4 definitions by Autumn Mandrake
Black Knight Syndrome (BKS) is the condition of being pathologically unable to acknowledge defeat.
The syndrome takes its name from the Black Knight in Monty Python's 'Holy Grail'. In this motion picture the Black Knight loses an arm in a sword fight with King Arthur, and claims that "'Tis but a scratch". On losing his second arm the Black Knight says that it is "Just a flesh wound". After losing one of his legs the Knight exclaims "I'm invincible!", and when his second leg is cut from under him he says "All right; we'll call it a draw".
BKS is commonly found in people afflicted with the Dunning-Kruger Effect, and it is typified by people who refuse to accept evidence that demonstrates beyond doubt that evolution is a fact, or that global warming is real, or that HIV causes AIDS. Indeed, such people have an irrational inability to accept the truth of any of a number of other scientific disciplines where the physical evidence trumps their conspiracy theories, vested interests, and/or ideologies.
BKS is also frequently found in people otherwise prone to Denial Silence.
The typical pattern of a conversation with a BKS afflictee involves the opposing, educated party presenting supportable fact after fact, carefully referenced and explained, whilst the ignorant BKS sufferer simply contradicts each devastating point with random, unevidenced counterclaims of his or her own. Due to this strategy, such exchanges rarely have a satisfactory conclusion.
The syndrome takes its name from the Black Knight in Monty Python's 'Holy Grail'. In this motion picture the Black Knight loses an arm in a sword fight with King Arthur, and claims that "'Tis but a scratch". On losing his second arm the Black Knight says that it is "Just a flesh wound". After losing one of his legs the Knight exclaims "I'm invincible!", and when his second leg is cut from under him he says "All right; we'll call it a draw".
BKS is commonly found in people afflicted with the Dunning-Kruger Effect, and it is typified by people who refuse to accept evidence that demonstrates beyond doubt that evolution is a fact, or that global warming is real, or that HIV causes AIDS. Indeed, such people have an irrational inability to accept the truth of any of a number of other scientific disciplines where the physical evidence trumps their conspiracy theories, vested interests, and/or ideologies.
BKS is also frequently found in people otherwise prone to Denial Silence.
The typical pattern of a conversation with a BKS afflictee involves the opposing, educated party presenting supportable fact after fact, carefully referenced and explained, whilst the ignorant BKS sufferer simply contradicts each devastating point with random, unevidenced counterclaims of his or her own. Due to this strategy, such exchanges rarely have a satisfactory conclusion.
In an online debate about the reality of modern global temperature increase, Vincent was insistent that no warming had occurred over the 20th century, no matter how much independent evidence was presented to him, from many countries and employing many different lines of analysis.
The thread would have persisted for months, if not years, had not the other blog participants acknowledged that Vincent was exhibiting a severe case of Black Knight Syndrome, and subsequently quarantined Vincent to a rubbish thread.
The thread would have persisted for months, if not years, had not the other blog participants acknowledged that Vincent was exhibiting a severe case of Black Knight Syndrome, and subsequently quarantined Vincent to a rubbish thread.
by Autumn Mandrake June 3, 2011
One of the pernicious consequences of the internet is that people are free to make sweeping statements to large audiences without actually substantiating their claims, notions, or repetitions of urban myths. Such poor construction of a position usually results from a combination of ideology, prejudice, and ignorance.
The first two are difficult to address, but ignorance can be remedied by some basic self-education, and specifically, by research. To this end, the most popular internet mechanism is to use the well-known search engine, Google. The term "Google goggles" is an alliterative/consonant reference to the process of improving the clarity of one's understanding by the simple trick of typing some key words into a search engine - and learning!
The first two are difficult to address, but ignorance can be remedied by some basic self-education, and specifically, by research. To this end, the most popular internet mechanism is to use the well-known search engine, Google. The term "Google goggles" is an alliterative/consonant reference to the process of improving the clarity of one's understanding by the simple trick of typing some key words into a search engine - and learning!
Jonathan was completely clueless about how much oil was left underground around the planet. Had he put on his Google goggles, he might have understood that contrary to his claims otherwise, the concept of Peak Oil was in fact very accurate, and completely supported by the best data and analyses available.
by Autumn Mandrake December 23, 2011
A person with a keen interest in plants and botany.
A person who devotes a great deal of time studying and/or growing plants.
A person who devotes a great deal of time studying and/or growing plants.
Incurable chlorophile that he was, he was never happier than when surrounded by the herbs, the shrubs, and the trees of the forest.
by Autumn Mandrake December 30, 2011
Denial Silence is the curious form of cognitive dissonance that masquerades as real science, and that is exhibited by those people who claim that there is no human influence on the current trend in global warming/climate change.
This cognitive dissonance takes the form of ignoring most or even all of the empirical evidence for the causes of, and the very fact of, current planetary warming.
Climate change deniers are usually lay people with no scientific training or education, and yet they claim that their denial is itself scientific, and that thousands of the world's professional scientists somehow have it all wrong. This has led to frequent reference to their 'Denial Science', and the term 'Denial Silence' is a play on these words, as well as being a subtle reference to the fact that climate change deniers would like the scientific discussion of human impact on climate to be shut down, so that no action is taken to reduce activities that lead to carbon emissions.
The 'Silence' portion of the term 'Denial Silence' is also a reference to the 'Silence' in Dr Who - a race of aliens able to edit from a human's mind any memory of ever having seen, heard or encountered these aliens, as soon as the humans are no longer able to see them. Similarly, deniers of anthropogenic global warming appear to edit from their minds any knowledge/understanding of real science as soon as they hear, read, or are otherwise informed of actual climatological/physical fact.
This cognitive dissonance takes the form of ignoring most or even all of the empirical evidence for the causes of, and the very fact of, current planetary warming.
Climate change deniers are usually lay people with no scientific training or education, and yet they claim that their denial is itself scientific, and that thousands of the world's professional scientists somehow have it all wrong. This has led to frequent reference to their 'Denial Science', and the term 'Denial Silence' is a play on these words, as well as being a subtle reference to the fact that climate change deniers would like the scientific discussion of human impact on climate to be shut down, so that no action is taken to reduce activities that lead to carbon emissions.
The 'Silence' portion of the term 'Denial Silence' is also a reference to the 'Silence' in Dr Who - a race of aliens able to edit from a human's mind any memory of ever having seen, heard or encountered these aliens, as soon as the humans are no longer able to see them. Similarly, deniers of anthropogenic global warming appear to edit from their minds any knowledge/understanding of real science as soon as they hear, read, or are otherwise informed of actual climatological/physical fact.
Were it not for the disturbing phenomenon of Denial Silence, the world would be decades further advanced in addressing the global impacts stemming from the contribution of human carbon dioxide emissions to the warming of the planet.
by Autumn Mandrake May 8, 2011