Comments

Episode-2199- Listener Feedback for 4-9-18 — 9 Comments

  1. If the earth really is flat, cats would have knocked everything off the edge long ago.

  2. With regard to the earth being “round” question, this article has a pretty good insight into the question.

    https://www.sciencealert.com/one-third-millennials-believe-flat-earth-conspiracy-statistics-yougov-debunk

    Aside from the messing with the survey, the article goes on to say 16% ticked the “other/not sure” option and indicated that it was likely due to younger people just wanting to get through the quiz just to get the reward at the end.

    From https://today.yougov.com/about/faqs/ this FAQ gives a good indication that things might not be too accurate with any yougov survey.

    “What kind of rewards are offered for participating in surveys?
    When you take surveys you accumulate points which can later be redeemed for rewards. There are a number of options in our rewards center like: tote bags, t-shirts and PrePaid Gift Cards. PrePaid Gift Cards include brands such as VISA, Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart and iTunes to name a few. See our Rewards page for a complete list.”

    So there is a strong motivation to do lots of quizzes and not really take any of them seriously.

    Also I think the younger people are more internet savvy and are more likely to give out random answers to any survey they fill out so as they don’t give out too much information (as opposed to older people who are less likely to just make up answers).

    I know on a number of online quizzes I’ve filled out for rewards, I’ve given out a whole bunch of random (ie false) information to questions just to get through them quickly as possible.

    (Also if you want to be a pedant, the Earth really isn’t “round” per se, as “round” would indicate it’s a 2d object rather than being “spherical” which is a 3d object).

  3. As for the Millenial flat earth thing, I suspect some of that is part of the larger erosion of trust and faith in traditional institutions and society. Which has good and bad sides I guess… good in that people may be more wary of gov’t and mass media propaganda, yet bad in the negative effect this has on social cohesion and increased social strife. Still, it boggles me that this skepticism and doubt gets to such a level of being open to flat earth theory. Though with much of the public schools the way they are, I guess I can’t blame them for doubting anything they’re being taught….

  4. I tell people that ask that unless they have standing water, they should worry more about bird **** on their lettuce than leech field contamination.

    BTW, Gatorade bottles are nice and sturdy to for water storage.

  5. I’m one of those anal retentive people that knows where my sunglasses are at.  My wife bought me a pair of B&L Killer Loops in 1997 and I still wear them during the summer when I’m on the tractor.  In 2003 she bought me a pair of Revos with polarized glass lenses.  When I’m at the beach or on a bought I wear the dorky cord that attaches to the glasses so they don’t get ripped off my face.