[kstenerud]

Because it's noise, and noise is distracting, and there's a LOT of noise out there.

Part of being an expert is knowing how to filter out the noise so that you can actually get some work done.

If one wanted to deal with noise all day, they'd join SETI. Or parliment.

If someone has a novel theory, let them come up with evidence to support it, and clear identification of how the theory can be invalidated.

That's not closed-mindedness; that's pragmatism. Could they actually be right? Yes, in the same way that a baby could beat Muhammad Ali - but you won't see anyone lining up to buy tickets.

You only have so much time in your life, so no need to waste it on peoples' 10-second "theories", like "How about achieving faster-than-light communication by stuffing so many photons down the fibreoptic cable that they "push" each other faster?". Some ideas are just plain dumb and obviously not worth a trained person's time.

[JasonSage]

> If one wanted to deal with noise all day, they'd join SETI. Or parliment.

> If someone has a novel theory, let them come up with evidence to support it, and clear identification of how the theory can be invalidated.

Ok, sure, but you can’t really be coming to _Hacker News_ expecting the latter, or none of the former, so it’s a moot point and poor expectations.

[kstenerud]

You absolutely can and should when they come at you accusing you of being "closed minded", "unimaginative", and "not open to new theories" (see the discussion thread).

It's one thing to politely ignore crackpot theories or state the established facts in response, quite another when the crackpots start attacking you.