I’ve always thought that evil hipsters are behind these movements. I still do. Memes are usually temporary but they’re a symbolic rally point for anyone who recognizes them so they define some kind of group. It feels good to be there. Imgur, Reddit, and 4chan exploit that feeling and provide dissemination and feedback of prejudice. Not only with people you don’t know and assume are your friends, but with data collection companies that have vested interests. If I had a subversive financial agenda and extra billion dollars, or even a few million, I’d invest it in memes.
Scientific procedure and objectivity aren’t the same thing. Objectivity means getting verification from another person (as opposed to subjectivity). Scientific procedure means getting proofs that don’t depend on someone elses opinion, even though the processes to get the proof DO have to be agreed on by observers.
