tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6851578517872251953.post4105228408710061558..comments2023-10-10T05:07:13.577-07:00Comments on En Tequila Es Verdad: Progress Report: Shoot Me NowDana Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00890312745525306991noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6851578517872251953.post-50242676154601490822008-11-23T11:40:00.000-08:002008-11-23T11:40:00.000-08:00Michael Shermer's The Borderlands Of Science: Wher...Michael Shermer's <A HREF="http://www.powells.com/biblio/16-9780195143263-0" REL="nofollow"><I>The Borderlands Of Science: Where Sense Meets Nonsense</I></A> is a terrific guide to the difference between science and psuedoscience. Might be the wrong time to suggest it as reading material, but it's a terrific introduction to the subject of what science is and what it isn't, with examples.Cujo359https://www.blogger.com/profile/10385213658828021737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6851578517872251953.post-73313218351179010462008-11-23T09:55:00.000-08:002008-11-23T09:55:00.000-08:00Keep writing! We'll get it!I've been a little cra...Keep writing! We'll get it!<BR/><BR/>I've been a little crazy busy this week, so I'm still stuck at about 20,000 words. Ugh.<BR/><BR/>Wanna finish mine, too?Nicolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12268407996242055175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6851578517872251953.post-33688998155869601972008-11-23T09:15:00.000-08:002008-11-23T09:15:00.000-08:00P.S. Some thoughts which might help inspire more v...<I>P.S. Some thoughts which might help inspire more verbiage on the topic at hand:</I><BR/><BR/>Science is just a bunch of techniques we've worked out, over the millennia, for <I>overcoming bias</I>.<BR/><BR/>Our brains have all kinds of tendencies to <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cognitive_biases" REL="nofollow">prefer certain kinds of explanations</A> -- here are just a few of particular relevance:<BR/>* thinking that there's someone or something behind a phenomenon (this is called "agency", "intention", "purpose", or "design")<BR/>* explanations which fit what we already believe ("confirmation bias"), along with the tendency to dismiss any evidence which does <I>not</I> fit what we already believe ("denial")<BR/>* explanations that other people agree with (the "bandwagon effect" or "herd/mob psychology")<BR/>* explanations that are simple and easy to understand, rather than explanations which are more complicated but more accurate (call this the "simplicity bias")<BR/>* explanations that come from a trusted source, rather than from an unknown source<BR/><BR/>Science is a set of techniques whereby we "take ourselves out of the circuit" and let the facts speak for themselves without our interference. It is primarily a <B>tool</B> we use to find the truth when our biases get in the way.<BR/><BR/>Actually, that's not the whole story. The word "<A HREF="http://issuepedia.org/Science" REL="nofollow">science</A>" is commonly used to refer to four slightly different things:<BR/><BR/>* <B>The scientific method</B>, which is what I've been describing<BR/>* <B>Scientific knowledge</B> is the collection of facts acquired (slowly and painstakingly, and constantly subject to questioning, verification, and refinement) by use of the scientific method.<BR/>* <B>The scientific community</B> is the collection of all those engaged in scientific activity. The "scientific establishment" refers to the most highly-respected of this community; the vast majority of these individuals have earned that respect by their keen insight and valuable discoveries, not by arbitrary anointment from some central authority.<BR/>* <B>Technology</B> is increasingly (but not always!) the result of scientific discovery.<BR/><BR/>Anyone who tries to tell you that science is "evil" or "immoral" either doesn't understand any of this, or is lying to you. Science (def. 1) is a <B>tool</B> for discovering truth; sometimes the truth is unpleasant, but again science (def. 2 and 4) can help us prevent the worst consequences of that truth -- and science (def. 3) will often go vastly beyond the call of duty to warn us of dangers we may not have noticed.<BR/><BR/>Nothing else does this. Ignoring science lets you continue to believe things that are wrong, take the wrong actions in order to deal with the problems you do know about, and remain blissfully unaware of the problems you don't know about until they clobber you.<BR/><BR/><I>Hope this is helpful. (Anyone want to take bets on how long it takes before we hear some raving religionist essentially repeating that last paragraph but substituting "God" for "science"?)</I>Woozlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17948248776908775080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6851578517872251953.post-62125481847844622362008-11-23T07:34:00.000-08:002008-11-23T07:34:00.000-08:00I'm in awe, Dana. Keep ploughing! Laissez les bon ...I'm in awe, Dana. Keep ploughing! <I>Laissez les bon mots roulle!</I>Woozlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17948248776908775080noreply@blogger.com