but it's not harmful") and use <a href="/wiki/Pseudoskepticism" title="Pseudoskepticism">misplaced skepticism</a> to give an unwarranted <a href="/wiki/Cargo_cult_science" class="mw-redirect" title="Cargo cult science">veneer of scientific thinking</a>. </p><p>Major scientific targets of denialism include <a href="/wiki/Evolution" title="Evolution">evolution</a>, global warming, the link between <a href="/wiki/HIV_denial" class="mw-redirect" title="HIV denial">HIV and AIDS</a>, the link between <a href="/wiki/Smoking" class="mw-redirect" title="Smoking">smoking</a> and lung <a href="/wiki/Cancer" title="Cancer">cancer</a>, and evidence that there is no correlation between <a href="/wiki/Vaccination" class="mw-redirect" title="Vaccination">vaccination</a> and <a href="/wiki/Autism" title="Autism">autism</a>. Often, <a href="/wiki/Greed" title="Greed">self-interest</a> is the motivation behind denialism, hence <a href="/wiki/Politicization_of_science" title="Politicization of science">politicization</a> or financially motivated arguments often come into play. For example, tobacco companies denied the smoking-lung cancer link (even though they were well-aware of it for decades) as it would have hurt their profits. Likewise, <a href="/wiki/Andrew_Wakefield" title="Andrew Wakefield">Andrew Wakefield</a> had a strong <a href="/wiki/Conflict_of_interest" title="Conflict of interest">conflict of interest</a> in ensuring that people didn't take established and effective vaccines. Similarly, global-warming denialists tend to oppose solutions which aim to address the problem (see the <a href="/wiki/Logical_fallacy" title="Logical fallacy">logical fallacy</a> of <a href="/wiki/Argument_from_adverse_consequences" class="mw-redirect" title="Argument from adverse consequences">argument from adverse consequences</a>), and get support from energy conglomerates and others who could lose financially from reductions in <a href="/wiki/Fossil_fuel" title="Fossil fuel">fossil-fuel</a> use. Because of financial incentive, denialism can take the form of the <a href="/wiki/Accounting" title="Accounting">accounting</a> known as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deferred_financing_cost" class="extiw" title="wp:Deferred financing cost" rel="nofollow"><span style="color:#477979 !important;" title="Wikipedia: Deferred financing cost">Deferred financing cost</span></a><sup><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/12px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="12" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/18px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/24px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="128" data-file-height="128" /></sup> (a form of <a href="/wiki/Negative_externality" class="mw-redirect" title="Negative externality">negative externality</a>), <span title="short for: id est (Latin phrase that means 'in other words', 'that is', or 'which means')" style="border-bottom:1px dotted">i.e.</span>, someone else will pay for the costs while the company/denier takes the profits — a future generation, a different stock holder, the government, or an innocent bystander. </p><p>Politicians use variations of the phrase "I'm not a scientist but…" to proclaim that they are proudly and <a href="/wiki/Willful_ignorance" title="Willful ignorance">willfully ignorant</a> of science <a href="/wiki/Hypocrisy" title="Hypocrisy">while at the same time</a> sportingly showing willingness to offer policy opinions in other areas where they also have no expertise, especially <a href="/wiki/Economics" title="Economics">economics</a> or <a href="/wiki/Religion" title="Religion">religion</a>. The proudly ignorant have included a frightening cast of <a href="/wiki/Republican_Party" title="Republican Party">Republicans</a>, including <a href="/wiki/Jeb_Bush" title="Jeb Bush">Jeb Bush</a>, <a href="/wiki/Scott_Walker" title="Scott Walker">Scott Walker</a>, <a href="/wiki/John_Boehner" title="John Boehner">John Boehner</a>, <a href="/wiki/Rick_Scott" title="Rick Scott">Rick Scott</a>, <a href="/wiki/Bobby_Jindal" title="Bobby Jindal">Bobby Jindal</a>, <a href="/wiki/Rick_Perry" title="Rick Perry">Rick Perry</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Marco_Rubio" title="Marco Rubio">Marco Rubio</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4">[3]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5">[4]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6">[5]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7">[6]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8">[7]</a></sup> </p><p>Denialism on the left has also been a serious problem, albeit primarily focusing on those oh-so-evil "<a href="/wiki/GMO" class="mw-redirect" title="GMO">GMO</a>"s and other supposed threats to public health while extolling anything and everything that is (often vaguely defined as) "natural".<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9">[8]</a></sup> For instance, Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) infamously championed a wide variety of medical <a href="/wiki/Quackery" title="Quackery">quackery</a> and forced the Office of Alternative Medicine, which became the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), into the National Institutes of Health. The NCCAM <a href="/wiki/WOMBAT" title="WOMBAT">has wasted millions of taxpayer dollars</a> in fruitless efforts to "validate" the patently absurd which have nevertheless given much credence to medical quackery and even the licensure of <a href="/wiki/Acupuncture" title="Acupuncture">acupuncturists</a>, naturopaths, and other quacks. <sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-10">[9]</a></sup> </p><p>Denial of fact is one of the foundations of <a href="/wiki/Woo" title="Woo">woo</a>. Denialism can also fill a deep <a href="/wiki/Psychological" class="mw-redirect" title="Psychological">psychological</a> need, as in the question of why one's child has <a href="/wiki/Autism" title="Autism">autism</a> — since in <a href="/wiki/Reality" title="Reality">reality</a> there is no known easy answer.<sup id="cite_ref-NS_11-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-NS-11">[10]</a></sup> </p> <div id="toc" class="toc" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="mw-toc-heading"><input type="checkbox" role="button" id="toctogglecheckbox" class="toctogglecheckbox" style="display:none" /><div class="toctitle" lang="en" dir="ltr"><h2 id="mw-toc-heading">Contents</h2><span class="toctogglespan"><label class="toctogglelabel" for="toctogglecheckbox"></label></span></div> <ul> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><a href="#Methods"><span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">Methods</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2"><a href="#Plausible_deniability"><span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Plausible deniability</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-3"><a href="#Denialism_vs._skepticism"><span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">Denialism vs. skepticism</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-4"><a href="#See_also"><span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">See also</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-5"><a href="#External_links"><span class="tocnumber">5</span> <span class="toctext">External links</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-6"><a href="#Notes"><span class="tocnumber">6</span> <span class="toctext">Notes</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-7"><a href="#References"><span class="tocnumber">7</span> <span class="toctext">References</span></a></li> </ul> </div> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Methods">Methods</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Denialism&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Methods">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <table style="margin: auto; border-collapse:collapse; border-style:none; background-color:transparent;" class="cquote"> <tbody><tr> <td><div style="padding:4px 50px;position:relative;"><span style="position:absolute;left:10px;top:-6px;z-index:1;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;color:#B2B7F2;font-size:36px">“</span><span style="position:absolute;right:10px;bottom:-20px;z-index:1;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;color:#B2B7F2;font-size:36px">”</span>Don't talk to me of independent study or scientific trial<br /> I'm in denial, deep in denial<br /> And as the waters rise around me<br /> I'll just hold my breath and say it isn't so!