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It's one thing if your Uncle Dave said he doesn't believe in time. But it would be a completely different conversation if the same words came out of a clockmaker.

Inspired by a tweet where a microbiologist expressed his disappointment after learning that one of their colleagues was an anti-vaxxer, Reddit user u/MoniMokshith made a post on r/facepalm, saying "I had to teach a historical geology class because the geologist who was supposed to teach [it] was a Young Earth Creationist."

The post immediately blew up. As of this article, it has over 98K upvotes. And that's not even the most impressive part. The comment section got filled with similar stories, with people talking about "professionals" who made a career despite their controversial -- and often contradictory -- personal views. Here are some of them.

Image credits: foamtherunway

#1

30 People Share Stories About "Professionals" Who Had Some Controversial Opinions I'm an RN and worked with FAR too many people in the healthcare field as a whole (not just other nurses, but also lab workers, RT's, pharmacists, hell even some MD's) who think/thought COVID was a hoax or "greatly exaggerated" and are now refusing the new vaccine, even though we all KNOW how mRNA and vaccines work. Plenty of anti-maskers too. It's like they just used their degrees as tissue paper or something, I seriously don't get how you can learn what we learn, understand it well enough to practice in the field, and yet still allow political stances to override all that, it's freaking ridiculous.

zombie_goast , Jonathan Borba Report

#2

30 People Share Stories About "Professionals" Who Had Some Controversial Opinions My high school biology teacher was a super religious creationist. He taught us about evolution while telling us how he thought it was all bulls**t. I always wondered why people go into professions that are directly opposed to their beliefs. Seems like a miserable existence.

Zeno_The_Alien , pxhere Report

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Colin Matthews
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's because they want to prove it to themselves to try and answer the huge doubts they have about religious dogma

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#3

30 People Share Stories About "Professionals" Who Had Some Controversial Opinions I’ve worked with an aerospace/aeronautical engineer once that believed the earth was flat. It was so weird because in order for the calculations to function properly, you have to take into account of the earth not being flat.

humanCharacter , pxhere Report

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#4

30 People Share Stories About "Professionals" Who Had Some Controversial Opinions I’m an ICU nurse of about 10 years. I would occasionally float to our regular, non-icu and non-covid floors. Plenty of nurses who denied how serious covid was.

The cognitive dissonance is real. Of course none of them came up to help on our covid units

ThisisMalta · , Hush Naidoo Report

#5

30 People Share Stories About "Professionals" Who Had Some Controversial Opinions Degree is Psychology here. So many peers with devout faith, one brain dead moron took psychology as a way “to know god better” he told me and convert more to Jesus.

Once took a course literally called, “Belief in Weird Things” which was for Psych majors. 300 students enrolled, nearly half dropped out because they were offended at some point when we broke down their weird beliefs.

Melancholic_Mando , Startup Stock Photos Report

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Sian Edwards
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm all for people having faith in any religion or moral code, but they have to accept that others don't necessarily share those beliefs.

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#6

30 People Share Stories About "Professionals" Who Had Some Controversial Opinions Used to be a science teacher and I always got flack on the evolution chapter from parents that were doctors. Like babe I hope you at least believe in bacteria and viruses evolving...

I've also come across many nurses who don't think mental illness is real.

deathbychips2 , Andrew Neel Report

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Bowtechie
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I once had an uber driver who claimed she was a semester shy of completing her nursing degree. She said vaccines caused my T1 Diabetes. I was diagnosed so young I didn't even have all my first doses yet.

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Pamela Blue
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These are people who weren't around to see the thousands upon thousands of children die or be maimed year after year, because of common childhood diseases that are now extremely rare. But mark my words, they'll be back. Some of them are coming back now, and these poor kids are going to suffer and/or die because of their parents' stupidity. It makes me want to spit nails.

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bryguy
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

After watching people on the news screaming about the governments 5G poison in their arms, I'm not surprised by any of this anymore. Humanity has no hope.

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Mohammad Ammar
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The idea that all life was created from a single entity actually goes with religion not against it. I don't understand why people get so offended by the tree of life theory.

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Mrs. Jan Glass
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I know a lot of not-very-bright people of my generation who went into nursing because it "paid well," not because of any understanding of science nor any desire to help people.

