Watts Up With That posts a guest column suggesting that the "pause in global warming" risks destroying the reputation of science. I disagree. What destroyed the reputation of a lot of scientists, and the confidence of thinking people in a particular arm of the scientific community, was the subversion of their scientific professionalism and honesty to wishful thinking and political expediency. The "pause in warming" was simply the evidence that exposed them.
I think that there is a large distinction between the reputation of science and the reputation of scientists. I think we as people have an unfortunate tendency to put things that are in the same category as being the same thing when it comes to reputation.
ReplyDeletePersonally I love science, but I am wary of scientists. It isn't anything new that (many) scientists hedge their results in order to please the ones paying them or giving them resources. It is true in science as well as history and just about every field of life. A few will stick to the facts/truth and usually suffer consequences, but most will try to please the people in power or with influence.
I love science, and I love scientists. I'm just wary -- based on very good historical evidence -- when scientists declare a consensus, and insist that niggling doubts need to be dismissed. The history of science suggests that those niggling doubts are where the next breakthrough is hiding.
ReplyDeleteWhich means, of course, that just because the skeptics were right doesn't mean that there isn't some looming disaster. It just means that we didn't quite understand what it was, or how to fix it. We should be redoubling our efforts to understand in light of the fact that the 'consensus' has fallen to the niggling doubts.
There's also the issue of money, which the piece you linked talked about. There's a similar issue in drug science.
ReplyDeleteCome on, now, have a care. The climate pseudo-scientists should be commended for identifying, developing, and then executing a brand new Progressive money making machine: pseudoclimate simulated science.
ReplyDeleteThey've been raking in the dough.
Eric Hines
Better step back in line before the NSA, IRS and everyone else starts targeting you!
ReplyDeleteBring it. It'll be fun.
ReplyDeleteEric Hines