Magic Rocks, Flat-Earthers, and Other Oddities Not Worth Our Attention

When scientific rebuttals are pointless

By Emma Smisek

A few years ago, I took a psychopharmacology class that mostly involved online discussion forums. The students were all in graduate school, and most of the conversations were insightful and interesting. In one discussion, however, scientific principles were abandoned. One student commented on an article about herbal medicine, expressing her interest in homeopathic remedies, essential oils, and crystals. She carried stones with her in her fanny pack, as she believed they held “spiritual healing properties.” Most concerning was her comment, “I’ve heard amethyst has been helpful for those suffering from addiction.”

A second student responded by endorsing these interests and various forms of alternative medicine. She established credibility by calling herself an “Energy Medicine Specialist,” with certified training in reiki, hypnosis, Emotional Freedom Techniques, and other questionable disciplines. She also described crystals as “vibratory medicine tools” that each had a “specific vibratory frequency.” 

I was baffled by her words. She hit so many examples of pseudoscience at once that I had to reply... with little mercy. I gave rebuttals for each thing she mentioned, explaining why everything she said went against scientific fact. The only topic I didn’t quarrel with was essential oils, about which I only said, “If I don’t get my daily dose of Frankincense and lavender, I’m just not myself.”

She did not take this kindly.

Her reply was confusing and largely irrelevant to what I was saying—mostly a diatribe on the evils of the pharmaceutical industry. What left me speechless, however, was her explanation of why crystals have magical vibratory powers: “Einstein has scientifically proven that everything vibrates... your body’s energies can be impacted by the food you eat, medications you take, and the objects and people around you. This is a scientific fact.” 

At this point, I backed off. Her unscientific claims told me that nothing constructive would result from furthering this debate.

When a person doesn't value logic, it’s not possible to have a logical conversation with them. We can’t reason with unreasonable beliefs. We can put the facts out there, but we are unlikely to change their minds. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t question their beliefs. A reply or request for clarification is fine; this is a way to test the waters and see how serious the other person is. 

There is little to gain, however, by persisting. This goes for beliefs in magic rocks as well as conspiracy theories. Engaging in an argument surrounding these beliefs isn’t worth your time or energy and can be harmful: by doing so, you’re granting their arguments validity. You’re telling them that their beliefs are worthy of discussion.

You are also risking inadvertently giving them ammo by saying something that could be crudely distorted into supporting their argument. Or, you might simply be feeding trolls. Reddit and Twitter, for example, are notorious rabbit holes of pointless arguments in which others are painfully strung along by someone who is merely seeking attention. Sometimes, however, it’s hard to know who the trolls are. After all, the majority of misinformation is spread online, which eliminates the hassle of face-to-face skirmishes and allows someone to post claims and disappear. 

The Internet is a place where it’s easy to connect with and gain followers, which is why, for example, conspiracy theories like the flat-Earth theory flourish. The modern belief in a flat Earth has resurged because the Internet makes it easy for conspiracies to spread like viruses. Among these viruses are the ideas exchanged by flat-Earthers, proponents of a conspiracy theory so absurd that they make crystal worshipers look sane. 

They are so absurd that scientific rebuttals are pointless. First, the rest of us already know what the facts are; and second, flat-Earthers have already made it clear that facts won’t change their minds. One argument they make, for example, is that when you spin a wet tennis ball, the water flies off of it; therefore, if the Earth is a sphere, the oceans would do the same. We can explain that this is ridiculous because the Earth is not the same as a tennis ball and water “stays on” because of gravity. But if they respond by saying that gravity is just a myth, why make them think they have an argument worth indulging? If they deny empirically undeniable facts, then trying to persuade them otherwise is like trying to convince someone with psychosis that the voices in their head aren’t real. 

This is not to say that we should never try to engage with or pay attention to people who believe weird things. Sometimes the belief carries more weight—such as when it’s held by lawmakers or others with high authority—and sometimes the belief is harmful—such as when beliefs in alternative medicine lead parents to deny their children critical medical care. It depends on who the person is and what the context or platform is. A politician who does not accept climate change as fact is a much greater threat than a basement-dwelling Internet troll tweeting rants and creating memes about the lies globes teach us. It depends on the belief’s potential for consequence. When the sum of these factors of a belief is inconsequential, why waste time fighting it? 

While it’s often tempting to argue, it’s important to know how to disengage. Debates can be fun, but when they become more frustrating than constructive it’s probably time to step back. Maintaining self-awareness helps, as does adopting a certain perspective. Instead of losing yourself in an argument you know is going nowhere, become an observer—find amusement in what they’re saying and don’t take them too seriously.

When you realize the futility of trying to reason with an unreasonable person, it becomes easier to think of their words as stories rather than real arguments. There is a time and a place to push the facts, and sometimes it’s necessary to do so. Don’t hesitate to call someone out on their nonsensical words. But when they continue trying to sell you on magic crystals, it’s best to learn to laugh and walk away.