re: Scientist apologizes after photo of star turns out to be slice of chorizo

Because it's stellar

quote:

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Wtf makes people do crap like this

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You mean "people" in High Places and "Science" White Coats?

Or just "people" in general? Could be more complicated than we think at first blush.

I propose Five theories.

THEORY #1: It was just a funny goof, plain and simple (turrible judgement when you're a "physicist at France’s Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission").

THEORY #2:: Attention and dopamine-ruuush for the Likes (17.3K), Quote Tweets (2,108), and Retweets (2,750)

THEORY #3: Since the White Coats know *whatever* they say or tweet WILL BE BELIEVED, maybe this guy's God-Complex got the best of him. For curiosity reasons, he wanted to test the gullibility level of True Believers.

THEORY #4: This was an act of contempt for True Believers. He purposely tweaked their nipples. IOW, the guy's a real jerk.

THEORY #5: Some Scientists may actually feel guilty and be burdened over knowing certain "Science" just isn't true. *Maybe* his framing his Pepperoni "Star" tweet as a "Joke" was this White Coat's way of spilling beans (and saying, "Hey -- stop believing everything we say about Space is true. This Webb Telescope stuff *could* all be bullsh*t. And you'd never know it.")