• shalafi@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    Had a coworker who refused her new office because it had a circuit breaker panel in the wall. Her husband told her it caused cancer. I explained that any EM coming around that steel door was barely detectable and wasn’t ionizing radiation. Pointed to a sunbeam on the floor, “That’s cancer causing radiation.”

    I know that sounds like I got all snotty about it, but I have social skills, explained it gently without condensation.

    “Shalafi, you just think you know everything! Anyway, I believe my husband.” Whose expertise in laying sheetrock belies his physics knowledge.

    Best part? She posted a pic of her and her husband working up a tan on their boat that weekend.

    Some men, you just can’t reach…

    • Lumisal@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      I’ve dealt with people like that before.

      The easiest solution is to solve magical bullshit with magical bullshit.

      “Oh you’re right! Let me get the special magnet that blocks out the cancer causing stuff from the inventory people”.

      Then you go out, get a random magnet, and just stick it on there.

      I once dealt with someone who thought being close to a router caused cancer.

      So I put a key ring “cage loop” on top of it that forced the internet waves into the ceiling instead.

      These people don’t understand technology -it’s just magic to them. So you give them magical solutions every time.

        • Lumisal@lemmy.world
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          1 day ago

          I understand at the existential dread of realizing people are dumber than you can imagine, because we probably don’t consider ourselves smart, just average at best, but as the old saying goes, “imagine the average dumbest person you know, and realize that half are dumber than that”.

          Moving to Finland years ago did wonders for my sanity, because at least people are on average better educated here, and they actually do know basic things about stuff they use daily, like electricity and WiFi.

          People really don’t know how electromagnetic things work in general though I suppose, especially in the USA.

          Using the key ring isn’t even a completely original idea - I got it from remembering these “healing bracelets” exist.

          That’s also why I recommended to Shalafi to just stick a magnet to it. Magnets are magic to a lot of people.