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Ten Common Attacks on Mainstream Science
Ten common attacks on mainstream science:
# Claim that mainstream science is akin to a religion/ideology.
#
Claim that there is an establishment (liberal/intellectual/poltitical)
censoring and/or persecuting those that "dare to dissent".
# Claim that a vocal minority making claims outside of primary literature justifies the claim that a controversy exists.
#
Deliberately equivocate on the meaning of scientific terminology (e.g.
theory, hypothesis, etc.) to persuade lay persons that mainstream
science hasn't "been proven".
# Present claims made outside the
primary literature as equal to or more credible than studies in
refereed journals, even claims made by politicians, or think tanks with
clear ideological agendas.
# Present self-contradictory alternatives
to/criticisms of the mainstream view without apparent realization or
acknowledgment of their mutually exclusive nature.
# Present
admissions to or criticisms of problematic aspects relating to the
mainstream view that have since been resolved for years, decades, etc.
as though they are still relevant/make reference to past instances of scientific failure without evidence of how the same could be occurring.
# Attack opinions and/or
statements made outside the primary literature, even claims made by
politicians, or organizations with clear ideological agendas as if this
is equal to or more credible than publishing criticisms in refereed,
respected journals.
# Attack areas of remaining study or uncertainty
that may or may not even fall under the scope of the basic premise to
give the appearance of discrediting the main tenets.
# Assume any gap or error as positive evidence for the opposing position with no illustration of it being such.
I'm
trying to come up with something that fits the mold for Creationists,
global warming deniers, 9/11 Truthers, vaccine-autism theorists,
HIV-AIDS deniers, etc.
Thoughts and criticisms are very much appreciated.







Comments (3)
William of Ockham had it---keep it simple.
Science is by design self-correcting, so the consensus is the best answer. It only gets unreliable when there isn't enough data. The vaccine thng is in the gray area for now. Much medical stuff is, since it's so complicated. (Makes climate look simple.)
Harder to deal with is that some stuff is much trickier than it seems, from the outside, like matching datsets for climate tracking. I just ask, when someone brings up something like "They didn't have the Weather Service back then", if they really think scientists are that dumb.
Economy of explanation is the whole point. Evolution is not the more complicated explanation. It is the simple one--"Life happens". ID is much harder to actually do, unless it takes so long it might as well be accidental, or the result of trial-and-error outside of the system.
Easiest answer to 9/11 conspiracies is that there are plenty of reasons to keep mum about fuckups. Its CYA, only. An actual conspiracy to do the deed is utterly impossible, given the thousands of people needed. But one can go for a simpler answer---"How could anyone depend on finding twenty willing, available, and capable suicide terrorists?"
All science is simply a search for the simple answer, that avoids intervention by divinity or other entity.
April 13, 2008 11:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
You might find this link interesting: it's called Denialists' Deck of Cards.
http://www.denialism.com/Deckofcards/deck.html
Or, here's another one: "how could anyone depend on having the entire press simultaneously fail to cover decades of secret police CIA assassinations?" I mean, it's ridiculous when you think about it! Corruption on that scale would be impossible! Now, I am going to open the Times and read all about Sibel Edmunds... what page was that on...?...? Hello...?
April 14, 2008 1:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
There is a great site that I believe illuminates the science vs. fundamentalist debate that might be of interest in your grander scheme of things.
http://theinterroblog.blogspot.com/2008/04/how-to-argue-like-right-winger.html
The list, "How to argue like a right winger", was meant to knock the wind out of any right wing argument against evolution.
What I found fascinating about this list is not only does it seem to directly mirror the current Obama/Clinton debate, but that Hillary has used each and every one of the "right wing" tactics.
It is an interesting read. Check it out.
April 14, 2008 1:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
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