</div> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="padding:4px 10px 8px;font-size:smaller;line-height:1.6em;text-align:right;"><cite style="font-style:normal;position:relative;z-index:2">—"Denial Tango," Men with Day Jobs<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-12">[11]</a></sup></cite> </td></tr></tbody></table> <div role="note" class="hatnote">See also: <a href="/wiki/Pseudoscience#Characteristics_of_pseudoscience" title="Pseudoscience">Characteristics of pseudoscience</a></div> <p><a href="/wiki/Mark_Hoofnagle" title="Mark Hoofnagle">Mark</a> and Chris Hoofnagle at <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.scienceblogs.com/denialism">Denialism Blog</a> use their "Denialists' Deck of Cards" series<sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-13">[12]</a></sup> to describe how denialists of all stripes use remarkably similar tactics. Denialists often claim that an established set of <a href="/wiki/Knowledge" title="Knowledge">knowledge</a> or <a href="/wiki/Scientific_theory" title="Scientific theory">scientific theory</a> is not proven or "<a href="/wiki/Sound_science" title="Sound science">sound</a>" and lacks evidence (or enough evidence). They say it is a <a href="/wiki/Manufactroversy" title="Manufactroversy">controversy</a>, <a href="/wiki/False_balance" class="mw-redirect" title="False balance">requires balance</a>, or requires both the <a href="/wiki/Texans_for_Better_Science_Education" title="Texans for Better Science Education">strengths and weaknesses</a> to be considered. These tactics make the denialists appear "<a href="/wiki/Fair_and_Balanced" title="Fair and Balanced">fair</a>" (and those who oppose them <a href="/wiki/Dunning-Kruger_effect" class="mw-redirect" title="Dunning-Kruger effect">not</a>) and implies <a href="/wiki/Fear,_uncertainty,_and_doubt" title="Fear, uncertainty, and doubt">doubt</a> in what is being denied with no consideration of evidence. Denialist groups also produce competing evidence through their own <a href="/wiki/PIDOOMA" title="PIDOOMA">"research"</a>, which is often poorly performed (if at all), as it often is done by <a href="/wiki/Public_relations" title="Public relations">public relations</a> firms with no technical expertise. They encourage people to form their own opinions or <a href="/wiki/Do_your_own_research" title="Do your own research">do their own tests</a>, rather than relying on studies with appropriate methods and <a href="/wiki/Experimental_control" title="Experimental control">controls</a>. Lists of experts (who may have <a href="/wiki/Experts_for_hire" class="mw-redirect" title="Experts for hire">no credentials in the area</a>) are compiled as <a href="/wiki/Testimonials" class="mw-redirect" title="Testimonials">testimonials</a>, or public relations campaigns are used to improve denialists' images (and <a href="/wiki/Poisoning_the_well" title="Poisoning the well">slime legitimate scholars</a>). Actual errors in mainstream <a href="/wiki/Science" title="Science">science</a> will often be blown out of proportion.<sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-14">[13]</a></sup> Most denialist <a href="/wiki/Rhetoric" title="Rhetoric">rhetoric</a> is focused <a href="/wiki/Anti-intellectualism" title="Anti-intellectualism">at the layperson and not the expert</a>, and usually paints a contrast between two positions rather than being about one point-of-view.<sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-15">[note 2]</a></sup> The use of self-generated content on the <a href="/wiki/Internet" title="Internet">Internet</a> ("Web 2.0") unfortunately contributes to the dissemination of denialist arguments.<sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-16">[14]</a></sup> </p><p>Leah Ceccarelli describes the rhetoric of denialists:<sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-17">[note 3]</a></sup> </p> <blockquote class="letter" style="width:auto; background:#f8f8ff; border:1px solid #C9C9CF;"> <p>First, they skillfully invoke values that are shared by the scientific community and the <a href="/wiki/American" class="mw-redirect" title="American">American</a> public alike, like <a href="/wiki/Free_speech" class="mw-redirect" title="Free speech">free speech</a>, skeptical inquiry, and the revolutionary force of new ideas against a repressive orthodoxy. It is difficult to argue against someone who invokes these values without seeming unscientific or un-American. </p><p>Second, they exploit a tension between the technical and public spheres in … American life. Highly specialized scientific experts can't spare the time to engage in careful public communication, and are then surprised when the public distrusts, fears, or opposes them. </p><p>Third, today’s <a href="/wiki/Sophist" class="mw-redirect" title="Sophist">sophists</a> exploit a public misconception about what science is. They portray science as a structure of complete consensus built from the steady accumulation of unassailable data. Any dissent by any scientist is then seen as evidence that there's no consensus, and thus truth must not have been discovered yet.<sup id="cite_ref-18" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-18">[15]</a></sup> </p> </blockquote> <p>Diethelm and McKee introduced the five tactics of denialists, originally described by Mark Hoofnagle,<sup id="cite_ref-19" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-19">[16]</a></sup> into the scientific literature:<sup id="cite_ref-20" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-20">[17]</a></sup> </p> <ol><li>The identification of perceived <a href="/wiki/Conspiracy_theory" title="Conspiracy theory">conspiracies</a>. This includes belief of corrupted <a href="/wiki/Peer_review" title="Peer review">peer review</a> and <a href="/wiki/Psychological_projection" title="Psychological projection">inversionism</a> (<span title="short for: id est (Latin phrase that means 'in other words', 'that is', or 'which means')" style="border-bottom:1px dotted">i.e.</span>, attributing some of one's own characteristics and motivations to others).<sup id="cite_ref-21" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-21">[18]</a></sup></li> <li>The use of fake experts (often with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smear_campaign" class="extiw" title="wp:Smear campaign" rel="nofollow"><span style="color:#477979 !important;" title="Wikipedia: Smear campaign">smearing</span></a><sup><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/12px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="12" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/18px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/24px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="128" data-file-height="128" /></sup> of real experts).</li> <li>Selecting or <a href="/wiki/Cherry_picking" title="Cherry picking">cherry picking</a> sources: picking the weakest papers or only ones that are contrary. Particularly worrisome is looking at only a single study, especially in <a href="/wiki/Medicine" title="Medicine">medicine</a>, as one study rarely conclusively proves something.