# "If you elect Biden, he'll listen to the Scientists!" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 19, 2020, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-elect-biden-hell-listen-to-the-scientists/923323 "2020-10-19T13:16:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2020, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-elect-biden-hell-listen-to-the-scientists/923323/41 "2020-10-19T21:22:07Z")
"I had always heard it in a “Well, _that_ could have gone better,” way. It wasn’t so much a catchphrase as a quip to the camera after something had gone poorly. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2020, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-elect-biden-hell-listen-to-the-scientists/923323/42 "2020-10-19T21:22:28Z")
I just watched a YouTube video of Adam Savage saying that. It seemed clear to me that he was being facetious. He was kidding. He was not serious. He had his tongue planted in his cheek. Who took that statement seriously? ---
**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:** [October 19, 2020, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-elect-biden-hell-listen-to-the-scientists/923323/43 "2020-10-19T21:24:57Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > That doesn’t answer why Savage chose to adopt the slogan. He didn’t, as has been pointed out. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2020, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-elect-biden-hell-listen-to-the-scientists/923323/44 "2020-10-19T21:29:34Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I understand it’s a joke. But it’s not an ironic joke. Yes it is. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2020, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-elect-biden-hell-listen-to-the-scientists/923323/45 "2020-10-19T23:26:20Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Has anyone ever questioned Savage about why he adopted such an anti-scientific slogan? I don’t think it is an anti-scientific slogan. It’s not “I reject reality and substitute my own”, it’s “I reject _ **your** _ reality and substitute my own”, which fits perfectly with the _Mythbusters_ concept. Common person’s “reality”: Folding a paper of any size more than seven times is impossible (which persists because most people who try this use readily-available letter-size sheets) Mythbusters: We reject that “reality” and will run an actual test and it is indeed possible if the paper is large enough. Alternately: Common person’s “reality” : It is possible to preserve carbonation in champagne by dipping a silver spoon it it (persists because few people actually try it) Mythbusters: We reject that “reality” and will run a test and it turns out to be nonsense. For a lot of people, arguably _all_ people, “reality” consists of their personal observations and experiences but also a bunch of assumed patterns, untested myths and generally unverified heuristic shortcuts because who has time to wait for evidence that the floor hasn’t turned into lava? Just get up, already! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2020, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-elect-biden-hell-listen-to-the-scientists/923323/46 "2020-10-20T00:15:46Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I don’t think it is an anti-scientific slogan. It’s not “I reject reality and substitute my own”, it’s “I reject _ **your** _ reality and substitute my own”, which fits perfectly with the _Mythbusters_ concept. We’re really getting off on a tangent here. But I don’t agree. The idea that I can choose between your reality and my reality is not scientific. Science is based on the idea that there is only one reality and we all live in it. The choice we make is whether we accept that reality or argue against it. But the choice doesn’t matter. Science says reality is what it is regardless of what we think about it. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2020, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-elect-biden-hell-listen-to-the-scientists/923323/47 "2020-10-20T00:21:43Z")
Yes, but people who believe myths arguably _don’t_ live in the common reality science says exists and if you try to tell them they have no choice but to abandon those myths, a lot of them will reject the idea, sometimes even despite demonstrations that people like the _Mythbusters_ gang sets up. But it is indeed a tangent. ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2020, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-elect-biden-hell-listen-to-the-scientists/923323/48 "2020-10-20T05:20:49Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Yes, I was aware of Reagan’s real quote. But I’m one of those people who believes that “facts are stupid things” is a more accurate motto for the Reagan administration. Reagan delivered that speech in 1988 and he was claiming he had led an economic recovery in his eight years in office If you knew the original context don’t you think it mildly dishonest to characterize it as it was in the original post? We’d hammer a conservative for doing a similar thing. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2020, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-elect-biden-hell-listen-to-the-scientists/923323/49 "2020-10-20T06:10:12Z")