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Mieke
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Paid well"......... you must be mentally challenged to believe THAT........ I'm being paid so well in nursing, I have to run 3 jobs as a single mother with 2 sons!!!

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Two_rolling_black_eyes
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I taught in a zoology department of a college where 80% of our ~ 1600-1800 incoming freshman where pre-med students. First day of their first class the professor would explain that science is hard - 95% of you won't finish your program. Last required class for graduation was Evolution and the pre-med students would bitch about taking it because they were now accepted to med-school and evolution doesn't apply to humans. All of the examples on the tests used the class's count data from the last 4 years to show how evolution had affected their population so there was 60 left and the demographics had changed. The professor received many apologies from future doctors.

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Two_rolling_black_eyes
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No personal identifying info was used. A red queen hypothesis example was med school's started requiring biochemistry for admittance during their junior year. Numbers were used to show the number of students accepted to med-school didn't change versus the previous class or most other schools because the arm-race to adapt was the same no matter which population(school/class) you were part of. The schools that could not offer biochemistry to the last senior class didn't send anyone to med school so that population was eliminated unless they transferred. It takes all the running you can do to stay in the same place.

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A C
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is scary. You want to be able to trust doctors and nurses....

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sleepydeer
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Imagine if there was someone with ADHD and a person was like "Seriously, why are you so unfocused all the time? ADH- oh, that doesnt exist :)"

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Mazer
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had one doctor looked me straight in the face and asked me “don’t you have fun coming here”?? I am there because I’m in need of medical assistance not to play games. She ended up firing her self from being my GP. Her parting words were “well I’m not having fun here anymore”. Good gawd

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Randy Klefbeck
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

People who don't believe mental illness is real are probably suffering from it.

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Michigan Guy
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

my sister has been a nurse for...thirty years or so? no...there is no such thing as mental illness. man up, buttercup....yes, even you, with vaginas and all...

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Cyr/Syr
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My friend went to inpatient cafe and the nurses didn't believe in DID

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cassiushumanmother
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am a true believer! Join my cult! Seriously this guy was a genius, genetic was not invented yet and he came with it, only by observations and datas from him and others naturalists at a time when science was a part of theology and not separated at all from christianism. I'm a ethologist (behavior biologist) and his work is still taught today despite the science progress. His work is still influencing many science fields, not only biology. 20210626_1...6c32d9.jpg 20210626_1352281-60d71626c32d9.jpg

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Leo Domitrix
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sadly, this person is correct, and it's tragic. And they believe evolution applies to everything BUT humans. How....!?!?!?

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Nubis Knight
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I was in school we had a hearing with a rkk Pastor that also had a degree in science. He talked about how Eva was created from Adams rip and than about relativity theory... we asked about Big Bang but he evaded and mostly got roasted by us. ~.~

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Leslie Burleson
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just because science can explain it, doesn't mean isn't still a miracle . Did you know when horses are in utero they grow feathers around their hooves so the kicks the hive won't injure the mama? They're born with feathers. Then they dry up and fall off like a belly button. There are scientific explanations for it ... but for every creature on earth to have such complicated and individual functions perfectly designed for them . That can only be God like. I'm not super religious , but I've experienced things that have made me firmly believe in God , even though I understand the science .

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miss miss
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2 years ago

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Omg. Is this all this is, religion bashing. Shut up already

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Dave Jones
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2 years ago

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Once again, evolution is a hypothesis. We don't know for sure how it all began or why the universe is here in the first place. Small-minded teachers think that simple answers like it is evolution explains it all.

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Marie Vallier
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Evolution is a fact, not a hypothesis. When we scientists talk about evolutionary theory, we do not mean theory in the layman's meaning of hypothesis, we mean it as a scientific theory. A scientific theory is a deduction of how something works, and it is based on decades if not centuries of data. For example, before gravitational waves could be detected, two gravitational theories existed: Newton's and Einstein's. Both theories attempted to explain how gravitation works. Both were valid based on recorded data at that point. Both could have been wrong, it would not have made gravitation any less true. Just as much as gravitation exist regardless of our understanding of it, evolution exist, whether we know how it works or not.

