As science educators, you have probably heard all these statements before. People who say things like this can be infuriating, just like that relative you dread seeing at the holidays. Most of us have one. They are always in a bad mood, are willing to argue just about anything, and get their information from the back of cereal boxes or from “Joe’s Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Everything” website. There is no point in trying to discuss things rationally with them, as they are firmly invested in what they know, even if what they think they know is not true. How do you deal with people like this? And, more importantly, what happens when your students start thinking like this? Well, as they say, there’s an app for that.
A new app called Cranky Uncle lets you sift through some common scientific misconceptions and provides learning about denial...
University of California Press