I like Carl Sagan’s position re infallibility of science: ‘In science it often happens that scientists say, “You know that’s a really good argument; my position is mistaken,” and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn’t happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion.’
True Gelfling but the scientist who’s theory is being questioned is almost always the last to be turned. Sometimes they cling to it until they are pretty must peer pressured into submitting. Remember, this is career making/braking stuff.
lazyflakes, that sounds a LOT like the global-warming stuff that’s been pushed down everybody’s throat for the past ten years (following fairly close on the heels of more than a decade of global cooling/new-ice-age warnings).
As I mentioned a few comics back. The idea that the scientific method brings us closer to the truth is a very well supported theory. But a theory none the less.
November 24th, 2009 at 4:23 am
I like Carl Sagan’s position re infallibility of science: ‘In science it often happens that scientists say, “You know that’s a really good argument; my position is mistaken,” and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn’t happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion.’
November 24th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
True Gelfling but the scientist who’s theory is being questioned is almost always the last to be turned. Sometimes they cling to it until they are pretty must peer pressured into submitting. Remember, this is career making/braking stuff.
March 11th, 2010 at 11:03 am
lazyflakes, that sounds a LOT like the global-warming stuff that’s been pushed down everybody’s throat for the past ten years (following fairly close on the heels of more than a decade of global cooling/new-ice-age warnings).
December 17th, 2010 at 9:22 am
As I mentioned a few comics back. The idea that the scientific method brings us closer to the truth is a very well supported theory. But a theory none the less.