> Can someone explain to me why Hackernews and much of the rest of the internet, has descended into this nihilistic relativism where acknowleding even basic, empirical reality has apparently become impossible?
I do it because of the increasingly prevalence of authoritarianism over logic, that too many people seem to no longer be capable of someone disagreeing with them (while they disagree with someone else) without losing their cool.
> Viral diseases aren't spread through radiowaves. That's not a matter of opinion, that's a fact. Of course a significant portion of people might be so scientifically illiterate they cannot figure that out, that doesn't change the fact that it's not true.
I clearly acknowledged (in a separate comment from "Most of the bullshit...) the silly 5G --> covide theory, before proceeding to point out several far less silly ideas that are often considered bullshit. Yet, your comment seems to be written as if you did not notice the distinction I made. I am very curious what mechanism is behind this - was this a cool, calculated, deliberately rhetorical response, or was it more toward the instinctual end of the spectrum? Considering the increasing amount of hostility and polarization that can easily be observed everywhere on social media (or the riots in the streets, burning of buildings, smashing of cars, etc) these don't seem like a "nihilistically relativist" questions to me - the whole mess seems like a pretty big deal. You are welcome to disagree of course, but in doing so I'd prefer if you don't declare reality to be a certain way without providing evidence.
> This constant childish "hey but how do you know that this is true buddy" talk around misinformation and information is really driving me nuts.
This is kind of my point: "...but if you ask for evidence substantiating that assertion, they often behave as if the notion that assertions should require evidence is absurd".
If someone disagreeing with your opinion invokes a feeling that they are "childish", and "drives you nuts", perhaps the problem isn't entirely with the other person.