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Author Topic:   Evidence for a Conspiracy of Scientists?
Morgolf
Inactive Member


Message 82 of 85 (205609)
05-06-2005 1:05 PM
Reply to: Message 64 by nator
05-02-2005 10:19 AM


Re: Evidence for a Conspiracy of Scientists?
quote:
quote:
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The problem is not public ignorance, but public alienation.
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The mauin problem IS public ignorance, and this leads to the alienation, because people are alienated from and fearful of what they do not understand.
Quick, explain to me what the Theory of Evolution is, what it's main mechanisms are believed to be in a few sentences.
Better yet, explain in a few sentences how scientists use the word "theory" and how it differs from the layman's use of the term.
I'll bet you can't without looking it up, and I'm VERY sure that most of the US public couldn't.
quote:
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The reason for this alienation is the reluctance of most scientists to be as objective about themselves, their values, their goals, and their intellectual methods as they claim to be about interpreting specific data.
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That's bull. The reason for the alienation is that people see science and technology as something that has an increasing influence on their lives, that they are increasingly dependent upon, but that they are less and less able to understand.
Hi Schrafinator,
I have been enjoying your replies on various posts and boards in this forum, but wanted to inject some points into this post.
Since World War II, and the use of the Atomic Bomb, the trust that the general public has in science in general has slowly eroded due to some of the side-effects of chemicals found out too late, or after massive damage has been done (i.e., DDT, Dioxin, PCB's, CFCs, etc.). Also, certain events (Bhopal, Three Mile Island, etc.)have caused the general population to inherently distrust science and institutes that encourage, participates, and funds said science.
Add into the equation some bad science published in the general Media (example: Cold Fusion in the 1980's...Doh!) and science in general is seen as the dark sheep in the world.
With the mistrust comes the fear of science and some people return to a more secure, warm, and fuzzy belief (intelligent design philosophy, creationism) that a god is involved, thereby allowing them to accept some science, IMO.
All of the scientists (Religious or otherwise) I have worked with have shown only a love of experimentation, of finding more questions to answer, with no hint of a Conspiracy. Perhaps the difference between those who are scientists (including me), scientifically inclined, or have a fondness for science to those who fear science and promote non-scientific "theories" are that those who fear have never known the true love and joy of science/experimentation/research and instead had horrible teachers in Middle and High Schools, and Universities (I had two horrible science teachers in High School, but fortunately overcame them).
Ok, I ramble.

Never play catch with crystallized picric acid.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 64 by nator, posted 05-02-2005 10:19 AM nator has not replied

  
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