I got a letter with criticism from a man who believes in electromagnetic hypersensitivity and thinks I should too. Most of the letter is the Galileo argument, where the letter writer refers to an anthropologist whose ideas were, in his view, once highly respected until they were taken apart by critical thinkers. I should be as critical of the current medical consensus regarding radiation phobia as these thinkers were of the anthropologist, says the letter writer, because the current medical consensus has been paid for by the telecomms industry. In other words: it's a conspiracy.
But who, then, is this anthropologist whom the letter writer selects to represent a mainstream scientific consensus that may soon be toppled by independent critical analysis?
Thor Heyerdahl.
It's sad but also absolutely priceless.
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No comic sans extracts? You're starving us here.
Comic sans would presuppose the use of a scary electromagnetic device. This is a hand-written letter in blue felt-tip pen with yellow felt-tip underscores.
I own several scary electronic devices. How do I tweak them to hurt people? I want my own death ray, so I can join the Conspiracy.
Not sure, but I think you have to make a lot of money from non-newage sources to join.
Not to defend him, but I think that Heyerdahl got sufficient positive play in some non-professional circles that a lay person might have the mistaken impression that Heyerdahl's views were at one time mainstream.
Heyerdahl was an impressive adventurer, but sadly not aware of the need to do the homework before claiming to posess the truth. This flaw is shared by too many other famous people who go on to write books and I sometimes feel overwhelmed by a tsunami of rubbish.
At least Heyerdahl did not deliberately lie.
On a Däniken scale, he rates a mere 4-5 Dk on a scale of 10. L.Ron Hubbard would rate 12. (No one has ever measured "Conservapedia" since the equipment melts and starts burning)