A friend of mine from work posted this link on Facebook yesterday. Here is my response: For the record, I do not (actually cannot) believe human beings are the product of random chance (something has always existed – either God or the Universe); and I am not comfortable with the current global warming models (too many variables, too much bias, and no way to conduct definitive control experiments). I am not familiar enough with the vaccination debate to have a strong opinion one way or another, but I do think this might be a legitimate case of "scientific denial". Other than a successful campaign to promote nuclear energy, the author mentions no other specific examples of “scientific denial”. So it appears this article is a direct challenge to those who have a hard time swallowing extrapolative theories designed to compete with the idea of a creator God, and those who believe that science is subject to personal bias (how can I keep the grant money flowing) and political bias (how can I force a culture to accept painful change). I accept that challenge, but I am more concerned with theories of origin than theories of demise. So let’s keep any discussion that might arise here focused on evolution versus creation. I am bored to tears with the “climate change” debate. It is ironic that the author mentions Carl Sagan in his wistful worship of "scientific tradition". Here is what a very close friend of his (fellow agnostic/atheist, fellow evolutionary scientist, and extraordinarily accomplished scientist) had to say about "scientific tradition": "New ideas in science are not right just because they are new. Nor are old ideas wrong just because they are old. A critical attitude is clearly required of every seeker of truth. But one must be equally critical of both the old ideas as of the new. Whenever the established ideas are accepted uncritically and conflicting new evidence is brushed aside or not even reported because it does not fit, that particular science is in deep trouble." ~ Thomas Gold. The Deep Hot Biosphere: The Myth of Fossil Fuels (Kindle Locations 545-551). Kindle Edition. nytimes/2013/08/22/opinion/welcome-to-the-age-of-denial.html?_r=0
Posted on: Sat, 24 Aug 2013 12:53:31 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015