The Conservative Cave

Current Events => General Discussion => Topic started by: SSG Snuggle Bunny on February 08, 2009, 01:10:13 PM

Title: Scientificalism
Post by: SSG Snuggle Bunny on February 08, 2009, 01:10:13 PM
It is with great distress that we have numerous examples of science manipulated to accomodate ideological supposition. To date we see:

Anthropogenic global warming
DDT
Iraqi civilian war casualties
MMR vaccines keeading to autism
Whether or not eggs, coffee and alcohol are good/bad
Second-hand cigarette smoke
Fetal-stem cell research
Cloning

This is serious for 2 3 reasons:

First, there is the obvious issue of lies and fraud.

Second, those who cannot affect their agenda through democratic channels are seeking to impose a technocracy on society.

EDIT: I woud add a third reason: it makes legitimate scientific findings suspect, slowing the time between when facts are ascertained and when they may reach practical application.


Discuss...
Title: Re: Scientificalism
Post by: MrsSmith on February 08, 2009, 01:59:49 PM
Science is a tool of knowledge.  Just like every other tool man has, mankind tends to do as much harm as possible with it.
Title: Re: Scientificalism
Post by: Baruch Menachem on February 08, 2009, 02:00:29 PM
Nothing new here, really.  People cloak stupidity with the name of science all the time.  It just seems to be getting worse as time goes on, because real science does move society forward, and fakers want to get in on the good press.


Karl Marx seems to be the first one to discover the glories of cloaking stupidity with the name of scientific.  
Title: Re: Scientificalism
Post by: Crazy Horse on February 08, 2009, 08:39:59 PM
You forgot third hand smoke Mr floppy ears
Title: Re: Scientificalism
Post by: Chris_ on February 08, 2009, 08:44:16 PM
You can add evolution to the list.
 :fuelfire:
Title: Re: Scientificalism
Post by: DumbAss Tanker on February 08, 2009, 09:18:33 PM
You forgot third hand smoke Mr floppy ears

Also the great "Aluminum containers contribute to Alzheimers" scare.  Pretty good list, though.
Title: Re: Scientificalism
Post by: Chris_ on February 08, 2009, 09:22:32 PM
You can add evolution to the list.
 :fuelfire:

As a tool to be mis-portrayed and lied about to advance agendas -- yes.  As a valid pursuit of knowledge, nope.  TToE predates the current trend of starting at the end and going backwards to create a pseudo-theory.  By about 170 years.
Title: Re: Scientificalism
Post by: Chris_ on February 09, 2009, 06:39:17 AM
As a tool to be mis-portrayed and lied about to advance agendas -- yes.  As a valid pursuit of knowledge, nope.  TToE predates the current trend of starting at the end and going backwards to create a pseudo-theory.  By about 170 years.

Like a moth to a flame.   :whatever:
Title: Re: Scientificalism
Post by: Chris_ on February 09, 2009, 07:46:08 AM
Like a moth to a flame.   :whatever:

More like a fireman to a garbage fire.
Title: Re: Scientificalism
Post by: MrsSmith on February 09, 2009, 08:14:48 PM
You can add evolution to the list.
 :fuelfire:

Yep.  Science is a tool of knowledge.  Just like every other tool man has, mankind tends to do as much harm as possible with it. 
Title: Re: Scientificalism
Post by: Chris_ on February 09, 2009, 08:50:58 PM
Yep.  Science is a tool of knowledge.  Just like every other tool man has, mankind tends to do as much harm as possible with it. 

There is a big difference between AGW and TToE.  Climatology is a very, very new fad science, assembled with tinkertoys of other, real sciences.  It is closer to "Social Science" than, say Quantum Physics, Chemistry and, of course, TToE.  What passes for a "theory" in the Climatology field would be (and has been) laughed out of the building by hard sciences as it meets none of the accepted criteria for a Scientific Theory.

But the misuse of TToE to advance an anti-scientific agenda has certainly proven just how potent politics can be when applied to scientific pursuits.  ID is the Anthropological equivalent of AGW.

Title: Re: Scientificalism
Post by: MrsSmith on February 09, 2009, 09:38:34 PM
But the misuse of TToE to advance an anti-truth agenda has certainly proven just how potent politics can be when applied to scientific pursuits.
Title: Re: Scientificalism
Post by: Chris_ on February 09, 2009, 11:45:38 PM
But the misuse of TToE to advance an anti-truth agenda has certainly proven just how potent politics can be when applied to scientific pursuits.

OK, it sounds like we are in agreement here.

We just need to wait for lug-nut to stop by to do... whatever it is he does...

;)