<sup id="cite_ref-22" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-22">[19]</a></sup> Others note that this includes <a href="/wiki/Anecdotal_evidence" title="Anecdotal evidence">anecdotal evidence</a><sup id="cite_ref-NS_11-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-NS-11">[10]</a></sup> and <a href="/wiki/Quote_mining" title="Quote mining">quote mining</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-23" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-23">[20]</a></sup></li> <li>Demanding <a href="/wiki/Lenski_affair#Correspondence" title="Lenski affair">impossible standards for research</a>.</li> <li>Use of <a href="/wiki/Fallacy" class="mw-redirect" title="Fallacy">fallacy</a>, including <a href="/wiki/Straw_man" title="Straw man">misrepresentation</a> and <a href="/wiki/False_analogy" title="False analogy">false analogy</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-24" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-24">[21]</a></sup> Informally, this can include a <a href="/wiki/Gish_Gallop" title="Gish Gallop">witch's brew</a> of half-truths and <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_emotion" title="Appeal to emotion">sob stories</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-25" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-25">[note 4]</a></sup> and/or <a href="/wiki/Spin" class="mw-redirect" title="Spin">spin</a> to try to force the public to ignore an important issue.</li></ol> <p>An example of AIDS-HIV denialist rhetoric is from Herbert Vilakazi: </p> <blockquote class="letter" style="width:auto; background:#f8f8ff; border:1px solid #C9C9CF;"> <p>"The situation in America is one of intolerance," [Vilakazi] continued, never raising his voice. "There are A.R.V.s [antiretroviral drugs]. Only one approach to treating this deadly illness is permitted. You are not allowed to talk about anything else." He said that people are obsessed with whether H.I.V. causes AIDS, but that he considered such arguments "<a href="/wiki/Willful_ignorance" title="Willful ignorance">completely academic and not relevant for the treatment of sick people</a>." He went on, "Let us be honest. Who benefits from A.R.V.s? Hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars have been spent on research and you have to get a return on your investment. It is the first rule of <a href="/wiki/Big_Pharma" title="Big Pharma">pharmaceutical companies</a>, and they simply terrorize their opponents. Very frankly, in America there is an official literature — and there are a <a href="/wiki/Argumentum_ad_populum" title="Argumentum ad populum">lot of people in the African-American community</a> who feel maybe there is a conspiracy and that <a href="/wiki/Bullshit" title="Bullshit">racism has a lot to do with it</a>. Why, for instance, is AIDS the biggest problem that exists in Africa? You start to wonder if there is a social selection for this disease. Is it not a coincidence that Africa is the poorest continent in the world? Did you ever think that it's in the interest of some people for it to stay that way?"<sup id="cite_ref-26" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-26">[22]</a></sup> </p> </blockquote> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Plausible_deniability">Plausible deniability</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Denialism&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Plausible deniability">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <p>Plausible deniability is a method used to evade blame, wherein the perpetrator gives a statement that claims innocence, preferably using the <a href="/wiki/Fallacy_of_ambiguity" title="Fallacy of ambiguity">fallacy of ambiguity</a>, so as to allow deniability. The political use of this strategy was explicitly formulated by <a href="/wiki/Lee_Atwater" title="Lee Atwater">Lee Atwater</a> in developing the <a href="/wiki/Southern_Strategy" title="Southern Strategy">Southern Strategy</a> used by the <a href="/wiki/GOP" class="mw-redirect" title="GOP">GOP</a>. </p> <blockquote class="letter" style="width:auto; background:#f8f8ff; border:1px solid #C9C9CF;"> <p>You start out in 1954 by saying, "<a href="/wiki/Nigger" title="Nigger">Nigger</a>, nigger, nigger." By 1968 you can't say "nigger" — that hurts you. Backfires. So you say stuff like forced busing, states' rights and all that stuff. You're getting so abstract now [that] you're talking about cutting taxes, and all these things you're talking about are totally economic things and a byproduct of them is [that] blacks get hurt worse than whites. And subconsciously maybe that is part of it. I'm not saying that. But I'm saying that if it is getting that abstract, and that coded, that we are doing away with the racial problem one way or the other. You follow me — because obviously sitting around saying, "We want to cut this," is much more abstract than even the busing thing, and a hell of a lot more abstract than "Nigger, nigger."<sup id="cite_ref-27" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-27">[23]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-28" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-28">[24]</a></sup> </p> </blockquote> <p>Historian Timothy Snyder suggested that <a href="/wiki/Vladimir_Putin" title="Vladimir Putin">Vladimir Putin</a>'s "direct assault on factuality might be called <i>implausible deniability</i>." By denying what everyone knew [about the <a href="/wiki/Russian" class="mw-redirect" title="Russian">Russian</a> invasion of <a href="/wiki/Ukraine" title="Ukraine">Ukraine</a>], Putin was creating unifying fictions at home and dilemmas in European and American newsrooms."<sup id="cite_ref-unfreedom_29-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-unfreedom-29">[25]</a></sup><sup class="reference" style="white-space:nowrap;">:163-164</sup> The reason that Putin's assault on truth was a dilemma for legitimate journalists was because journalists expect their news sources to "accept the factuality of the world and interpret the same set of facts", they are therefore trained to report on multiple sides of a story.<sup id="cite_ref-unfreedom_29-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-unfreedom-29">[25]</a></sup><sup class="reference" style="white-space:nowrap;">:164</sup> When one side of a story has disregard for the truth and is spreading disinformation, it becomes the <a href="/wiki/Balance_fallacy" title="Balance fallacy">balance fallacy</a>. The intent of implausible deniability is generally in the furtherance of <a href="/wiki/Fake_news" title="Fake news">fake news</a>, and is one of the primary rhetorical instruments of <a href="/wiki/RT" title="RT">RT</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-unfreedom_29-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-unfreedom-29">[25]</a></sup><sup class="reference" style="white-space:nowrap;">:178-179</sup> </p> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Denialism_vs._skepticism">Denialism vs. skepticism</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Denialism&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Denialism vs. skepticism">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <div role="note" class="hatnote">See the main article on this topic: <a href="/wiki/Pseudoskepticism" title="Pseudoskepticism">Pseudoskepticism</a></div> <table style="margin: auto; border-collapse:collapse; border-style:none; background-color:transparent;" class="cquote"> <tbody><tr> <td><div style="padding:4px 50px;position:relative;"><span style="position:absolute;left:10px;top:-6px;z-index:1;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;color:#B2B7F2;font-size:36px">“</span><span style="position:absolute;right:10px;bottom:-20px;z-index:1;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;color:#B2B7F2;font-size:36px">”</span>A skeptic will question claims, then embrace the evidence. A denier will question claims, then reject the evidence.