The limitations of science (The limitations of science)

by dhw, Wednesday, June 23, 2010, 12:48 (5266 days ago)

A letter to The Guardian a couple of weeks ago from a Dr Tariq Ali, who I assume is a medical doctor and not the activist writer and historian:-"You highlight a problem with scientific advice given by scientists with potential conflicts of interest (Report condemns swine flu experts' ties to big pharma, 4 June). Unfortunately, this is only the tip of an iceberg and reflects only one aspect of the problem with blind acceptance of scientific advice. Scientists are human beings and are driven by the same selfish desires as the rest of us. The altruistic scientist, driven only by "the search for truth", is a media fabrication. Fame and influence inflate egos. Hubris, arrogance and a woeful lack of self-awareness is common, in both scientific and medical communities.-In my experience many scientists cannot see beyond their limited horizons and only the most remarkable individuals are able to see the big picture. Wide-ranging controversies ... such as the MMR scare, withholding of climate change data and the recent overreaction to the swine flu pandemic ... show how powerful scientific evidence can be. This is neither intended to negate scientists nor scientific endeavour, but merely remind us that scientific advice must be tempered by a strong dose of common sense before public policy is altered."-To this very pertinent concluding remark, I'd just like to add that scientific speculation concerning origins, consciousness and the existence of God should also be tempered by a strong dose of common sense before dogmatic conclusions are drawn.