this post was submitted on 26 Aug 2026
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[–] antlion@lemmy.dbzer0.com -5 points 17 hours ago (3 children)

Fringe theories are important for the health of established narratives. It pushes against what we assume to know and what we actually know. Anyone who cannot tolerate such theories is a close minded bigot. Let the facts show that they are wrong. The pursuit of knowledge is not about slamming doors but opening them and having a look around.

[–] phutatorius@lemmy.zip 1 points 36 minutes ago* (last edited 33 minutes ago)

It's not necessary that ever possible opinion, no matter how unfounded, is represented in academia. That just fucks the signal/noise ratio even further. If that's all you want, you could replace a professor with a poorly trained LLM and not know the difference.

But a hypothesis isn't just something someone has pulled out of their ass: it's an interpretation of facts.

And as a long-time martial arts practicioner (including one of the internal arts) I can confidently assert that trained martial artists can do some surprising things, but flying isn't one of them. The ancient martial artists put out a lot of woo-woo to obscure their real teaching and skills. It's never wise do disclose your full capabilities and limitations.

A seemingly magic phenomenon I've personally experienced is getting taken down with minimal application of force. In the middle of fighting, the person winds up on the floor and wonders how they got there. It's like slipping on ice. But that's the result of astute application of physics, not magic. I've been taught the technique. If you know where to nudge, someone's polar moments of inertia will do most of the work for you.

And, in less controlled situations, you can also simply smack them in the face.

[–] ChairmanMeow@programming.dev 2 points 1 hour ago

Malaysian academic Dr Solehah Yaacob, who drew public scrutiny over claims that ancient Malays could fly

There's a difference between dissenting opinions and batshit insane ideas.

[–] angrystego@lemmy.world 6 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

This theory has surely been proven as bullshit, though. It's not good to tolerate every opinion, no matter how outright wrong it is.

[–] antlion@lemmy.dbzer0.com -3 points 17 hours ago (2 children)

It’s not harmful. It’s not asserting genetic superiority. Leave it to be. None of us were alive back then and flying doesn’t leave evidence.

[–] Zizzy@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

It is harmful and it is literally asserting genetic superiority? Its not "all people could fly," it is "ancient MALAY people could fly."

While I agree that being able to openly discuss such a topic is wholly fine, asserting it to be true is problematic for a professor who people look towards as beacons of knowledge, for the good and bad that heings. But it is also harmful in that letting crazy theories roam and be treated as just as valid as anything else, is actually a HUGE reason the US is in the state it currently is in. Allowing kisinformation to flow and only pushing back against people pushing back, lets ANY misinformation flow. The giants that still walk among us, the flat earthers, etc, they all exist in a state that is literally dismantling education and sowing seeds for fascism to rise and just generally acting as a direct pipeline to those extremists.

[–] antlion@lemmy.dbzer0.com -3 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago)

It says they taught it to the Chinese for flying kung fu. That’s not about genetic superiority.

I would argue the opposite. By censoring or pruning the established narrative to a single “factual” sequence, you give the most power to fascism. The freedom of ideas, even if incorrect, is essential to freedom but also to critical thinking. When we have a strong “factual” narrative with no other fringe theories allowed, it does not exercise the critical thinking skills of the population.

[–] angrystego@lemmy.world 2 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

I'd argue spreading complete bullshit is always harmful. And if scientifically proven a bullshit (and this was not her only horribly wrong claim), she should not be kept in an academic position. If she's not academic and therefore in position of authority, then let her believe whatever she wants - I agree with you on this condition.

[–] antlion@lemmy.dbzer0.com -2 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

Nothing is really proven in history. Story is right there in the name. Now there is overwhelming evidence for certain stories over others. And I agree the university is free to terminate researchers that don’t align with the desired messages of their donors. Academics do not need to be in consensus - and in fact that’s an unhealthy state for them to be in.

[–] phutatorius@lemmy.zip 1 points 32 minutes ago

Extraordinary claims, extraordinary evidence. That lacking, it's just bullshit.