</div> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="padding:4px 10px 8px;font-size:smaller;line-height:1.6em;text-align:right;"><cite style="font-style:normal;position:relative;z-index:2">—<a href="/wiki/Neil_deGrasse_Tyson" title="Neil deGrasse Tyson">Neil deGrasse Tyson</a><sup id="cite_ref-30" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-30">[26]</a></sup></cite> </td></tr></tbody></table> <p>It is possible to conflate <a href="/wiki/Skepticism" title="Skepticism">skepticism</a> and denialism, as proponents of both seem to "deny" that something exists until they're convinced otherwise. Denialists themselves often claim to be skeptics, and very rarely self-identify as denialists. But to say that a skeptic is a <a href="/wiki/Homeopathy" title="Homeopathy">homeopathy</a> denier and that a <a href="/wiki/Holocaust_denier" class="mw-redirect" title="Holocaust denier">Holocaust denier</a> is skeptical would be wrong. </p><p>While both have a negative or critical tone, the positions are different in how they view and acquire and interpret data. Skepticism is a method while denialism is a position. The opposite of "skeptic" is not "<a href="/wiki/Belief" title="Belief">believer</a>", and it is possible to embrace something while remaining skeptical. This is an essential part of the <a href="/wiki/Philosophy_of_science" title="Philosophy of science">ethos of science</a> as it suggests new <a href="/wiki/Experiment" title="Experiment">experiments</a> to strengthen or <a href="/wiki/Falsifiability" title="Falsifiability">falsify</a> a proposition. Skeptics look at experiments to ensure that they were performed properly with the appropriate controls, proper data analysis, and so on. The skeptical method involves examining all data and coming to a conclusion that it produces. Denialists, on the other hand, view data slightly differently, as a means to a predetermined end – minimizing its importance if it goes against their opinion, highlighting it if it supports them, or just plain misrepresenting it for their own purposes. Skeptics keep an <a href="/wiki/Open_mind" title="Open mind">open mind</a> until data shows that a <a href="/wiki/Hypothesis" title="Hypothesis">hypothesis</a> is invalid, while denialists <a href="/wiki/Texas_sharpshooter_fallacy" title="Texas sharpshooter fallacy">start with the conclusion and look for support</a>. To put it another way, denialism embraces <a href="/wiki/Confirmation_bias" title="Confirmation bias">confirmation bias</a> while skepticism seeks to avoid it. </p><p>One blogger put it this way: </p> <blockquote class="letter" style="width:auto; background:#f8f8ff; border:1px solid #C9C9CF;"> <p>Skeptics also ask questions, but a big difference between skeptics and denialists is that skeptics listen to answers and regard evidence as paramount. Denialists tend to see the piles of evidence against their claim, and see a conspiracy theory to perpetuate a hoax. But skeptics accept good evidence. Skeptics have a lot of respect for science, and denialists are usually out to undermine scientists working in the field where they have an agenda. <a href="/wiki/Style_over_substance" title="Style over substance">Denialists will wear the costume of scientific thinking</a>, but they usually show a piss-poor understanding how … the accumulation of studies and data work. (For instance, they promote the idea that if one study can be found to be flawed, this brings down the whole theory, as if the other hundreds of studies don't count.)<br /><br /> </p><p>This distinction is really important, because the role of skeptics is to <i>dispute and even disprove outrageous conspiracy theory claims.</i> Skeptics fight against denialists. That’s why I'm interested in skepticism — I fear that there's a surge of denialist thinking in our culture fueled by new media (which is great at a lot of good things, but also good at spreading misinformation) and the explosion in both complications in world politics and the everyday person's awareness of them. As science begins to dictate more and more of what we know, there's also a cultural backlash that's related to the overall backlash against modernism. Skepticism is becoming more and more important as the political troops to defend science. So when people who are part of the <a href="/wiki/Anti-science" class="mw-redirect" title="Anti-science">anti-science</a> backlash call themselves "skeptics," this confuses the issue.<sup id="cite_ref-31" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-31">[27]</a></sup> </p> </blockquote> <p>And another blogger: </p> <blockquote class="letter" style="width:auto; background:#f8f8ff; border:1px solid #C9C9CF;"> <p><a href="/wiki/Carl_Sagan" title="Carl Sagan">Carl Sagan</a> popularized the skeptical mantra: "<a href="/wiki/Extraordinary_claims_require_extraordinary_evidence" title="Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence">extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence</a>." Authentic scientific skepticism is an intellectual and scholarly pursuit that requires honesty, rationality, <a href="/wiki/Logic" title="Logic">logic</a>, and evidence. Real skeptics do not cling to absurd conspiracy theories for which there is no evidence, nor do they engage in obfuscation, misrepresentation, data fabrication, smear campaigns, or intimidation tactics. These are the methods of deniers.<sup id="cite_ref-32" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-32">[28]</a></sup> </p> </blockquote> <p>The scientific community's response to <a href="/wiki/Halomonadaceae" title="Halomonadaceae">the possibility of an arsenic-based life form</a> is a current example of skepticism.<sup id="cite_ref-33" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-33">[29]</a></sup> Take Carl Zimmer: </p> <blockquote class="letter" style="width:auto; background:#f8f8ff; border:1px solid #C9C9CF;"> <p>None of the scientists I spoke to ruled out the possibility that such weird <a href="/wiki/Bacteria" title="Bacteria">bacteria</a> might exist. Indeed, some of them were co-authors of a 2007 report for the National Academies of Sciences on alien life that called for research into, among other things, <a href="/wiki/Arsenic" title="Arsenic">arsenic</a>-based biology. But almost to a person, they felt that the <a href="/wiki/NASA" title="NASA">NASA</a> team had failed to take some basic precautions to avoid misleading results.<sup id="cite_ref-34" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-34">[30]</a></sup> </p> </blockquote> <p>Denialism also differs from legitimate <a href="/wiki/Historical_revisionism" title="Historical revisionism">historical revisionism</a> in that the latter acknowledges that a historical event occurred, but uses a different interpretation of evidence. Denialism is usually historical <a href="/wiki/Negationism" class="mw-redirect" title="Negationism">negationism</a>. </p> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="See_also">See also</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Denialism&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: See also">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <div class="div-col columns column-count column-count-2" style="-moz-column-count: 2; -webkit-column-count: 2; column-count: 2;"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Anti-environmentalism" title="Anti-environmentalism">Anti-environmentalism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Anti-intellectualism" title="Anti-intellectualism">Anti-intellectualism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Anti-science" class="mw-redirect" title="Anti-science">Anti-science</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Armenian_Genocide_denial" class="mw-redirect" title="Armenian Genocide denial">Armenian Genocide denial</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bosnian_genocide" class="mw-redirect" title="Bosnian genocide">Bosnian genocide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cherry_picking" title="Cherry picking">Cherry picking</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/A_comparative_guide_to_science_denial" title="A comparative guide to science denial">A comparative guide to science denial</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Denial_of_the_victim" class="mw-redirect" title="Denial of the victim">Denial of the victim</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Fear,_uncertainty,_and_doubt" title="Fear, uncertainty, and doubt">Fear, uncertainty, and doubt</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Fox_News" title="Fox News">Fox News</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gish_gallop" class="mw-redirect" title="Gish gallop">Gish gallop</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Holocaust_denial" title="Holocaust denial">Holocaust denial</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/I%27m_not_prejudiced,_but..." title="I'm not prejudiced, but...">I'm not prejudiced, but...