One thing that has continued to entertain me over time is watching what science is turning into in the public sphere. People are so desperate to establish a scientific basis to their opinions that the science itself gets spun in all sorts of unsavory, misguided, and contradictory directions. People pounce on the most mundane and trivial findings as incredible revelations and vindications of whatever ideology they want to support. The most unscientific things in the world become scientized in the effort to gift them with greater plausibility in the eyes of an ignorant public. Inferences are drawn when there is no inference to make, and decisive refutations are leveled with information that has no clear application either way. Authorities say the most irresponsible things for the limelight, presumaby for some fame and funding. Scientists specializing in particular fields develop worldviews interpreted through the lens of their own specialization, cutting out contributions to the big picture from all the other fields in which that scientist is not an authority. This is the effect of the holy grail of science on the public mind. The result is not so much the straightforward enlightenment that many have hoped for.
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 08:34:24 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015