On taking the time to learn

"One of the biggest problems with the world today is that we have large groups of people who will accept whatever they hear on the grapevine, just because it suits their worldview—not because it is actually true or because they have evidence to support it. The really striking thing is that it would not take much effort to establish validity in most of these cases…but people prefer reassurance to research."
Neil deGrasse Tyson

For years, as I've scrolled through Facebook newsfeeds and Twitter streams, I've often wondered why so many members of the online community seem to content themselves with simply cutting, pasting and forwarding whatever it is that crosses their path, all without giving it a second thought. Dr. Tyson's always been great at many things, and pressing people's buttons is one of his many skills. This time out, as he so often does, he nails it.