# A serious question for Sam Stone on Factual Errors **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 11, 2021, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881 "2021-12-11T12:32:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 61
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/1201 "2023-11-14T13:16:21Z")
So David Berkowitz (the killer, to clarify) was a conservative too? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/1202 "2023-11-14T13:33:51Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Here’s a hint: If you are looking for an admission or apology from someone, try not interlacing your requests with smears, snark and outright character attacks. This, surprisingly, is not an optimal strategy. Just thought you should know. You have been asked for cites politely and it doesn’t seem to make a fucking difference, so that is obviously bullshit. Why don’t you give us a template as to how one should ask you for a cite, we use that template and, in theory, you will start providing those cites. O.K.? ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/1203 "2023-11-14T13:47:26Z")
What a fucking stupid comment. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/1204 "2023-11-14T13:48:06Z")
Not their fault, you made them post it. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/1205 "2023-11-14T13:52:16Z")
I was kidding. Should have mentioned that, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/1206 "2023-11-14T14:12:35Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > So David Berkowitz (the killer, to clarify) was a conservative too? No, Mr. Stone has assured us that the son of Sam is not a conservative. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/1207 "2023-11-14T14:14:39Z")
Good one. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/1208 "2023-11-14T15:50:22Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > To the extent that I have made any errors in citing (the Musk joke got me, for example), It’s because I get bombarded with demands for cites for everything, You’re supposed to cite things first, jackass. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/1209 "2023-11-14T18:34:13Z")
It should also be noted that you _can_ find a cite for any thing you wish. For example, here’s a cite that narwhals are the descendants of unicorns (maybe - it looked like it at a quick glance and, obviously, that’s all I need for a citation): > **[Unicorns to Narwhals](https://juliannasfavouritethings.home.blog/2018/11/18/unicorns-to-narwhals/)** > > Now,I am going to ask you a question:what do unicorns and narwhals have in common?Well, you probraly would think of the most obvious thing,they both have something that looks like a horn.In fact,th… Basing your statements on your emotions and feelings about life, then finding some webpage or “news network” - no matter how ridiculous - that maybe says the same thing as you on a hasty skim is just being an idiot. No matter how smart you might be, if you’re letting your emotions and urges control you, then you’re still an idiot and need to step back from politics, news, and serious discussion. You’re better suited for a life of indulging in sports, photography, and birding. Now if you can only cite from sources who bear all reasonable scrutiny, and only say things that logically extend from the information from such sources, then by all means engage in more serious matters. But save opinions for _after_ you’ve established that you have a good foundation of information. Note: This message isn’t specific to @Sam_Stone, though it certainly does apply to him. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/1210 "2023-11-14T18:53:14Z")
To add: If someone reads your “cite” and then posts in the thread “You’re an idiot, your cite says nothing at all like you think it does” Then you might come back with “Oh my. You are right, I did not read the whole thing and just went off the headline. My bad. I’ll try to do a better job of finding citations in the future.” It’s not a good look if you come back with “You are all picking on me and being mean, so I’m going to ignore what you said and double down on my original argument.” ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/1211 "2023-11-14T18:58:49Z")
I’d say that it’s a good mission in life to be regularly wrong. And by that I mean, admitting that you were wrong. It’s not a failure, not badness to be wrong. The silver runner in the Olympics isn’t some slow-ass punk, he’s still an Olympic level athlete. You can be a smart and competent person and still not get every element on every topic. In fact, that’s more likely the more you know since the total amount that you don’t know grows the more you learn. A smart person should be mostly wrong. And a smart person should be smart enough to accept that regularly and often. **But he should also incorporate the new information and revise his sources to match it.** ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/1212 "2023-11-14T18:59:11Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > It’s not a good look if you come back with “You are all picking on me and being mean, so I’m going to ignore what you said and double down on my original argument.” The look I _really_ hate is, “Oh, so I was technically wrong on what my cite said, but hey presto abracadabra, it turns out it really supports my larger point even better now!” ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/1213 "2023-11-14T19:12:14Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > > [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > > > To the extent that I have made any errors in citing (the Musk joke got me, for example), It’s because I get bombarded with demands for cites for everything, > > You’re supposed to cite things first, jackass. How rude of you! Expecting poor Sammy to know what he’s talking about before he talks about it. Typical leftist hive mind! Persecution, persecution I say! Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency? ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/1214 "2023-11-14T19:49:16Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > And by that I mean, admitting that you were wrong. It’s not a failure, not badness to be wrong. If you never admit that you’re wrong then you’ll never learn and never get better. I tell people at work that the only reason I’m good at my job is because I fucked up a lot and learned what _not_ to do. And I’m being completely serious. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/1215 "2023-11-14T19:56:42Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > For example, here’s a cite that narwhals are the descendants of unicorns Because of the thread we’re in, I feel obligated to tell you that’s NOT what your cite says. According to YOUR OWN cite, narwhals did NOT descend from unicorns, but rather unicorns ‘turned into’ narwhals when they were swimming next to the ark (as unicorns do) and enough birds landed on them that they could no longer stay afloat. > Underwater they didn’t drown,but they changed.There body changed into a fish body.They turned into narwhals. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/1216 "2023-11-14T19:58:56Z")
Double down, @Sage_Rat! Double downnnn! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/1217 "2023-11-14T20:02:13Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > swimming next to the arc What, like a rainbow? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/1218 "2023-11-14T20:02:20Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > According to YOUR OWN cite, narwhals did NOT descend from unicorns, but rather unicorns ‘turned into’ narwhals when they were swimming next to the arc (as unicorns do) and enough birds landed on them that they could no longer stay afloat. And when you can no longer stay afloat, what do you do? You DESCEND. QED, motherfucker, QED. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/1219 "2023-11-14T20:05:04Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Because of the thread we’re in, I feel obligated to tell you that’s NOT what your cite says. According to YOUR OWN cite, narwhals did NOT descend from unicorns, but rather unicorns ‘turned into’ narwhals when they were swimming next to the arc (as unicorns do) and enough birds landed on them that they could no longer stay afloat. Alas. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/1220 "2023-11-14T20:10:13Z")
Damn, and I always thought that a narwhal was what happened when a mermaid fucked a unicorn. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881.md?page=60) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881.md?page=62)