Scientists and researchers on Internet; how do you deal with family members/loved ones who tend to have strong opinions on scientific methodology and topics that they do not understand, often basing their opinions on the internet, rather than listening to someone who has had several years of training?

It’s not worth the headache, I simply don’t engage with them and politely agree to disagree.

Sadly, I avoid them as much as possible and keep conversations to small talk when I have to interact with them. It’s not worth getting angry and stressed out and you are not going to win against their Facebook algorithm.

Make my point and step out if they can’t be reasoned with. I can provide you with facts but if you won’t listen you are wasting my time.

I graduated two colleges in canine behavior, canine learning theory, canine stuff pretty much. Went to animal behavior college, studied under David of K-9 blue ribbon (las vegas behaviorist, wonderful guy. Had a spot on animal planet way back when for owning Apollo (the ten thousand dollar dog)). I am in a loving relationship with my partner who respects my knowledge in the canine field, and challenges me unless I prove it (its very healthy since I don’t actively study anymore). Theres a few times she was right. Her fucking mother though. Legit argued with me. That dogs have anal sex for fun. She then tried to argue with me on how dogs behavior can be modified, and that since a recent chsrge of mine (dog I adopted and am rehabilitating into a service animal) bit me, he MUST have a bloodlust now. I can forgive the mother.

This is how I deal with her. “If you can prove me wrong on both of your accounts, I’ll buy you a house.” If she could prove me wrong, that means everything we know about dogs are questionable, and I could make a fuckload of money selling that research paper.

Astronomer here! My father is also very educated (PhD in engineering), but is a serious climate change denier. Like, he insists things are getting warmer but it’s a natural process.

I’m not going to lie, after many discussions with him in person, via email sharing literature etc, and also from my sister (also a scientist), we just don’t discuss it any more with him. We once asked him flat out what would change his mind that climate change is real and he said nothing would, in which case it’s a belief, not anything scientific… and there is very little you can do by that point.

On a more entertaining note, I do have a distant relative who genuinely thinks aliens talk to us regularly and I’m just part of the government cover up because I won’t tell him he’s right. That dude also thinks the moon landing and Holocaust are faked, and sent money to Nigerian scams before the Internet existed, so yeah luckily I haven’t seen him in a few years else it’d be super awkward.