</a> — used by science denialists as well as by bigots</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Just_asking_questions" title="Just asking questions">Just asking questions</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/One_single_proof" title="One single proof">One single proof</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stalin_apologetics" title="Stalin apologetics">Stalin apologetics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Statin_denialism" class="mw-redirect" title="Statin denialism">Statin denialism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vaccine_denialism" class="mw-redirect" title="Vaccine denialism">Vaccine denialism</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Essay:Elisions" title="Essay:Elisions">Essay:Elisions</a>, in which blogger Stephanie Zvan discusses the use of <a href="/wiki/Lying_by_omission" title="Lying by omission">lying by omission</a> in denialism (specifically in the case of <a href="/wiki/Sexism" title="Sexism">sexism</a>, but it applies overall)</li></ul></div> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="External_links">External links</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Denialism&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: External links">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.ted.com/talks/michael_specter_the_danger_of_science_denial.html">Michael Specter's TED talk on science denial</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.denialism.com/2007/03/denialists.html">Denialism blog's list of denialist organizations</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://scienceblogs.com/deltoid/2008/02/oreskes_on_the_american_denial.php">Naomi Oreskes on denialist tactics and global warming</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/03/denial-science-chris-mooney">The Science of Why We Deny Science</a> by Chris Mooney</li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.theness.com/index.php/skepticism-and-denial/">Skepticism and Denial</a> by <a href="/wiki/Steven_Novella" title="Steven Novella">Steven Novella</a>, compares <a href="/wiki/AIDS_denial" class="mw-redirect" title="AIDS denial">AIDS denial</a>, <a href="/wiki/Mental_illness_denial" title="Mental illness denial">mental illness denial</a>, <a href="/wiki/Evolution" title="Evolution">evolution</a> denial/<a href="/wiki/Creationism" title="Creationism">creationism</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Holocaust_denial" title="Holocaust denial">Holocaust denial</a>.</li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://physicstoday.org/resource/1/phtoad/v64/i10/p39_s1?bypassSSO=1">Science Controversies Past and Present</a> by Steven Sherwood in <i>Physics Today</i></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.skepticalscience.com/5-characteristics-of-scientific-denialism.html">5 Characteristics of Scientific Denialism</a>, Skeptical Science</li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=228194">Ahmed Ezz el-Arab, leader of the Egyptian party Wafd, denies the reality of the Holocaust, the authenticity of <i>The Diary of Anne Frank</i> and the authenticity of Babylonian exile antiquities uncovered in an archaeological excavation beneath the al Aksa Mosque</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/climate-of-doubt/">Climate of Doubt</a>, a Frontline report on climate change denialism</li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2005/12/how-to-be-a-real-sceptic/">How to be a Real Sceptic</a> at RealClimate</li></ul> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Notes">Notes</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Denialism&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Notes">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; -webkit-column-count:2; column-count:2; font-size:90%;"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-3">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">A more complete definition of denialism: "Denialism is the employment of <a href="/wiki/Rhetorical" class="mw-redirect" title="Rhetorical">rhetorical</a> tactics to give the appearance of argument or legitimate <a href="/wiki/Debate" title="Debate">debate</a>, when in actuality there is none. These false arguments are used when one has few or no facts to support one's viewpoint against a <a href="/wiki/Scientific_consensus" title="Scientific consensus">scientific consensus</a> or against overwhelming evidence to the contrary. They are effective in distracting from actual useful debate using <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_emotion" title="Appeal to emotion">emotionally appealing</a>, but ultimately empty and illogical assertions."<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2">[2]</a></sup></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-15">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">Strictly speaking, one could make a distinction between tactics that create doubt (as is the case in consumer products such as tobacco) and those that flat-out deny science (such as <a href="/wiki/Creationism" title="Creationism">creationism</a>), but the line is thin.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-17">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">Caccarelli is actually describing <a href="/wiki/Sophistry" title="Sophistry">sophists</a> who <a href="/wiki/Manufactroversy" title="Manufactroversy">manufacture controversies</a>, but the overlap is substantial.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-25"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-25">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">Generally about the "<a href="/wiki/DDT" title="DDT">impending suffering of millions of people</a>", but often involving stories about how <a href="/wiki/Racism" title="Racism">brown people</a>/<a href="/wiki/Category:Religious_discrimination" title="Category:Religious discrimination">insert other religion here</a>/<a href="/wiki/Copyright" title="Copyright">small independent artists</a> are going to steal our money, <a href="/wiki/Xenophobia" title="Xenophobia">steal our identities</a>, <a href="/wiki/Nationalism" title="Nationalism">steal our country</a>, steal our <a href="/wiki/Dog" class="mw-redirect" title="Dog">dogs</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Rape" title="Rape">rape</a> our women.</span> </li> </ol></div></div> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="References">References</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Denialism&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: References">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; -webkit-column-count:2; column-count:2; font-size:90%;"> <div class="mw-references-wrap mw-references-columns"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-1">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2020/11/29/food-writer-covid/">As a food writer with covid, I worried I’d lose my sense of taste. It turned out to be much worse.