An Utter Nutter: Anthony Watts has "Gone Lysenko" in a Bout of Recursive Fury

Anthony Watts comes up with two nutty conspiracy theories in one day on WUWT.

Anthony Watts is in Full On Whacko Conspiracy Theory Mode

Research suggests that conspiracy ideation is (weakly) linked to rejection of science. Today Anthony Watts has 'come out' as a whacky paranoid conspiracy theorist of the Lysenko kind.  See below for his whacky paranoid conspiracy of the Lewandowsky kind.

Anthony is touting the "Lysenko" theory.  At its extreme this theory is that climate science is a hoax that involves:

• hundreds of thousands of scientists keeping a 'secret'
• millions of scientific observations and experiments being coordinated across space and centuries and disparate scientific disciplines and "faked" so well that results all point to the same conclusion
• cooperation by all nations, including nations at war with each other, of opposing ideologies, whether democratic, autocratic or somewhere in between
• all scientific publishing houses as well as all the world's mainstream media keeping the 'secret'
• the majority of ordinary laypersons in every nation in the world.  Seven generations of the majority of the world's population are members of this secret cult and have managed to keep a secret from seven generations of the eight per cent of the population, since the early 1800s.

Click here for an example of how such people think (it's not as uncommon as one might think).

About the paranoid conspiracy theory of "Lysenko-ism"

Lysenko was a Stalinist bureaucrat who, by coercion and worse, prevented genetic research in agriculture - particularly in relation to plant breeding.  Anthony is promoting a whacky "Lysenko" conspiracy theory that's going the rounds in various guises - this time in Forbes in relation to climate science.  (The theory can be adapted to any subject with which paranoid conspiracy theorists disagree.  For example - feminism is also a Lysenko Plot!)

What Tony thinks?

Here are some excerpts from WUWT:

• This same practice of Lysenkoism has long been under way in western science - I don't know how they explain the same results being obtained in all nations of the world
• billions from government grants and neo-Marxist environmentalist largesse, and official recognition and award - note the similarity of language with this post and the obsession with money.  If only scientists themselves got some of those "billions" - they could retire!
• promoting vastly increased government powers and control over the private economy. - now we get to the heart of the matter, suggestive of extremist 'right wing' nuttery

If you took Tony for something of a nutter, now you can see just how much of a nutter he really is.

More evidence that Anthony has completely "lost it" and is just an utter nutter

From Greg Laden - Tony is demonstrating Lewandowky-style recursive fury:

Once again Anthony Watts demonstrates his very tenuous grip on reality: wattsupwiththat.com/2013/04/28/ste… (I've pointed to the clarifying comment)
— Greg Laden (@gregladen) April 29, 2013

The Recursive Fury paper explores how conspiracy theories evolve as hard facts emerge.

Anthony writes a "smear" article about Professor Lewandowsky.  As Simon Donner has noted, it is reminiscent of The Onion.

The Onion anyone? Prof's research links climate "deniers" to conspiracy ideology. The response: a conspiracy theory wattsupwiththat.com/2013/04/28/ste…
— Simon Donner (@simondonner) April 29, 2013

Anthony moans about papers co-authored by Professor Lewandowsky that explore connections between conspiracy ideation and (climate) science denial.  Conspiracy theorists don't like such things being examined so they make up conspiracy theories! Anthony adds to the weight of evidence.

Professor Lewandowsky won a grant from the prestigious Royal Society and a 'mobility award', which requires him to relocate from UWA to Bristol University.  Anthony spins this move as a "furtive exit", conspiracy ideation much!.  When a commenter makes clear that the move is required, Anthony doesn't step back and say - Oh - it's for research purposes.  Oh no, instead he evolves his conspiracy theory to "following the money".  Doubling down on "conspiracy ideation".  (As someone has pointed out, the move won't necessarily involve more "money".)

You couldn't wish for a better example of recursive fury in action!

(Can't help wondering if Anthony thinks Foxgoose's "complaint" - namely "they got my conspiracy theory wrong" is his version of "professional".)