Even allowing that Novella is the type of person who engages in debates when the rest of us divert our eyes, debating what happened on September 11, 2001, seems like a particularly fruitless endeavor. It has been 13 years, and there’s exactly the same amount of evidence for the controlled demolition people’s position as ever—which is to say none, other than an ability to cast doubt about how it should look when an enormous building falls down. No matter how many people set out to debunk them, the Truthers will not be convinced. You’d think having the whole thing on tape, in the most populated city in the country would’ve been enough.

I contacted Novella and asked him why he would bother debating someone he’ll almost definitely never convince.

“The point of the debate is not to change his mind, but to provide information for the readers,” Novella explained. “I do think these exchanges change minds. There are many people on the fence, or just not informed enough to handle being overwhelmed by a conspiracy theorist armed with lots of factoids. This post, and the many others, give a concise reference for those looking for information.”