Climate change: the damage to science (Introduction)

by dhw, Sunday, July 26, 2015, 11:56 (3410 days ago) @ David Turell

DAVID: Here is another take on Ridley's article on how climate science has damaged science in general:-http://www.uncommondescent.com/intelligent-design/here-is-matt-ridleys-must-read-articl...-"Ridley's article is a must read for anyone who is true to science. But for all of its import, it is only the beginning. Ridley is obviously a discerning man but there has been another misadventure and abuse of science that dwarfs climate science. Virtually everything he points out in this excellent piece could be restated, but to even greater extremes, regarding evolution science.
"Ridley was once an AGW proponent who now has pulled himself out of its mire. He has stepped back and now the landscape has become all too clear. It is not that there is no warming, or that carbon dioxide has no effects. That's hardly the point. The problem is in the misrepresentations of the science, the control of the funding, the publication control and blackballing, the demonization, the false dichotomies, the political intrusions, the dangerous impact on public policy, and so forth. This is not science, it a hijacking of science for nonscientific purposes.
"Ridley sees all of this. He sees how it really is, and he doesn't like what he sees. What Ridley does not yet see is that evolution science is all of this, but on a grander scale. Ridley has opened a door, but he is focusing on the first step. It is a most dangerous door, for behind it are all manner of truths people prefer to avoid."-David: Hear,hear!-A powerful article. Of course exactly the same accusations can be levelled at religion: “the control of the funding, the publication control and blackballing, the demonization, the false dichotomies, the political intrusions, the dangerous impact on public policy, and so forth”. It can probably be levelled at most of our institutions, since they are all run by humans who are subject to the weaknesses of human nature! We should, however, be careful not to assume that the polemic applies to all science and all scientists (and all religious people and institutions). You yourself believe in common descent, which is the basis of the evolutionary theory. -One more quote struck home: -“Scientists are just as prone as anybody else to “confirmation bias”, the tendency we all have to seek evidence that supports our favoured hypothesis and dismiss evidence that contradicts it—as if we were counsel for the defence.”-Exactly the point I was making to you about preconceptions. (So have some respect for my intelligent bacteria!)