@nellie_m @devxvda @Cleopatra @sentient_water @ScottSoCal @actuallyautistic @joshsusser yikes... I've seen some of her physics content, and while she seemed to be fairly solid on her subject matter (in physics) I always found something about her demeanor off-putting....
Now I know why; she does the thing where (some) scientists try to interpret psychology and social sciences the same way they would hard science, which seems to lead inevitably to eugenics apologia somehow
@Vincarsi @nellie_m @devxvda @Cleopatra @sentient_water @ScottSoCal @actuallyautistic @joshsusser Not inevitably, but often enough.
I notice it much more with respect to animals; there's a brand of hard scientist that uses the admonishment not to anthropomorphize animals as a blank slate permission to deny them any awareness, ability to feel, etc. It always leads to excusing torture.
@jens @Vincarsi @nellie_m @devxvda @Cleopatra@c.im @sentient_water @actuallyautistic @joshsusser
I've never understood that sentiment among scientists. Emotions are primal, they evolved long before higher brain function. Of *course* animals can feel fear and joy and anger and pleasure and grief.
And pain is even more primal, it's a basic survival mechanism.
@ScottSoCal @Vincarsi @nellie_m @devxvda @Cleopatra @sentient_water @actuallyautistic @joshsusser Cruelty has to be practiced, it doesn't tend to come naturally. You start small, with insects, fish maybe, then mere animals, and then you can progress to other humans.
It's just easier to label them other. Just as with the insects, fish, animals...