I believe there is a difference between hyperbole and outright falsities. No excellence of academia redeems a statement like "The Paris attacks did not take place." I'd argue that any kind of academic appreciation of these false statements, in postmodern reflections on hyper-reality, say more about the hyper-reality that academia seems to dwell in, particularly in the non-technical sciences like sociology and philosophy. For reasons of lack of rigor, it's easier for these specious "worldly" reflections to dwell in the non-technical sciences, than lets say Chemistry, Biology, Math or Physics. Need I say more about how I feel on the (dis)merits of this article...