Interconnected Blog


Seife does an exceptional job of convincing the reader that people need to more people for reassurance. In other words, for a belief to be held, more people are lured in so they can confirm their belief because as long as there’s someone who believes it, he/she can easily convince others because that is what other people are looking for – validation. He supports this claim through many examples, starting off with Dorothy Martin’s case, where she believed a theory where the US would be demolished and aliens will take the survivors to Mars through UFO’s.  He uses this and other examples to show that people want to be surrounded by others who have the same beliefs. He furthers this argument by explaining how the internet satisfies this need in the easiest way – a user simply uploads or posts their thoughts and it can earn them short-term fame.

One aspect of this essay that I commend the author for is his ability to stay neutral. When he mentions politics, he mentions the left and right equally and states their purpose in the news world. Additionally, he buttresses his single argument with a variety of examples such as the furries, news channels, Morgellons, the internet, and many more. Each source he included was very detailed and had a rich backstory. It was blatant that each one was intended to truly enrich his argument instead of just purely taking up space; each detail was essential to his essay. He was able to expand on each idea and tie back to his argument and say how it relates to it. Despite the many ideas he introduces, he was able to make them flow into each other instead of an abrupt transition between them. He somehow was able to connect all them despite their differences. Lastly, Seife made concrete statements that are powerful throughout the piece, instead of just a stretching out argument with information about this topic. This essay was a cross between an argumentative and informative piece which made it enjoyable to read because able to get a well-supported idea across the reader while elaborating his stance on it.

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