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#7

30 People Share Stories About "Professionals" Who Had Some Controversial Opinions Professional cook here. Near the beginning of the pandemic I heard about a Sous Chef I worked with in the past being an anti-masker. I asked through the grapevine why he washes his hands before and after handling food and the reply was “that’s common sense”. But somehow the scientific medical community saying that masks help prevent illnesses is just a big hoax. It’s beyond frustrating.

SilkwormAbraxas , Tanya Gorelova Report

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Robert T
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So he'll wash his hands, but will still breathe a respiritory-born virus over people's food. Damn I'm going to need a big bat.

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#8

30 People Share Stories About "Professionals" Who Had Some Controversial Opinions My friends uncle is a '5G gives you cancer while the government controls your mind' conspiracy theorist. He's a 5G installer

BEANSijustloveBEANS , Fabian Horst Report

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Lord Mysticlaw
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You should play along and ask him how he can do that to people and sleep at night.

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#9

30 People Share Stories About "Professionals" Who Had Some Controversial Opinions My mom's really into homepoathy bulls**t (treating illnesses with the souls of elements or whatever). She's a pharmacist.

S0mber_ , Bru-nO Report

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Martha Meyer
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think the homeopathy trend has more to do with the fact that many people haven't found the medical help they needed from traditional medicine.

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#10

30 People Share Stories About "Professionals" Who Had Some Controversial Opinions I worked with a former airline PILOT who was/is a flat earther. He has since went back to being a pilot but I am not sure if he still thinks Earth is flat. When I pressed him on being a former pilot and believing malarkey he claimed the schools indoctrination into round earth didn’t work on him and that the pilots windscreen was a very thick and curved glass that made everything appear to be curved.

epidemic , imcckpit Report

#11

30 People Share Stories About "Professionals" Who Had Some Controversial Opinions I remember a few Evangelists and one Catholic ( odd since most Catholics I know aren't creationists) in my major (geography) saying they knew the truth about the age of the earth, but had to lie on tests (classes like oil&gas, hydrology, geology,etc.) in order to get good grades.

How Christian are you when you break one of the 10 commandments and lie about your faith in order to get ahead?

lurked_long_enough , Armin Rimoldi Report

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#12

30 People Share Stories About "Professionals" Who Had Some Controversial Opinions Last career I had, knew people who were flat earthers and moon landing deniers...we were all satellite communications engineers.

Nerdeinstein , pxhere Report

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I I
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

flat earthers have members all over the globe , thats their FB quote

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#13

30 People Share Stories About "Professionals" Who Had Some Controversial Opinions I work with a medication aide that refuses to take medication and actively preaches god>medication. Apparently god isn’t paying her bills so she still keeps coming to work.

WhaleIfItIsntJonah , Polina Tankilevitch Report

#14

30 People Share Stories About "Professionals" Who Had Some Controversial Opinions I know someone who doesn’t believe in germ theory. We work for a company that builds water sterilization.

Link9454 , Anna Shvets Report

#15

30 People Share Stories About "Professionals" Who Had Some Controversial Opinions I worked with a wildland firefighter who was a climate change denier. We fought more wild fires. We got way more OT over 3 years. Yet didnt believe it was true science and started to complain he couldnt enjoy his summers due to work....lol

hangout_wangout , oconino National Forest Report

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Grumble O'Pug
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not at all surprising. My farrier is a professional fire fighter (his group takes their rig all over the Western US to fight those epic fires) big climate denier. Great farrier.

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#16

30 People Share Stories About "Professionals" Who Had Some Controversial Opinions I know a dude who works in the oil field who doesn't believe in dinosaurs. "Fossil fuels"

roosell1986 , pxhere Report

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Don't Look
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He’s not right obviously but fossil fuels aren’t actually dinosaur-based.

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#17

I work with someone who thinks bloodletting is a cure-all.

I work in a children's cancer ward.

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#18

I work with a locomotive engineer who is a flat earther and also said that gravity is a hoax. I can laugh at the flat earth part but not believing in gravity on a fright train in the mountains seems a little crazy to me.

