Refuse debate with pseudoscience until the challenge is met, using the challenge's existence as the argument¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

A communication strategy for educators and scientists facing pseudoscientific claims: point to the bare existence of an unmet challenge with large rewards rather than engaging in rhetorical debate. The article states "All communication is postponed until after the challenge is met", because engagement in debates provides pseudoscience a platform and constructs the appearance of an expert controversy. DRCs "decline to discuss 'until the challenge is met', without solidifying the perception of establishment conspiracy", which requires transparency.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Didactic Transparency: the challenge must be explainable to an educated lay audience so refusal to debate does not read as establishment conspiracy

Constraints¶

• Strictly scientific refutations of a classical model were shown to fuel a vicious cycle, triggering more claims and further popularizing them, per the article's account of online debates

Target Learners¶

• lay audiences exposed to pseudoscientific claims
• science communicators and educators

Target Learning Goals¶

• recognizing manufactured expert controversy as a pseudoscience tactic
• understanding that unmet easy challenges argue against pseudoscientific claims

Related Strategies¶

• Debate

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Vongehr, S. (2012). Quantum Randi Challenge. arXiv:1207.5294. doi:10.48550/arXiv.1207.5294