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-Short Attention Span Theater-
Hawking: 'Brixit a disaster for science, Trump's popularity inexplicable'
2016-05-31
[Guardian] Stephen Hawking has said that he fails to understand the popularity of Donald Trump, the presumptive US Republican presidential candidate.
The multi-messenger speaks !
ITV’s Good Morning Britain asked the man who has widened the world’s understanding of time, space, stars, galaxies and black holes if he could explain the popular appeal of the billionaire tycoon.
'Inexplicable' to some possibly.
Hawking, perhaps the world’s most famous living scientist and the author of one of the world’s best-selling books, replied: "I can't. He's a demagogue who seems to appeal to the lowest common denominator."
But isn't the 'lowest common denominator' an essential key to solving the problem ?
Scott Adams of Dilbert fame appears to understand Mr. Trump's appeal. I think he's about as smart as Dr. Hawking...
He also ventured once again into political issues, appealing to British voters to back the remain campaign in the EU referendum on 23 June - not just for economic and security reasons, but for the sake of science as well. In March, he pronounced the prospect of Brexit "a disaster" for science.
“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.” ― Stephen Hawking
Posted by:Besoeker

#8  I think it was P.J O'Rourke who best described the Brief History of Time (I'm paraphrasing 'cause I can't find the quote) as the book everyone bought to decorate their coffee table to show how smart they are but that nobody read.

Virtue signaling in the 80s (or was it 90s).
Posted by: rjschwarz   2016-05-31 17:27  

#7  Hawking's general knowledge seems to have been engulfed by a black hole.
Also his plea for more looted taxpayer's money for the current raft of Lysenkoism is plain daft.
Obviously what would billionaire Trump know about wealth creation?
Posted by: Bright Pebbles   2016-05-31 17:02  

#6  Tell it to Tim Hunt.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2016-05-31 14:27  

#5  Ebang, you owe me a keyboard.
Posted by: Deacon Blues   2016-05-31 13:22  

#4  My guess is the guy doesn't get out much.
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305   2016-05-31 12:16  

#3  I'd like to hear Lebron James' views on quantum physics, and Tom Brady's views on macro-economics.


After all, if they're experts at one thing, then they must be experts on everything, right?
Posted by: charger   2016-05-31 11:42  

#2  “There's a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line.”
― Oscar Levant
Posted by: Besoeker   2016-05-31 09:41  

#1  Brilliance in one narrowly defined field is not the same as being a polymath.

Hawking, Krugman, and indeed much of the academic community suffer from the delusion that the opposite is true.

When humility before the universe is lacking, people say and do stupid things regardless of how talented they are at their chosen profession.
Posted by: no mo uro   2016-05-31 06:28  

00:00