...science needs to show more integrity, more facts, and less
speculation.
As compared to what? Religion? Intuition?
In my opinion, what seems to be the problem is too much public opinion about what constitutes science and what doesnt. Most public have no clue. Kind of a thorny statement since I am included in the public. Ive worked in the public sector for decades. Most of us have. Their grasp of scientific issues is close to zero. It seems to be getting worse. Ive told numerous students at the university level that, despite their leanings, stupidity is not a virtue. Never scored well on evaluations with those students. Wonder why?
To me, what seems disingenuous is the constant reporting that there is some controversy within the scientific community where none exists. The posturing is an attempt to sway public opinion about a particular scientific issue (climate change, for instance). However, most people have no clue as to what the scientific consensus is on any given scientific topic. They dont realize that their opinion doesnt matter, that their belief system doesnt matter. All that matters (as far as science is concerned) is that you have a naturalistic theoretic construct that explains the data better than the currently accepted construct. If you dont, youd better get one if you want to be taken seriously by the scientific community. Despite appearances to the contrary, science is not public opinion.
It doesnt matter where your funding comes from if the science is done properly. The scientific methodology will out those results that dont pass muster. Thats why you hear about tainted studies. Sometimes the less-rigorous (and outright embarrassing) results slip through for a significant period of time. However, further scrutiny almost always reveals some flaw. Recall superluminal neutrinos?
I dont know what the cure is for scientific hype. Unfortunately, its here to stay.
Dave
On Apr 11, 2013, at 8:56 AM, Don J. Colton <djcolton@piol.com> wrote:
science needs to show more integrity, more facts, and less speculation
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