I have a similar "friend" who posts comments directed at me, many along the lines of "You're a right-wing MAGA idiot, so there's no point in trying to reason with you!" The funny part, I'm a very central centrist. I don't support President Trump other than recognizing he was elected by the people in a country where I am a citizen and pay taxes, but no longer reside. And the really funny part, all his points of discussion come from memes, which he comments upon as being "so true".

Radio Shack...
In Germany, this company is probably only known because of Sheldon Cooper.
Quiz question:
If I now imagine that Richard Rost would have been just like Sheldon Cooper as a young man - what logical mistake would I have made? ;-)

Thomas yeah, I usually try not to get too deep into politics here on the website. I know it can be divisive, and that's not what this place is for. But I will say this: I believe in science and the scientific method. If a politician openly rejects the overwhelming consensus of the scientific community, they are not getting my vote. Simple as that.

This came up with a friend of mine who was strongly against vaccines and masks during the pandemic. I would post things like, "According to the current scientific consensus, the vaccine is safe and helps stop the spread of COVID." He did not want to hear it. That is his choice. But I am going to listen to the people who have dedicated their lives to studying this stuff.

I am not a doctor, but I trust the medical and scientific communities*. One thing I respect about science is that it is built on scrutiny. If someone is wrong, there is a long line of experts ready to challenge them with data and research. That is how progress happens. If you have real evidence that overturns the consensus, publish it, have it peer-reviewed, and win your Nobel Prize. Otherwise, I am sticking with the people who actually understand the subject. My friend does not see it that way. And that is fine. But unless he has real evidence to bring to the table, I am not going to argue with conspiracy theories.

* Now, just to be clear, this is not the appeal to authority fallacy, which I will be covering in my series. You should never blindly trust someone just because they hold a title or position. But in science, authority is earned through years of study, research, and peer review. The people we call experts have dedicated their lives to understanding a specific field. And the great thing about science is that anyone can become that kind of authority. It is not about being appointed or elected. It is about doing the work, learning the material, and contributing to the body of knowledge.

That is the beautiful thing about science. If you erased every book, wiped every memory, and destroyed all the research, given enough time, science would rediscover the same truths. The process leads to consistent, repeatable results because it is based on evidence and observation. You cannot say the same for some other ways people claim to gain "knowledge." Those often rely on tradition, authority, or belief, and without the original source, they vanish.

Lars I was definitely not a Sheldon Cooper type growing up. I was smart in certain areas - math, science, computers, obviously - but nowhere near his level when it came to things like physics. And I wasn't nearly as neurotic. I didn't have his quirks, like knocking three times on Penny's door every time.

I was more of a hybrid nerd-jock. I played baseball my whole life, was on the Junior Varsity team, and had plenty of friends in those circles. But I was also into the nerdy stuff - band, orchestra, computer club, all the AP classes. I had a lot of friends who were into that too, and we played Dungeons & Dragons on the weekends. So I moved comfortably between both groups.

I gave ChatGPT a picture of me and said, "Hey, make me an employee behind the counter at RadioShack." And it got most of it right. I don't think it looks like me, though.

I'm trying to remember if we had a Radio Shack in my smallish town. I do remember an electronics store that was pretty good sized. I was in 4-H and took an electronics class. The instructor saw us making a shock machine mildly based on the one that was at Disneyland. Ours was the generator attached to the elevated bicycle tire. With a few parts and guidance he gave us, we made a small box with two handles that would curl the arms of the toughest football player.