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Originally Posted by roachboy
same problem obtains for the category "science"---what are you talking about specifically? is there A Science in general? where is it? does it have special Science Buildings? how come no-one knows about Science Headquarters?
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Science is a process through which data are gathered and analyzed to find whether or not hypotheses are empirically verifiable. There is no headquarters, science is not a shadowy cabal of sinister men in white labcoats plot our demise. There are buildings -- every research lab and every university classroom are places for science to be conducted and to produce knowledge.
Quote:
Originally Posted by The_Dunedan
Part of the problem leading to this rejection (which is lamentable in the extreme) is that alleged "scientists" keep getting caught engaging in dishonest, misleading, or lazy behavior that has real consequences.
DDT, for example, has turned out to be mostly harmless (unless you're a mosquito). Rachel Carson and her enablers have turned out to be liars who manipulated their research in order to reach predetermined (and unsupported) conclusions regarding the toxicity of DDT and it's effects upon wildlife. The decision to ban DDT was made by an unelected bureaucrat, who did not attend a single day of the EPA hearings on the issue and over-rode EPA's own scientists, studies, and reccomendations and banned DDT with the stroke of a pen. The flunky in question later turned out to be a Carson disciple who admitted to having made up his mind before the hearings even began.
The American Spectator : DDT, Fraud, and Tragedy
The Straight Dope: Was Rachel Carson a fraud and is DDT actually safe for humans?
Hawaii Reporter: Hawaii Reporter |
So are scientists being nefarious and misleading or was this decision an example of what happens when you ignore the scientists?