Saturday night rant topic.....

[mouse]

Why must I be labeled a tin foil hat wearing conspiracy theorist just because I question science? Why doesn't MIT question all these new discoveries and accomplishments that are posted 24/7? Remember at one time scientist wet they're boxers when Asbestos was invented, hell they wanted us to use it as flame resistant toothpaste. They acted as though it was a huge scientific discovery. Imagine being safe inside a fireproof building or aircraft knowing you won't die Asbestos will save you.(then kill you) My dad told me some kids at the factory used to make artificial snowmen and used it as confetti at parties. The point is anyone who doesn't question Science to me is really not helping science advance. I long for my days at MIT back in 84-86 where a group of students could relax, drink some illegal (at the time) Coors beer and debate if coffee will give us Cancer like the new scientific research reported at MIT

Why is questioning science now taboo?


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[Wild Cobra]

It's simple. You go way beyond questioning science. You go out of your way to make claims that are well proven otherwise.

[DarrinS]

Questioning CONSENSUS belief is the essence of science. CONSENSUS is NOT science. It wasn't that long ago that the CONSENSUS laughed off the theory of continental drift.

[MannyIsGod]

Questioning CONSENSUS belief is the essence of science. CONSENSUS is NOT science. It wasn't that long ago that the CONSENSUS laughed off the theory of continental drift.

:lol

No. Just no. Do you question gravity? Do you question that matter has mass? Do you walk into a hospital and question a group of doctor's consensus on what the best method to heal you is? No. Questioning consensus is not the essence of science at all. When information comes to light that shows that consensus may be wrong then it is appropriate to question such consensus but that is not the essence of science. The essence of science is to make the best determination based on all data available. Most of the time, that goes WITH consensus which is the reasons it is consensus to begin with.

[DeadlyDynasty]

Questioning science is necessary, as long as religion isn't used in your argument. Still though, it's important to have some credible alternatives to whatever it is your questioning.

[baseline bum]

You hold science to impossibly high standards, mouse. Proving something absolutely via physical evidence and observation is a logical impossibility; the only things one can really prove are mathematical, and even then there are holes because who's to say the axioms they're based on (e.g, the axiom of choice) are true? Also, your arguments that many fields of science aren't worth study is craziness. Even if you could cure cancer just by throwing enough good doctors at it, why is a physicist going to have anything close to the same level of creativity and original thought in medicine, a field he probably doesn't like as much nor have as much aptitude for? We shouldn't do scientific research as long as there's poverty in the world? What an impossible standard to meet.

[ElNono]

I don't see a problem with questioning science with more science. Isn't that what the scientific method is all about?
The problem is when you start questioning science with innuendo...

[Wild Cobra]

I don't see a problem with questioning science with more science. Isn't that what the scientific method is all about?
The problem is when you start questioning science with innuendo...
Agreed.

Mouse, you don't show any adequate theories to disagree with what we all accept. Everything the conspiracy theorists claim in the cases you bring up can be debunked far better than what they say they are debunking.

[ElNono]

Innuendo in the context of:
An innuendo is a baseless invention of thoughts or ideas. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innuendo)

Perhaps I should've used a more specific description, such as baseless claims, unverifiable claims, etc. Apologies.

[ElNono]

crofl like you're going to have any say in it :lmao

lol controlador del universo

[Oh, Gee!!]

mouse did not go to MIT. ITT maybe, but not MIT.

[Wild Cobra]

mouse did not go to MIT. ITT maybe, but not MIT.
Mississippi Institute of Technology?

[MannyIsGod]

Mississippi Institute of Technology?

TBH that school is still above going to no school. Isn't it WC?

[Winehole23]

Pissing contest, related to credentials plus institutional prestige.

Who cares?

[TE]

It's simple. You go way beyond questioning science. You go out of your way to make claims that are well proven otherwise.

It's not beyond nor is it even in the realm of questioning science when one proposes a conspiracy theory, period.

[RandomGuy]

Why must I be labeled a tin foil hat wearing conspiracy theorist just because I question science? Why doesn't MIT question all these new discoveries and accomplishments that are posted 24/7? Remember at one time scientist wet they're boxers when Asbestos was invented, hell they wanted us to use it as flame resistant toothpaste. They acted as though it was a huge scientific discovery. Imagine being safe inside a fireproof building or aircraft knowing you won't die Asbestos will save you.(then kill you) My dad told me some kids at the factory used to make artificial snowmen and used it as confetti at parties. The point is anyone who doesn't question Science to me is really not helping science advance. I long for my days at MIT back in 84-86 where a group of students could relax, drink some illegal (at the time) Coors beer and debate if coffee will give us Cancer like the new scientific research reported at MIT

Why is questioning science now taboo?


http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=126533127390327&topic=447

http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/161918_126533127390327_69207_n.jpg

There is a difference between questioning an established theory with a competing theory and then testing that in a logical, empirical way, and making up alternate stories with no supporting evidence or that are so illogical as to be untestable.



Define a question
Gather information and resources (observe)
Form an explanatory hypothesis
Perform an experiment and collect data, testing the hypothesis
Analyze the data
Interpret the data and draw conclusions that serve as a starting point for new hypothesis
Publish results
Retest (frequently done by other scientists)

Many of your beliefs defy logic, and all available evidence.

It is one thing to "question science" and quite another to believe that magic pink ponies faked all the evidence for the evolution of life on the planet.

[Wild Cobra]

TBH that school is still above going to no school. Isn't it WC?
LOL...

As far as I know, there is no Mississippi Institute of Technology. There's a Mississippi Information Technology though.