#232 / Brandolini's Law

 

 

I recently learned that Arcata, a small town located in Humboldt County, California, is dealing with some of the same kind of political issues that face my own hometown (the significantly larger community of Santa Cruz, California). 

Community activists in Arcata are maintaining a website for those concerned about out-of-scale development, a university that wants to impose massive growth on the town without addressing the housing, water, traffic and other impacts that this growth will cause, and other issues that will be familiar to residents of Santa Cruz. 

Those Northern California activists in Arcata have a sense of humor, too. For instance, they devote some space on their website to an exposition of The "Gish Gallop" and "Brandolini's Law." 

Here's Brandolini's Law, as explained on that Arcata website:

Brandolini’s Law, also known as the B.S. Asymmetry Principle, is an internet adage that emphasizes the effort of debunking misinformation, in comparison to the relative ease of creating it in the first place.

It states that the amount of energy needed to refute bullshit is an order of magnitude larger (that is, ten times larger) than is needed to produce it (emphasis added).

 

You know, I think that Brandolini was on to something!

 

You can click this link for more on Arcata, and for a more detailed exposition of the "Gish Gallop" and "Brandolini's Law."

 

 

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Image Credits:

(1) and (2) - https://arcata1.com/gish-gallop-brandolinis-law/