Great comments Tom! Far to many people on all political sides don’t think through the consequences of pursuing there beliefs to the Nth degree.

In a grad course on the sociology of science I remember reading many peer reviewed articles which clearly established that continents don’t drift.

In a graduate seminar on the sociology of science and technology I walked in late as 7 of the 8 other members were sitting around a table debating the meaning of the brief peer reviewed journal article the professor just handed out. I skimmed it quickly. I then read it a little more closely because I didn‘t understand it despite actually have a fairly good vocabulary. Then I reread it trying to figure out what the hell it really said all the while the debate had erupted into a full blown argument.

When I finally got a chance to talk I said something like “This thing is a joke, it reads like ‘Jabberwocky.’” Well nothing like a common enemy to unite people. They jumped all over me. Then Bruce, the class hippy, chimed in and said “Dean right this is a load of crap.” He and I spent the next 10 minutes or so defending our heretical statements against an onslaught from the previously warring factions, until the professor handed out a follow up article by the same author in which he explains the original article was completely devoid of any meaning and that he only wrote it to prove he could get anything published in a peer reviewed journal if he wanted.

The idea of the “dispassionate scientist” sifting through “facts” to discover some “truths” about the world is a complete myth. While I believe “science” does quite well dealing with many things the minute power and influence come into play “scientists” tend to fall pray to human nature no differently than the high priests of a religion or the leaders of political parties. Human nature being what it may is seldom stifled by the trappings of a profession. So once the issue becomes a media darling and power/politics become involved IMO the good “science” goes out the window.

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