> [@Deeg](#): > > If you knew the original context don’t you think it mildly dishonest to characterize it as it was in the original post? We’d hammer a conservative for doing a similar thing. I didn’t make up the quote. Reagan did say it. And the words didn’t appear out of nowhere; Reagan must have been thinking facts were stupid things and the only mistake was that he said what he was thinking out loud. The original context was that Reagan was in the middle of telling a string of lies and he accidentally said what he really believed. ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2020, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-elect-biden-hell-listen-to-the-scientists/923323/50 "2020-10-20T18:05:54Z")
And Obama said there were 57 states, so obviously he was thinking out loud about how the Democrats have a secret plan to create new states (starting with PR and DC) to take over the senate. He accidentally said what he really believed. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2020, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-elect-biden-hell-listen-to-the-scientists/923323/51 "2020-10-20T19:46:49Z")
Different rocket ship. > **[Golgafrinchan Ark Fleet Ship B](https://hitchhikers.fandom.com/wiki/Golgafrinchan_Ark_Fleet_Ship_B)** > > The Golgafrincham Ark Fleet Ship B was a starship designed to relocate the (largely redundant) useless part of the population from the planet of Golgafrincham. The ship was led by the captain, with Number One and Number Two next in charge.... ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2020, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-elect-biden-hell-listen-to-the-scientists/923323/52 "2020-10-20T20:00:09Z")
> [@Deeg](#): > > And Obama said there were 57 states, so obviously he was thinking out loud about how the Democrats have a secret plan to create new states (starting with PR and DC) to take over the senate. He accidentally said what he really believed. Obama didn’t have a reputation for getting facts wrong. Reagan on the other hand…well, as somebody once said: > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’m one of those people who believes that “facts are stupid things” is a more accurate motto for the Reagan administration. Reagan delivered that speech in 1988 and he was claiming he had led an economic recovery in his eight years in office. Which wasn’t true; Reagan had simply created the illusion of a healthy economy by borrowing massive amounts of money. He papered over the problem rather than fixing it. Reagan’s government policies had embraced the idea of living in a make-believe world. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2020, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-elect-biden-hell-listen-to-the-scientists/923323/53 "2020-10-20T21:36:21Z")
Look, if scientists wanted Trump to take them more seriously, they’d simply apply to be on Fox News or other shows like _Good Job, Sir!_ like every other highly qualified Cabinet appointee. If scientists want _me_ to take them seriously (and I am a scientist), they could put a few more taco trucks in my neighbourhood. The nearest Taco Bell is a ten minute drive during rush hour. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2020, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-elect-biden-hell-listen-to-the-scientists/923323/54 "2020-10-20T21:42:20Z")
Contemplates what it means that I felt it necessary to check whether the source was legit or satirical. Weeps for reality. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2020, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-elect-biden-hell-listen-to-the-scientists/923323/55 "2020-10-20T21:52:49Z")
Honestly, that headline is not nearly as insane as a lot of the stuff Trump has actually said. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2020, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-elect-biden-hell-listen-to-the-scientists/923323/56 "2020-10-21T00:19:11Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Honestly, that headline is not nearly as insane as a lot of the stuff Trump has actually said. Like yesterday in Arizona when he called Dr. Fauci and a bunch of other scientists idiots after quoting Dr. Fauci out of context in one of his ads. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2020, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-elect-biden-hell-listen-to-the-scientists/923323/57 "2020-10-21T00:39:32Z")
Or the title of this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2020, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-elect-biden-hell-listen-to-the-scientists/923323/58 "2020-10-21T01:03:54Z")
I honestly feel sorry for The Onion and Andy Borowitz. It’s almost impossible to come up with something so outlandish that Trump might not have said it (or Tweeted it). ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2020, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-elect-biden-hell-listen-to-the-scientists/923323/59 "2020-10-21T01:44:45Z")
What scares me more than the fact that he said this unironically is that many millions of his supporters _agree_ with the sentiment. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2020, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-elect-biden-hell-listen-to-the-scientists/923323/60 "2020-10-21T02:30:32Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > If scientists want _me_ to take them seriously (and I am a scientist), they could put a few more taco trucks in my neighbourhood. The nearest Taco Bell is a ten minute drive during rush hour. I think there are only finitely many taco trucks in the universe. Scientists tell us that taco trucks are conserved. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-elect-biden-hell-listen-to-the-scientists/923323.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-elect-biden-hell-listen-to-the-scientists/923323.md?page=4)