Mark Hoofnagle
Encyclopedia
Mark Hoofnagle is an American medical doctor, physiologist and blogger. He was one of the originators of the concept of "denialism
", especially in relation to global warming
. His interest in denialism concerns the use of denialist tactics to confuse public understanding of scientific knowledge. Hoofnagle runs the website denialism.com as well as the denialism blog at ScienceBlogs
.
in physiology
from the University of Virginia
, and is now a general surgery resident. Hoofnagle received the Ph.D. before entering medical school.
exists.
Hoofnagle became interested in communications tactics used to "confuse public understanding of scientific knowledge." Together with his brother Chris Hoofnagle, a consumer-interest lawyer who has testified before the U.S. Congress on privacy and identity theft
issues, he maintains www.denialism.com, which outlines their definition of the denialist's "Deck of Cards" — tactics used to derail public discourse. Brother Chris is a senior staff attorney at the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic, and also a senior fellow at the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology, at the University of California, Berkeley
Boalt School of Law.
"Denialist tactics are easier to employ than engaging in a good-faith dialogue about political and social problems. Agreeing to a dialogue creates risks, most notably the chance that problems needing legislative or regulatory attention will be unearthed," said Chris Jay Hoofnagle.
Mark Hoofnagle has written a "how-to" article on being a crank scholar.
Denialism
Denialism is choosing to deny reality as a way to avoid an uncomfortable truth: "[it] is the refusal to accept an empirically verifiable reality...
", especially in relation to global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
. His interest in denialism concerns the use of denialist tactics to confuse public understanding of scientific knowledge. Hoofnagle runs the website denialism.com as well as the denialism blog at ScienceBlogs
ScienceBlogs
ScienceBlogs is an invitation-only blog network and virtual community. It was created by Seed Media Group in 2006 to enhance the public understanding of science. , ScienceBlogs hosted 75 blogs dedicated to various fields of research. Each blog has its own theme, specialty, and author and is not...
.
Education
Hoofnagle has a M.D. and Ph.D.Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in physiology
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
from the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, and is now a general surgery resident. Hoofnagle received the Ph.D. before entering medical school.
Global warming denialism
Hoofnagle, said by authors Pascal Diethelm and Martin McKee to be one of the developers of the concept of denialism, defines denialism as the employment of rhetorical arguments to give the appearance of legitimate debate where there is none, an approach that has the ultimate goal of rejecting a proposition on which a scientific consensusScientific consensus
Scientific consensus is the collective judgment, position, and opinion of the community of scientists in a particular field of study. Consensus implies general agreement, though not necessarily unanimity. Scientific consensus is not by itself a scientific argument, and it is not part of the...
exists.
Hoofnagle became interested in communications tactics used to "confuse public understanding of scientific knowledge." Together with his brother Chris Hoofnagle, a consumer-interest lawyer who has testified before the U.S. Congress on privacy and identity theft
Identity theft
Identity theft is a form of stealing another person's identity in which someone pretends to be someone else by assuming that person's identity, typically in order to access resources or obtain credit and other benefits in that person's name...
issues, he maintains www.denialism.com, which outlines their definition of the denialist's "Deck of Cards" — tactics used to derail public discourse. Brother Chris is a senior staff attorney at the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic, and also a senior fellow at the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology, at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
Boalt School of Law.
"Denialist tactics are easier to employ than engaging in a good-faith dialogue about political and social problems. Agreeing to a dialogue creates risks, most notably the chance that problems needing legislative or regulatory attention will be unearthed," said Chris Jay Hoofnagle.
Mark Hoofnagle has written a "how-to" article on being a crank scholar.