Scientists decide propaganda and commercials are better than good research results
The on-going dark age: In a new study scientists have discovered that — instead of depending on hard research that is repeatedly confirmed by others — if they simply use a trusted spokesman in commercials promoting their work they can get people to accept their conclusions, at face value.
This momentous discovery occurred when some researchers decided to find out if putting Trump in a 30-second commercial asking people to get the COVID jab would encourage them to do so. This is what the test learned:
A creative effort to use former President Donald Trump to persuade people to get a COVID-19 vaccine shot appears to have paid off. An online advertisement created by a team of political scientists and economists that featured Trump recommending COVID-19 shots led to increased uptake of the vaccines in U.S. counties that had low vaccination rates, concludes a new analysis.
“We were so thrilled,” says Marc Hetherington, a political scientist at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, who helped create the ad and co-authored the study. “How often do political scientists and economists do anything that helps the world? The answer is, like, 0% of the time.”
…The results highlight that “health communication needs to come from trusted messengers and to meet people where they are,” says behavioral scientist Katherine Milkman of the University of Pennsylvania, who was not involved in the study. [emphasis mine]
Hetherington’s highlighted quote was intended to imply that this research proved that political scientists and economists sometimes do do something that helps the world. I think it only proves that they never do.
Using advertising to sell a scientific conclusion is without doubt the most corrupt and idiotic method for selling a scientist’s work. It only proves the work itself, in this case the COVID shots, have questionable aspects that need propaganda to convince people of their value.
Other quotes from different scientists at the link also illustrate how divorced from actual research and data these scientists are. To their minds, the doubt that many people have of the COVID shots can only be attributed to an “antivaccine ecosystem” touting its own political agenda. The extensive research and data that suggests the shots carry risks while appearing possibly useless is either ignored by these scientists, or they are willfully ignorant of it.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
The on-going dark age: In a new study scientists have discovered that — instead of depending on hard research that is repeatedly confirmed by others — if they simply use a trusted spokesman in commercials promoting their work they can get people to accept their conclusions, at face value.
This momentous discovery occurred when some researchers decided to find out if putting Trump in a 30-second commercial asking people to get the COVID jab would encourage them to do so. This is what the test learned:
A creative effort to use former President Donald Trump to persuade people to get a COVID-19 vaccine shot appears to have paid off. An online advertisement created by a team of political scientists and economists that featured Trump recommending COVID-19 shots led to increased uptake of the vaccines in U.S. counties that had low vaccination rates, concludes a new analysis.
“We were so thrilled,” says Marc Hetherington, a political scientist at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, who helped create the ad and co-authored the study. “How often do political scientists and economists do anything that helps the world? The answer is, like, 0% of the time.”
…The results highlight that “health communication needs to come from trusted messengers and to meet people where they are,” says behavioral scientist Katherine Milkman of the University of Pennsylvania, who was not involved in the study. [emphasis mine]
Hetherington’s highlighted quote was intended to imply that this research proved that political scientists and economists sometimes do do something that helps the world. I think it only proves that they never do.
Using advertising to sell a scientific conclusion is without doubt the most corrupt and idiotic method for selling a scientist’s work. It only proves the work itself, in this case the COVID shots, have questionable aspects that need propaganda to convince people of their value.
Other quotes from different scientists at the link also illustrate how divorced from actual research and data these scientists are. To their minds, the doubt that many people have of the COVID shots can only be attributed to an “antivaccine ecosystem” touting its own political agenda. The extensive research and data that suggests the shots carry risks while appearing possibly useless is either ignored by these scientists, or they are willfully ignorant of it.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Wow, you really outdid yourself in misunderstanding this one Robert. The point of this is that some people in the US are so dedication to political ideology so as to be lost with regard to accepting unbiased scientific information on its own. For them, hearing someone they trust state the obvious, that the vaccine works and is not dangerous, was the determining factor for a change in opinion. It’s that simple, please don’t infer more into it than what’s really there.
All kidding aside, I know you know this. The real question is why are you being deliberately misleading about this report?
Nothing misleading here:
“We were so thrilled,” says Marc Hetherington, a political scientist at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, who helped create the ad and co-authored the study. “How often do political scientists and economists do anything that helps the world? The answer is, like, 0% of the time.”
Break it down:
Can’t speak for PoliSci, but economists have made major contributions to human welfare and mathematics. Some very elegant math proofs came from economists.
‘Like, 0%. . .’ Such a level of precision from a ‘scientist’.
“Opinion, Spock?”
“Captain, there is, like, 0% chance I would say this.”
Krugman seems to be batting zeros…sad…I hear he reads Asimov.
“if they simply use a trusted spokesman”
When I took a course on logic and debate in college that was known as the “Argument From Authority” fallacy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_from_authority
Bobby,
I’m curious, sincerely, how you mentally process the Pfizer data disclosing the fact that the vaccine trial placebo arm experienced fewer deaths than the vaccinated arm. Not even a twinge of doubt about how it’s efficacy is “obvious”?
