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the capacity for critical thought
genkaku
Northampton, Mass. U.S.A. Veteran
A hint worth taking?
6
Comments
He's good. Really well done.
This is good to keep in mind, I know I can fall victim to latching on to reporting of the hot new study.
There's also shenanigans in science publishing
Journals accepting fake papers:
http://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/2013/oct/04/open-access-journals-fake-paper
Fake pay-for-play journals:
http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/11/24/bogus_academic_journal_accepts_paper_that_reads_get_me_off_your_fucking.html
The danger, as John says, is people stop trusting science.
I think the real danger is that sound bite science has become the new reality TV whose only reality is what a successful business model it has become.
A business model that is very easy and inexpensive to produce, with little financial consequence for being wrong and yet is very popular for an ever broadening audience that just wishes to be entertained.
I do think that society at large has historically demonstrated average IQ's rising and falling in ground swells that result in cycles of dark ages followed by times of more enlightened thought. I don't know the causes for it, but it's evidence is.... largely the story of human history.
I think that we mostly crested in common intelligence some 40 years ago and now seem to be well committed toward a downward slide on the cycle.
One day, if humans survive long enough, I expect that they will probably discover some organic or cosmic influence for these cycles.
It's a serious issue that scientists need to beg for grants from rich people and organizations (that have a political agenda) in order to get funding for independent studies. There is a lot of pressure to make a flashy new finding (that suits the funders' interests).
Then we have the flip side of the coin where scientists are silenced about their findings lest they go against the grain of political and religious agenda.
I didn't realize Canada played that game until the current PM gave them voice again.