Conspiracy theorists

Could it be another BBC scandal or is it just another conspiracy theory (Another BBC scandal; SN 20/11/12).

A study suggesting climate change deniers also tend to hold general beliefs in conspiracy theories has sparked accusations of a conspiracy on climate change-denial blogs.

The research, which will be published in an upcoming issue of the journal Psychological Science, surveyed more than 1,000 readers of science blogs regarding their beliefs regarding global warming.

The results revealed that people who tend to believe in a wide array of conspiracy theories are more likely to reject the scientific consensus that the Earth is heating up.

University of Western Australia psychologist Stephan Lewandowsky based the findings on responses from an online survey posted on eight science blogs.

According to the paper, Lewandowsky approached five climate-sceptic blogs and asked them to post the survey link, but none did.

Sounds about right to me, but don’t waste your time trying to convince the deniers.

“Not ignorance, but the ignorance of ignorance, is the death of knowledge.” Alfred North Whitehead.

Gordon Harmer
Bayswater
Brae.