Don't Troll the Idiots

There are stupid questions, and there are idiots who will never let facts get in the way of beliefs.

I was a bit taken aback (and delighted) by the blunt words of Pamela Gay, a professor of astronomy at some university in the Midwest who gave a talk on common misconceptions and flat-out wrong ideas in astronomy. She has a podcast online that I mean to check out.

In addition to disputing theories like the end of the world according to the Mayan Calendar and why the moon has different phases (not the Earth's shadow), she gave the advice "Do not troll the idiots, because they will just troll you back. There are people who do not understand, and there are idiots. Know the difference. When you get into an argument with idiots, find an escape as quickly as you can." 

Another funny comment from her. She mentioned that, in her class, a student asked, "Dr. G ...", because this is the Midwest and people can't say "Gay."