Ripple Bias

A cognitive bias derived from the Scientific Slippery Slope, using the metaphor of a stone dropped in water: a single small acceptance of non‑scientific ideas creates ripples that expand outward, eventually affecting unrelated areas of thought. The bias assumes that accepting one “irrational” claim makes one more likely to accept others, even across completely different domains (e.g., believing in acupuncture leads to believing in UFOs). Research on actual belief systems shows such cross‑domain contagion is rare; people compartmentalize. Ripple Bias is often deployed to argue against any compromise with “pseudoscience” in public discourse.

Example: “He claimed that letting the school teach yoga would cause ripple bias—first crystals, then astrology, then flat‑earth—though no such cascade has ever been documented.”

by Dumu The Void March 25, 2026