Geniuses That Were Wrong

I was reading in the Politics Board about Elon Musk being a genius who is dead wrong about many things, and it brought to mind a few other geniuses that were famously wrong about things.

Albert Einstein disbelieved outright in quantum mechanics – one of his most famous quotes, that “God does not play dice with the universe,” was actually stated in that context. One of the smartest people in the history of the world, and he was dead wrong about something that was inarguably “in his lane.”

Linus Pauling was the only person ever to win two unshared Nobel Prizes. One of the greatest scientists and one of the greatest advocates for peace the world has ever seen. Dude was also absolutely certain that high-dose Vitamin C prevented and cured cancer. It does not. Repeated experiments have shown that it does not. But Pauling went to his grave refusing to believe that evidence.

Bobby Fischer was indisputably the greatest American ever to play chess, and depending on who you ask might have been the Greatest of All Time. (I think he’s behind Kasparov and Carlsen, personally.) The man was also an avowed antisemite and died in disgrace as a result.

What are some other good (non-political) examples of geniuses that had a topic they couldn’t have been more wrong about?

All men are brilliant, but according to our wives, we are wrong all the time. :sunglasses:

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I’d put Newton on the list. Might have poisoned himself in his alchemy quest
trying to convert base metals to precious metals.

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image

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Dr. Fauci and Dr. Rochelle Walensky saying that the COVID vaccine prevents infection

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Except that that’s a case where the science actually supports their position and refutes yours.

As I have posted before, you are three times LESS likely to catch COVID if vaccinated than if you are not, studies show.

Bad example. Nice try Bro!

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Doug Belk

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Still doesn’t prevent infection

They all caught it

https://twitter.com/CDCDirector/status/1589990185823260673?s=20&t=yFy5KEsY-kdVzxP-y9WxWg

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May not prevent every infection doesn’t mean it doesn’t ever prevent infection. Not sure why you are arguing that.

And good to see the cdc director is fine as I expected.

You also have to look at when the comment about vaxxed people not getting covid was made. There was a point where the vax provided nearly full protection. Then the virus mutated. Things change.

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Doesn’t matter when it was said. Multiple health officials including our president are on record saying the vaccine prevents COVID/you won’t get infected. Mutations were inevitable, so they should’ve messaged from the beginning that these vaccines weren’t going to prevent infection

It might’ve provided full protection for a couple of months, but efficacy waned quickly. Also, every single mutation came from outside of the United States

Flu vaccine has been around for decades and the flu virus mutates every year

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Not long ago, the CDC changed the definition of vaccine from making you immune to providing protection. So there is now a distinct difference between a vaccine and an immunization. Since it has always been called a vaccine, the cries of “but you can still get it” are hollow. It isn’t an immunization.

Of course it does. If it was true at one point and not another. That obviously makes a difference.

It was a dumb thing to say for sure. But true at the time.

We said a lot of things too quickly with this pandemic. Science moves too fast to try to keep everyone informed on everything. It’s led to exactly what we are seeing here. People say they want transparency but they really don’t.

If I was the CDC I would’ve messaged this instead of using fear to get the country vaccinated by mandates

“If you are a high risk individual such as over 65, suffer from any kind of commorbidity/underlying condition such as diabetes, or live a sedentary/inactive lifestyle the CDC recommends you take the vaccine. Continue to wear your mask and stay indoors as much as you can.

If you are between 18-40 and are not a high risk individual, the CDC encourages you to wear a mask in all public spaces.”

Instead, the messaging was “every single person in this country must get this vaccine or you will die! If you don’t take this extremely effective vaccine then you are a anti-vax MAGA trumper that denies science!”

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to tell people I support all mandatory shots such as hepatitis, meningitis, measles, mumps, polio and smallpox. Why? Because those vaccinations are proven to be effective. Yet you deny COVID and you are an anti-vaxx white supremist

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It might not provide complete or total immunity but it DOES prevent infection; as I said, you are THREE TIMES LESS likely to catch COVID with a vaccine than without.

Given that, with all due respect, you sound ignorant when you say otherwise.

That’s simply wrong.

That’s one case where the experts were right, and YOU weren’t.

Sucks to be wrong I guess.

And besides helping to prevent infection……you are also……

17 times less likely to be hospitalized with a vaccine than without.

And 20 times less likely to die.

It’s just like a flu shot.

A flu shot likewise won’t guaranteee that you won’t catch the flu, but it does LOWER the risk that you will, and in that regard, DOES help to “prevent” infection.

Sorry if that concept is too difficult for you to understand.

NEXT!!!

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That clearly wasn’t the messaging from the cdc. Lol

You’re very biased. You even put that in quotes. Be better dude.

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What upsets me the most was how political the vaccine became

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It only became political because there were ignorant anti-vaxxer fools that made it such.

Just as they have some other vaccines.

That’s why measles and polio are both making comebacks.

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The kid signed a million dollar NIL contract…

He’s gonna transfer (if he does) to a Big 10 school or a high ranked PAC/ACC school

Need context; and understanding.

Dr. John P. Moore, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the Weill Cornell School of Medicine, said Massie’s remarks amounted to “disinformation” and were based on “semantics not science.”

“I have no problem with the CDC’s language tweaks,” Moore wrote in an email to the AP. “They are informative, not sinister.”