Should NASA Try To Refute Crackpots?

angkor writes "CNN has an interesting article on the dilemma faced by NASA: what is the proper way to deal with far-out theories given exposure (and legitimacy) by the media--ignore the crackpots or refute them?"

NASA would call them crackpots wouldn't they?

[wiggys]

After all, NASA are controlled by the illuminati lizards who want to keep the truth about life on other planets hidden from the rest of us.

All They Need To Do Is Hire Rumsfeld & Co.

[Shturmovik]

Those guys have a magnificent history of making people believe anything they are ordered to believe. And of course all Slashdotters want opposing viewpoints squashed like the verminous bugs that they are. Therefore Donald, Dick, John, Connie and the two Georges are just the folks for the job. DOWN WITH DISSENT! TOE THE PARTY LINE! ASK NOT WHAT YOUR COUNTRY CAN DO FOR YOU...ASK WHERE YOU CAN LINE UP FOR YOUR ID TATTOO! Or not.

Re:As I said on a previous post....

[garbs]

Tell them to take off their helmets while in the vacuum of space.

That'll convince them, or they'll say that they are in a big room, with all of the air removed, and it is a big conspiracy to silence them.

Only one option remains

[ChrisJones]

You can't reason with them, you can't ignore them, so the only answer is to simply point at them and laugh.
I want to see NASA appoint an official representative to go and visit all of the conspiracy nuts, point at them, and laugh.
This way the nuts will become so ashamed of themselves that they'll climb into their tinfoil beanies, get into their metal trailer homes and cry until the visitors take them away ;)

Re:Do a Buzz Alrdrin

[Rhinobird]

yeah, but then you have to come back 2 weeks later after the bruises have healed and say that you didn't punch them in the face. The photographs were faked in photoshop. You didn't make him see stars, he was looking up at night. There is no bruise.

Re:Why Blindly trust your government?

[jsgates]

http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/tv/foxapollo.html

Re:Buzz Aldrin's Response

[BillGodfrey]

I saw that film, but I don't think it's real. There were no stars in the background.

Re:As I said on a previous post....

[Hubert_Shrump]

My car wizard is really pissed that no one can get this straight.

Also, he tells me that the cat I ran over last week won't last much longer, and that he needs new blood.

Crazy old wizard.