</a> by Tim Carman (November 29, 2020 at 7:00 a.m. PST) <i>The Washington Post</i>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-2">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://scienceblogs.com/denialism/about/">About</a> by Mark Hoofnagle (April 30, 2007) <i>Denialism Blog</i>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-4">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/05/why-republicans-always-say-im-not-a-scientist.html">Why Do Republicans Always Say "I'm Not a Scientist"?</a> by Jonathan Chait (May 30, 2014) <i>New York Magazine</i>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-5">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/texas-perry-reparative-therapy-i-dont-know">Texas' Perry on reparative therapy: "I don't know": The "I'm not a scientist" meme appears to have unusually broad applicability.</a> by Steve Benen (June 16, 2014, 1:59 PM PDT) <i>MSNBC</i>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-6">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/im-not-a-scientist">"I'm Not a Scientist"</a> <i>Know Your Meme</i>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-7">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140818094629/http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2014/06/in-dc-gov-rick-perry-talks-2016-ted-cruz-climate-change-border-security.html/">n DC, Gov. Rick Perry talks 2016, Ted Cruz, climate change, border security</a> by Todd J. Gillman (12:51 pm on June 19, 2014) <i>Dallas Morning News</i> (archived from August 18, 2014).</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-8">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160209011144/https://www.hillaryclinton.com/briefing/factsheets/2015/07/27/mad-not-a-scientists/">When It Comes to Climate Change, GOP Candidates are the Mad Not-A-Scientists</a> <i>Hillary Clinton Campaign</i> (archived from February 9, 2016).</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-9">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">"<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/06/democrats-have-a-problem-with-science-too-107270/">Democrats have a problem with science too.</a> <i>Politico Magazine.</i> Published on June 1, 2014. Accessed on June 23, 2021.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-10">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">Gorski, David. "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/senator-tom-harkin-disappointed-that-nccam-hasnt-validated-more-cam/">Senator Tom Harkin: 'Disappointed' that NCCAM hasn’t 'validated' more CAM</a>". <i>Science-Based Medicine.</i> Published on March 1, 2009. Accessed on June 23, 2021.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-NS-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">↑ <sup><a href="#cite_ref-NS_11-0">10.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-NS_11-1">10.1</a></sup></span> <span class="reference-text">For a brief discussion of this, along with some commentary from the psychological literature, see MacKenzie, Debora. "Whose conspiracy?" <i>New Scientist</i> 15 May 2010, 38-40.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-12">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrURLJ6Vlsg">Men With Day Jobs — Denial Tango</a> (Oct 9, 2011) <i>YouTube</i>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-13">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140808073018/http://scienceblogs.com/denialism/the-denialists-deck-of-cards/">The Denialists' Deck of Cards: An Illustrated Taxonomy of Rhetoric Used to Frustrate Consumer Protection Efforts</a> by Chris Jay Hoofnagle with Mark Hoofnagle (February 9, 2007) <i>Science Blogs</i> (archived from August 8, 2014).</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-14">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://debunkingdenialism.wordpress.com/2011/11/10/common-denialist-tactics-defined-and-destroyed/">Common Denialist Tactics Defined and Destroyed</a> by emilskeptic (November 10, 2011) <i>Debunking Denialism</i>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-16">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X11019086">Anti-vaccine activists, Web 2.0, and the postmodern paradigm – An overview of tactics and tropes used online by the anti-vaccination movement</a> by Anna Kata (2012) <i>Vaccine</i> 30(25):3778-3789. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2011.11.112.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-18"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-18">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">Ceccarelli, Leah <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.scienceprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/print_edition/manufactroversy.pdf">"Manufactroversy, The Art of Creating Controversy Where None Existed"</a> <i>Science Progress</i> Spring/Summer 2008: 82-84.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-19"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-19">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://scienceblogs.com/denialism/about/">About</a> by Mark Hoofnagle (April 30, 2007) <i>Denialism Blog</i>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-20"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-20">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">Diethelm, Pascal; McKee, Martin. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://eurpub.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/19/1/2">"Denialism: what is it and how should scientists respond?"</a> <i>European Journal of Public Health</i> 2009(19): 2-4.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-21"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-21">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">A detailed account of conspiracies in science can be found in <i>EMBO Reports</i>: Goertzel, Ted. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.nature.com/embor/journal/v11/n7/full/embor201084.html">"Conspiracy Theories in Science."</a> <i>EMBO reports</i> (2010) 11, 493-499.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-22"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-22">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">Kalichman, Seth. "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.thebody.com/content/art52097.html?getPage=2">Denying AIDS Conspiracy Theories, Pseudoscience and Human Tragedy</a>". Chapter 6. Text provided on www.thebody.com</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-23"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-23">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070307084405if_/http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2006/09/the_denialists.php">The denialists</a> by PZ Myers (September 19, 2006 10:00 AM) <i>Pharyngula</i> (archived from March 7, 2007).</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-24"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-24">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.giveupblog.com/2006/09/denialists.html">Denialists</a> (September 19, 2006) <i>Give Up Blog</i>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-26"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-26">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">Specter, Michael. "The Denialists; The dangerous attacks on the consensus about H.I.V. and AIDS." <i>New Yorker</i> 12 March 2007. LexisNexis Academic. Accessed 7 November 2010.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-27"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-27">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/exclusive-lee-atwaters-infamous-1981-interview-southern-strategy/">Exclusive: Lee Atwater’s Infamous 1981 Interview on the Southern Strategy: The forty-two-minute recording, acquired by James Carter IV, confirms Atwater’s incendiary remarks and places them in context.