Welp… learned a new word today. “Agnotogenesis” (and “agnotology”) which is fanciness and dignification of the old “FUD” concept (less the fear, I guess).

It’s the intentional creation of doubt, the “just asking questions” of right-wing media. I guess it’s a real thing in epistemology.

@ct_bergstrom@fediscience.org 🔗 https://fediscience.org/users/ct_bergstrom/statuses/109679731373424542 – «I’ve always appreciated Bostrom for what I thought was a brilliant if challenging book he wrote on observation selection effects. But his non-apology for his racist post is appalling. Most of the letter focuses on the motives of those who would hold him accountable or throws up low key smokescreens with claims of unsettled science—agnotogenesis—around the statements he had been making in the first place. http://www.nickbostrom.com/oldemail.pdf »

(Bergstrom is the author of Calling Bullshit, which I have yet to read.)

13-year-old blog post that seems to be still right on target (except Douthat now seems to be one of those who doesn’t realize the true thrust of “conservatism” since 1964): https://crookedtimber.org/2010/05/08/ignorance-is-strength/