supercyberlurker

supercyberlurker t1_iueh9v0 wrote

Reply to TIL dunce caps were originally a sign of high intelligence and wisdom. Philosopher and theologian John Duns Scotus was a proponent of pointy hats as a way to funnel knowledge to the mind and his followers, called Dunsmen, wore them. By the 1500s the Dunsmen fell out of favor as “behind the times”. by Aequitas05

These didn't work because aluminum was insanely expensive in the 1500s. You don't get the funneling effect if you don't block out the mind-control rays. Tinfoil hats don't work though as they actually concentrate the dumbing signals, you have to line the inside of the dunce cap with aluminum foil. Only then do you get the massive jump in learning.

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supercyberlurker t1_itodzrk wrote

Reply to comment by vyralmonkey in TIL that in a series of experiments in the 1950s, Solomon Asch asked a group of actors and a single test subject what the longest line was in a "vision test". The actors would intentionally answer incorrectly, causing the subject to also answer incorrectly, despite it being very obvious. by Amateur_Validator

Depends on the risk-reward. I'd probably still answer the same as the others, even knowing consciously I was conforming. It's because the risk of being 'wrong' is extremely low - I'm not in any danger for answering it wrong, unlike an unstable bridge. I would be really curious why everyone was answering as they did, but caution kind of means to just answer the same and then figure it out safely lately. Conversely, I might suspect some kind of 'individuality test' and then intentionally answer it contrarian, but then I don't really know what's being tested there. I think it's more complex than just 'hurr sheep follow'. If it's literally safer to be in the sheep herd, there's more to it.

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supercyberlurker t1_itnzkc4 wrote

Reply to TIL that in a series of experiments in the 1950s, Solomon Asch asked a group of actors and a single test subject what the longest line was in a "vision test". The actors would intentionally answer incorrectly, causing the subject to also answer incorrectly, despite it being very obvious. by Amateur_Validator

I mean that seems sensible.

If I'm in a strange situation, and everyone is doing X even though I don't really understand why yet.. I'll probably do X too, until I do. Frankly, if everyone is jumping off a bridge at the same time, there's probably something actually wrong with the bridge.

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supercyberlurker t1_iqx8hq1 wrote

Reply to TIL a German scientist named Alfred Wegener was ridiculed in 1912 for advancing the idea that the continents were adrift. Ridiculed as having “wandering pole plague.” or “Germanic pseudo­-science” and accused Wegener of toying with the evidence to spin himself into “a state of auto-intoxication." by Hot----------Dog

When I was in school they would show us maps of 'pangea' and we'd see how the continents would obviously fit together to make it.

Then the teacher would tell us 'that was coincidence' and that continents don't move.

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