</a> by Rick Perlstein (November 13, 2012) <i>The Nation</i>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-28"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-28">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.bradford-delong.com/2017/03/lee-atwater-interview-with-alexander-p-lamis-rough-transcript-weekend-reading.html">Lee Atwater (1981): Interview with Alexander P. Lamis: Rough Transcript: Weekend Reading</a> (March 17, 2017 at 09:57) <i>Grasping Reality by Brad DeLong</i>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-unfreedom-29"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">↑ <sup><a href="#cite_ref-unfreedom_29-0">25.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-unfreedom_29-1">25.1</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-unfreedom_29-2">25.2</a></sup></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>The Road to Unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America</i> by Timothy Snyder (2018) Tim Duggan Books. ISBN 0525574468.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-30"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-30">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.is/IzmYZ">A skeptic will question claims, then embrace the evidence. A denier will question claims, then reject the evidence.</a> by Neil deGrasse Tyson (5:49 AM - 16 May 2016) <i>Twitter</i> (archived from 6 Jun 2016 11:47:16 UTC).</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-31"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-31">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20131205015555/http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/03/13/pandagon-global_warming_denialism_part_3_the_difference_between_skeptics_and_deniali/">Global warming denialism, part 3: The difference between skeptics and denialists</a> by Amanda Marcotte (March 13, 2010 19:56 EST) <i>Raw Story</i> (archived from December 5, 2013).</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-32"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-32">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-boslough/npr-finally-stops-referri_b_6165846.html">NPR Finally Stops Referring to Global Warming Deniers as “Skeptics”</a> by Mark Boslough (11/17/2014 04:41 pm ET Updated Dec 06, 2017) <i>Huffington Post</i>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-33"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-33">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20111130085908/http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2010/12/08/of-arsenic-and-aliens-what-the-critics-said/">Of arsenic and aliens: What the critics said</a> by Carl Zimmer (December 8<sup>th</sup>, 2010 4:57 PM) <i>Discover Magazine</i> (archived from November 30, 2011).</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-34"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-34">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">Zimmer, Carl. [ <a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="https://slate.com/technology/2010/12/the-nasa-study-of-arsenic-based-life-was-fatally-flawed-say-scientists.html">https://slate.com/technology/2010/12/the-nasa-study-of-arsenic-based-life-was-fatally-flawed-say-scientists.html</a>"'This Paper Should Not Have Been Published,' Scientists see fatal flaws in the NASA study of arsenic-based life."] <i>Slate</i>. 7 Dec 2010. Accessed 8 Dec 2010.</span> </li> </ol></div></div>    </div></div><div class="printfooter">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://rationalwiki.org/w/index.php?title=Denialism&oldid=2644213">https://rationalwiki.org/w/index.php?title=Denialism&oldid=2644213</a>"</div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="/wiki/Special:Categories" title="Special:Categories">Categories</a>: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Bronze-level_articles" title="Category:Bronze-level articles">Bronze-level articles</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Denialism" title="Category:Denialism">Denialism</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Anti-intellectualism" title="Category:Anti-intellectualism">Anti-intellectualism</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Pseudoscience" title="Category:Pseudoscience">Pseudoscience</a></li></ul></div><div id="mw-hidden-catlinks" class="mw-hidden-catlinks mw-hidden-cats-hidden">Hidden category: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Pages_using_DynamicPageList_parser_function" title="Category:Pages using DynamicPageList parser function">Pages using DynamicPageList parser function</a></li></ul></div></div> </div> </div> <div id="mw-navigation"> <h2>Navigation menu</h2> <div id="mw-head">  <nav id="p-personal" class="vector-menu" aria-labelledby="p-personal-label" role="navigation" > <h3 id="p-personal-label"> <span>Personal tools</span> </h3>  <div class="body vector-menu-content">  <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"><li id="pt-anonuserpage">Not logged in</li><li id="pt-anontalk"><a href="/wiki/Special:MyTalk" title="Discussion about edits from this IP address [n]" accesskey="n">Talk</a></li><li id="pt-anoncontribs"><a href="/wiki/Special:MyContributions" title="A list of edits made from this IP address [y]" accesskey="y">Contributions</a></li><li id="pt-createaccount"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=Denialism" title="You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory">Create account</a></li><li id="pt-login"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=Denialism" title="You are encouraged to log in; however, it is not mandatory [o]" accesskey="o">Log in</a></li></ul> </div> </nav> <div id="left-navigation">  <nav id="p-namespaces" class="vector-menu vector-menu-tabs vectorTabs" aria-labelledby="p-namespaces-label" role="navigation" > <h3 id="p-namespaces-label"> <span>Namespaces</span> </h3>  <div class="body vector-menu-content">  <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"><li id="ca-nstab-main" class="selected"><a href="/wiki/Denialism" title="View the content page [c]" accesskey="c">Page</a></li><li id="ca-talk"><a href="/wiki/Talk:Denialism" rel="discussion" title="Discussion about the content page [t]" accesskey="t">Talk</a></li></ul> </div> </nav>  <nav id="p-variants" class="vector-menu-empty emptyPortlet vector-menu vector-menu-dropdown vectorMenu" aria-labelledby="p-variants-label" role="navigation" > <input type="checkbox" class="vector-menu-checkbox vectorMenuCheckbox" aria-labelledby="p-variants-label" /> <h3 id="p-variants-label"> <span>Variants</span> </h3>  <div class="body vector-menu-content">  <ul class="menu vector-menu-content-list"></ul> </div> </nav> </div> <div id="right-navigation">  <nav id="p-views" class="vector-menu vector-menu-tabs vectorTabs" aria-labelledby="p-views-label" role="navigation" > <h3 id="p-views-label"> <span>Views</span> </h3>  <div class="body vector-menu-content">  <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"><li id="ca-view" class="collapsible selected"><a href="/wiki/Denialism">Read</a></li><li id="ca-edit" class="collapsible"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Denialism&action=edit" title="Edit this page [e]" accesskey="e">Edit</a></li><li id="ca-history" class="collapsible"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Denialism&action=history" title="Past revisions of this page [h]" accesskey="h">Fossil record</a></li></ul> </div> </nav>  <nav id="p-cactions" class="vector-menu-empty emptyPortlet vector-menu vector-menu-dropdown vectorMenu" aria-labelledby="p-cactions-label" role="navigation" > <input type="checkbox" class="vector-menu-checkbox vectorMenuCheckbox" aria-labelledby="p-cactions-label" /> <h3 id="p-cactions-label"> <span>More</span> </h3>  <div class="body vector-menu-content">  <ul class="menu vector-menu-content-list"></ul> </div> </nav> <div id="p-search" role="search"> <h3 > <label for="searchInput">Search</label> </h3> <form action="/w/index.php" id="searchform"> <div id="simpleSearch"> <input type="search" name="search" placeholder="Search RationalWiki" title="Search RationalWiki [f]" accesskey="f" id="searchInput"/> <input