The Little World

Tell me aaaaaalll about it…

And make sure I know that you know, you know?

The expert on any subject can derive their knowledge from a number of sources:

a. Casual personal experience.

b. Deliberate experimentation,

c. Extensive research.

d. YouTube.

a. It is difficult to argue with the first category, unless you dispute the honesty of the other person. This is sometimes a temptation, and just as often a very good idea.

People can tell the truth, can distort the truth, can tell minor untruths, or can lie like parliamentary candidates. There is a whole spectrum of honesty there and you are justified in looking closely at what colour is being shown.

Doubt can be your friend.

b. Experimentation, done scientifically, with reportage, cross reference, independent repeatability, and reputable publication, is hard to beat.

It can be sensational or deadly, with the latter usually being the more accurate. If you must know, pour solution A into solution B and taste the result…

c. Extensive research really means reading the results of other people’s work. You need not poison yourself if you can get the coroner’s report on someone else.

Your skill will consist of separating fact from fiction as you go. Weekly World News may tell you of alien bat babies in the sewers but you may want to reserve judgement until you get the NYC Main Water Supply Report for the year.

d. YouTube is the only completely 104% accurate source of information and everything you see there has been checked by an algorithm, so you know it’s safe. Believe all you see and send money to the presenters so that the goodness will never stop.