@Bobby Hill: Seriously? I think the better question is “Are you really that much of a condescending, uninformed douche, or do you just play one in blog comments?”
Robert’s conclusion is valid. Hucksters as well as legitimate businessmen have known about the power of celebrity endorsements for millennia. I’ve read things that indicate the practice was alive and well even in ancient Rome. It’s why you see celebrity photos on the walls of restaurants they’ve visited, as well as so many celebs in media advertisements for absolutely dismal products. If your product is dismal it’s a lot easier to generate income with psychological manipulation and the illusion of legitimacy than with hard facts.
Celebrity endorsement of a product is not de facto proof that the product is mediocre, but it’s the only surefire way to milk profit from a mediocre product.
Trump’s ongoing support of the dismal Covid vaccines is unfortunate, but like everyone he makes mistakes and is entitled to a few misguided opinions. I just hope these hucksters got his permission before they did this. If they didnt, I hope he finds out and makes them pay. Ditto Fox News, from whence they apparently ripped the clip of Trump that they used. Profiteering is definitely prohibited by Fair Use, even if they misspelled profiteering as “research”.
‘Unbiased scientific information” an example of this must be ‘vaccines work and are not dangerous’. Bobby the lack of self-awareness especially after “ that some people in the US are so dedication to political ideology ‘. Priceless.
‘Vaccines work” — work has to be defined. The myth under which FDA emergency authorization was obtained was 95% efficacy at stopping infections. No person in either arm of the study died, so efficacy at reducing hospitalization and death are a happy circumstance.
In the 19-30 group death rate by Covid is about 50 per million, while death rate due to myocarditis is about 75. Seems like old farts (me included) started falling like proverbial flies and created a solution that is beneficial to them at the expense of youngster. Sort of like the ass-whooping we are giving the young one with Social Security.
I have to admit, your reactions to my comment caused me to go back and read everything again. I thought I missed something. After a second read, I just don’t see where you’re coming from!
To the colonel, maybe you’re right, I’m not quite convinced because nobody in their right mind should consider trump an authority in the vaccine. He was president when vaccines were developed, he didn’t develop them. Nor does he understand what the Covid vaccines are or how they work. The report said in the test cases trump either recommended the vaccine or said he took it himself. Im not convinced that’s an authoritative position, but could change my mind. Maybe I need to watch the ads to see how he stated whatever he did. So I’m hesitant to accept that’s the fallacy here. It might be less sophisticated than that. I think this study was kind of dumb really, it proved the obvious, but I suppose everything needs to be proven. For some people so set in their ideology, hearing positive experiences from people they want to listen to made the difference. Groundbreaking stuff there.
To Phil, simple. What you’re stating is just not true. You need to question your data and sources. Sorry, I can’t spend time proving what you’ve been told or are interpreting is wrong, but that’s the case.
Good one Norma, but watch out, Robert doesn’t like name calling. And it doesn’t really help you make your point.
Deebee, again another case of bad information. The whole myocarditis thing has been addressed and shown to not be the issue the anti Antivax crowd was trying to make it out to be.
I really am disappointed that there are so many scientIfically illiterate people in the US. The system has failed them in some way and it’s a tragedy. I don’t expect everyone to be experts or have advanced level understanding of topics, but basic abilities to parse data, think critically, grasp trends and big picture take always, and investigate the sources of the data they consume are lacking.
It will be interesting to continue to watch the US, and this page, as more information about the vaccines and Covid come in. Already we’ve seen that Covid was more dangerous than some wanted to portray, masks helped, the vaccines worked and we’re not harmful, various antivax and grifter types were misrepresenting info for monetary gain, ivermectin and hq had no significant benefit, etc. Little by little every talking point in the conspiracy, antivax, personal freedom camp has failed, and continues to fail.
Bobby Hill,
You wrote: “I just don’t see where you’re coming from!”
Maybe you aren’t writing as clearly as you think you are, which would explain a whole lot of your comments in other threads.
“Good one Norma, but watch out, Robert doesn’t like name calling. And it doesn’t really help you make your point.”
Does this mean that you are the former, not the latter? Otherwise you would only be playing one, not being one and there would be no insult, so perhaps Norma made her point.
“I’m not quite convinced because nobody in their right mind should consider trump an authority in the vaccine.”
I’m pretty sure that this was Robert’s point. If scientists can’t get their information to the public without some politician or celebrity, then there is something wrong with the information distribution system.
“I really am disappointed that there are so many scientIfically illiterate people in the US.”
At least you are not surprised that an education system fails us all when it emphasizes Woke over reality and teaches that woke is scientific and reality is not.
“Already we’ve seen that Covid was more dangerous than some wanted to portray, masks helped, the vaccines worked and we’re not harmful”
Oh, look at that! A perfect example of someone scientifically illiterate who depends upon politicians and celebrities for his scientific information. At least he was smart enough to not depend upon Orange Man Bad for his information. Or did he get vaxxinated?
Edward, were you drinking when you wrote that? :)
… “plop plop fizz fizz oh what a relief it is…”