type="hidden" name="title" value="Special:Search"> <input type="submit" name="fulltext" value="Search" title="Search the pages for this text" id="mw-searchButton" class="searchButton mw-fallbackSearchButton"/> <input type="submit" name="go" value="Go" title="Go to a page with this exact name if it exists" id="searchButton" class="searchButton"/> </div> </form> </div> </div> </div> <div id="mw-panel"> <div id="p-logo" role="banner"> <a title="Visit the main page" class="mw-wiki-logo" href="/wiki/Main_Page"></a> </div>  <nav id="p-navigation" class="vector-menu vector-menu-portal portal portal-first" aria-labelledby="p-navigation-label" role="navigation" > <h3 id="p-navigation-label"> <span>Navigation</span> </h3>  <div class="body vector-menu-content">  <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"><li id="n-mainpage-description"><a href="/wiki/Main_Page" title="Visit the main page [z]" accesskey="z">Main page</a></li><li id="n-recentchanges"><a href="/wiki/Special:RecentChanges" title="A list of recent changes in the wiki [r]" accesskey="r">Recent changes</a></li><li id="n-randompage"><a href="/wiki/Special:Random" title="Load a random mainspace article [x]" accesskey="x">Random page</a></li><li id="n-New-pages"><a href="/wiki/Special:NewPages">New pages</a></li><li id="n-All-logs"><a href="/wiki/Special:Log">All logs</a></li><li id="n-help"><a href="/wiki/Help:Contents" title="RTFM">Help</a></li></ul> </div> </nav>  <nav id="p-support" class="vector-menu vector-menu-portal portal" aria-labelledby="p-support-label" role="navigation" > <h3 id="p-support-label"> <span>Support</span> </h3>  <div class="body vector-menu-content">  <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"><li id="n-Donate"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Site_support">Donate</a></li></ul> </div> </nav>  <nav id="p-community" class="vector-menu vector-menu-portal portal" aria-labelledby="p-community-label" role="navigation" > <h3 id="p-community-label"> <span>Community</span> </h3>  <div class="body vector-menu-content">  <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"><li id="n-Saloon-bar"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Saloon_bar">Saloon bar</a></li><li id="n-To-do-list"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:To_do_list">To do list</a></li><li id="n-What-is-going-on.3F"><a href="/wiki/WIGO">What is going on?</a></li><li id="n-Best-of-RationalWiki"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Contents">Best of RationalWiki</a></li><li id="n-About-RationalWiki"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki">About RationalWiki</a></li><li id="n-Technical-support"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Technical_support">Technical support</a></li><li id="n-Mod-noticeboard"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki_talk:All_things_in_moderation">Mod noticeboard</a></li><li id="n-RMF-noticeboard"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki_talk:RationalMedia_Foundation">RMF noticeboard</a></li></ul> </div> </nav>  <nav id="p-Social media" class="vector-menu vector-menu-portal portal" aria-labelledby="p-Social media-label" role="navigation" > <h3 id="p-Social media-label"> <span>Social media</span> </h3>  <div class="body vector-menu-content">  <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"><li id="n-Twitter"><a href="https://twitter.com/RationalWiki" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></li><li id="n-Mastodon"><a href="https://mstdn.social/@rationalwiki" rel="nofollow">Mastodon</a></li><li id="n-Facebook"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rationalwiki/226614404019306" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></li><li id="n-Discord"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Discord">Discord</a></li><li id="n-Reddit"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Reddit">Reddit</a></li></ul> </div> </nav>  <nav id="p-tb" class="vector-menu vector-menu-portal portal" aria-labelledby="p-tb-label" role="navigation" > <h3 id="p-tb-label"> <span>Tools</span> </h3>  <div class="body vector-menu-content">  <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"><li id="t-whatlinkshere"><a href="/wiki/Special:WhatLinksHere/Denialism" title="A list of all wiki pages that link here [j]" accesskey="j">What links here</a></li><li id="t-recentchangeslinked"><a href="/wiki/Special:RecentChangesLinked/Denialism" rel="nofollow" title="Recent changes in pages linked from this page [k]" accesskey="k">Related changes</a></li><li id="t-specialpages"><a href="/wiki/Special:SpecialPages" title="A list of all special pages [q]" accesskey="q">Special pages</a></li><li id="t-print"><a href="javascript:print();" rel="alternate" title="Printable version of this page [p]" accesskey="p">Printable version</a></li><li id="t-permalink"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Denialism&oldid=2644213" title="Permanent link to this revision of the page">Permanent link</a></li><li id="t-info"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Denialism&action=info" title="More information about this page">Page information</a></li></ul> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <footer id="footer" class="mw-footer" role="contentinfo" > <ul id="footer-info" > <li id="footer-info-lastmod"> This page was last edited on 24 April 2024, at 16:34.</li> <li id="footer-info-copyright">Unless explicitly noted otherwise, all content licensed as indicated by <a name="Copyright" href="//rationalwiki.org/wiki/RationalWiki:Copyrights">RationalWiki:Copyrights</a>. <br> For concerns on copyright infringement please see: <a name="Copyright infringement" href="//rationalwiki.org/wiki/RationalWiki:Copyright_violations">RationalWiki:Copyright violations</a></li> </ul> <ul id="footer-places" > <li id="footer-places-privacy"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Privacy_policy" title="RationalWiki:Privacy policy">Privacy policy</a></li> <li id="footer-places-about"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:About" class="mw-redirect" title="RationalWiki:About">About RationalWiki</a></li> <li id="footer-places-disclaimer"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:General_disclaimer" title="RationalWiki:General disclaimer">Disclaimers</a></li> </ul> <ul id="footer-icons" class="noprint"> <li id="footer-copyrightico"><a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"><img src="/w/88x31.png" alt="CC-BY-SA 3.0, or any later version" width="88" height="31" loading="lazy"/></a></li> <li id="footer-poweredbyico"><a href="https://www.mediawiki.org/"><img src="/w/resources/assets/poweredby_mediawiki_88x31.png" alt="Powered by MediaWiki" srcset="/w/resources/assets/poweredby_mediawiki_132x47.png 1.5x, /w/resources/assets/poweredby_mediawiki_176x62.png 2x" width="88" height="31" loading="lazy"/></a></li> </ul> <div style="clear: both;"></div> </footer> <script>(RLQ=window.RLQ||[]).push(function(){mw.config.set({"wgPageParseReport":{"limitreport":{"cputime":"0.238","walltime":"0.645","ppvisitednodes":{"value":1335,"limit":1000000},"postexpandincludesize":{"value":21057,"limit":2097152},"templateargumentsize":{"value":11861,"limit":2097152},"expansiondepth":{"value":10,"limit":40},"expensivefunctioncount":{"value":0,"limit":100},"unstrip-depth":{"value":1,"limit":20},"unstrip-size":{"value":17577,"limit":5000000},"timingprofile":["100.00% 158.330 1 -total"," 29.01% 45.935 1 Template:DenialismSide"," 25.76% 40.788 1 Template:Navsidebar"," 21.58% 34.165 2 Template:Randomarticles"," 12.18% 19.277 1 Template:Bronze"," 11.37% 18.000 1 Template:Navsidebar2"," 8.45% 13.386 1 Template:Collist"," 7.70% 12.187 3 Template:Rp"," 7.24% 11.458 2 Template:Reflist"," 6.14% 9.721 1 Template:Div_col"]},"cachereport":{"origin":"apache5","timestamp":"20250325114137","ttl":86400,"transientcontent":false}}});mw.config.set({"wgBackendResponseTime":56,"wgHostname":"apache5"});});</script></body></html>