[BendertheRobot]

IMHO, I must respectfully disagree. It is easy for non-nerds to try defining nerds in their own image.

This is true especially for journalists. They have a conflict of interest in the matter.

Their interest is to sell content online or in the newspapers. To appeal to people's self-aggrandizement is a very powerful motivation in this case.

Is that what Mr Cohen is doing? At a glance that's not certain. However with regard to this opinion piece, reviewing definition of terms and how they are used, looking for logical fallacies, reviewing the background of people being interviewed and some healthy skepticism is warranted.

Journalists talking about science and scientists is not equivalent to a thorough understanding of it.