Blackflipflop Report

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Robert T
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Does he work on the ghost trains at an amusement park? (Just wondering what a fright train is)

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#19

30 People Share Stories About "Professionals" Who Had Some Controversial Opinions I work with two anti-vaxxers. They are nurses who work with elderly patients.

Sad_Panda1978 , Vidal Balielo Jr. Report

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Serbob
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Recently found out that an anti-vaxxer worked at my step-father's retirement home and contracted Covid. The home's response was that with human rights they couldn't force her to get vaccinated. We all wanted her fired. We have the right to refuse her access to our relatives. It turned into a real s**t show.

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#20

30 People Share Stories About "Professionals" Who Had Some Controversial Opinions I used to work with a geologist who used to think minerals ("crystals") could heal you even from cancer.

xenascus , Antranias Report

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Sian Edwards
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Which is hilarious because some minerals can cause cancer or are dangerously toxic. Asbestos and cinnabar, for example.

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#21

30 People Share Stories About "Professionals" Who Had Some Controversial Opinions I work in defense. No one there believes government creates jobs. We only get paid by government.

farmguy111 , Touch Of Light Report

#22

30 People Share Stories About "Professionals" Who Had Some Controversial Opinions I work with a cancer biologist who fell for the alkaline diet hype. She got persuaded by somebody who is 1000x less educated in the matter than she is.

Verologist , thesmartwatersolutions Follow Report

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#23

30 People Share Stories About "Professionals" Who Had Some Controversial Opinions I’m an aircraft mechanic and I work with a guy who believes in chemtrails.

moubu89 , Adrian Pingstone Arpingstone Report

#24

30 People Share Stories About "Professionals" Who Had Some Controversial Opinions My mom is a geologist and she worked with someone who was a young earth creationist. That person's excuse was "god created rocks that were 4.6 billion years old". I guess if it works it works, but that makes no sense to me

IWishIWasAGoomba , mdherren Report

#25

30 People Share Stories About "Professionals" Who Had Some Controversial Opinions One of my teachers (it wasn't a biology teacher) made me do a homework to prove that dinosaurs aren't mammals as, for him, mammals are animals with lungs.

Cocokill , Fausto García-Menéndez Report

#26

30 People Share Stories About "Professionals" Who Had Some Controversial Opinions I worked with a guy who’s previous job had been designing missile launch systems who also thought the earth was flat, I’m not entirely sure how he slept at night

punkerster101 , Official U.S. Navy Page Report

#27

30 People Share Stories About "Professionals" Who Had Some Controversial Opinions I worked with someone who had a PhD in genetics but was young earth creationist. She couldn’t seem to comprehend phylogenetic diagrams, useless as supervisor to PhD students, seeing as she was incapable of discussing a number of highly relevant topics.

Practical-Purchase-9 , National Cancer Institute Report

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Samantha Lomb
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Honestly, research, publication and supervisory skills are totally different anyway. I know a number of PhDs who were horrific supervisors. One actually got banned by the department from taking female grad students as she was horrifically emotionally abusive to them and they had to scramble to find new supervisors. No one would ever warn the incoming students though.

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#28

30 People Share Stories About "Professionals" Who Had Some Controversial Opinions My 4th grade science teacher and my 9th grade history teacher are moon landing deniers...

Alpha_Eagle222 , WikiImages Report

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Amelia Bedelia
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If someone tells you they don't believe in the moon landing, just look them dead in the eye and say "you believe in the moon?!?!?"

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#29

30 People Share Stories About "Professionals" Who Had Some Controversial Opinions I had to teach a historical geology class because the geologist who was supposed to teach is was a Young Earth Creationist.

MoniMoksith , Diego Delso Report

#30

30 People Share Stories About "Professionals" Who Had Some Controversial Opinions I've met a PhD in Chemistry from a top 5 university that was anti-vax. Their PhD work actually involved the analysis of heavy metals in an environment and how it impacted a childs likelihood to develop autism. I got into it with them, and they were able to reference a handful of scholarly papers to justify their stance.

howmuchforthissquirr , RF._.studio Report

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Samantha Lomb
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Honestly, having a PhD myself, its not about intelligence but more about the ability to complete tasks on time. A lot of really smart people never finish cause they are either perfectionists or terrible at time management. And A LOT of scholars cherry pick information to fit their points of view

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