Posts Tagged science
Public Opinion On Science: Who To Trust And When?
Posted by Chris in Climate Change, Pseudoscience, science, Skepticism, vaccination on November 11, 2009
MSS-member and recent émigré to Canada Chris Hassall takes a look at how public perception of science is distorted, and the role of skepticism in combating the distortion.
People go about their daily lives making decisions on the basis of beliefs about the way the world works. Their epistemological framework is a complex architecture of foundations and interconnecting supports on which rest concepts held to be “true”. While some beliefs may have little consequence for the person holding that belief, others have the potential to seriously impact the lives of both the believer and, through the actions that those beliefs precipitate, the rest of mankind. When we come to examine issues of such magnitude, we see a difference between the beliefs held by the general public and those which are held by the majority of experts in the respective fields. To understand why this is the case, it is informative to consider two claims that have been made in recent years and the variation in the reception that each has received from the public. Read the rest of this entry »
Skeptics with a K – Episode #008
Posted by Mike in Podcast, Skeptics with a K on November 7, 2009
Seances and twitter, Mr T ‘s graduation, syndicated culture and lunacy. All this plus the homeopaths guide to physics, drugs classification and the result of our T-Shirt Competition in the latest edition of Skeptics with a K.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
The Daily Mail Versus Science: Arrogant Gods of Certainty (Versus Scientists)
Posted by Chris in Media, science, Skepticism on November 5, 2009
MSS-member and recent émigré to Canada Dr. Chris Hassall wades in on the David Nutt affair and the horrific anti-science rhetoric of the Daily Mail.
Usually when the Daily Mail says something stupid I read about via friends. It can be anything from a mangling of a political issue to bigotry, hypocrisy or racism. In this case they have attacked scientists as a group. And they can fuck right off.
The row between the Government and its scientific advisers blazes on like an out-of-control forest fire. It began with that difficult customer Professor David Nutt, who was chairman of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. He told the Home Office that alcohol and tobacco were more dangerous than the banned substance cannabis, and horse-riding was more of a risk to your health than ecstasy.
…and backed what he said up with facts…
But he was not content simply to give advice, of course. What he appeared to want to do was to dictate to the Government, and when it refused to acknowledge his infallibility, Professor Nutt started to break ranks and to denounce the country’s law on drugs.
Right, here we get into the anti-intellectualism. Read the rest of this entry »
Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm Runs Aground
Posted by Marsh in Creationism, Evolution, Media, Pseudoscience on September 7, 2009
So, it emerged last week that a zoo in North Somerset has been criticised for promoting a creationist agenda. The Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm – and the name alone should be setting off alarm bells and red flags in any skeptical listener – claims to represent the natural world as a product of both God and evolution, causing the British Humanist Association to appeal to local tourist boards to cease advertising the attraction.
The BHA have roundly criticised the zoo for undermining the teaching of science – which is a pretty tough charge for the zoo to deny, given that signs around the zoo state that animals hunt and kill food because “man rebelled against God”, and that the “three great people groups” in the world could be descended from the three sons of Bible ark builder Noah. The bit about three great people groups is especially nice – I can only assume this refers to an absurdly simplistic and offensive generalisation of the whole worldwide gamut of racial diversity. If we’re filling our kids’ heads with nonsense, it’s efficient to try and pack multiple nonsenses into the same punch, I guess. Read the rest of this entry »
‘Boasters, Maids And Cockroaches’ – Conversations With A Believer
Posted by Marsh in Media, Skepticism on July 27, 2009
As many of you good, fine, upstanding and downright skeptical people will know, I like to hear from you. I love getting your feedback, your comments, and your general thoughts – from the thought-provoking and informative, all the way through to the outright bizarre (yes Colonel Molerat, I do mean you).
Perhaps just as many of you may also know, I’m somewhat prone to receiving other comments, too. I’ve been – in my short but somewhat-surreal skeptical career - labelled a paedophile, a fascist akin to the BNP*, accused of making myself look foolish and of having nothing more meaningful than my scouse wit – and that’s just what I can recall off the top of my head. Fortunately, I kinda love it.
But I must admit, even my usually-calm blood was somewhat boiled by an exchange I recently had/am having on Facebook, in response to one of my regular (and actually rather innocuous) updates. The feedbacker had, as far as I can see, taken offence to the question of the week that arose during the last Skeptics in the Pub (that’s right, I’m blaming you guys for this one!) – What would you sell your soul for? Feel free to answer that if you haven’t already, by the way…
The nature of her feedback was somewhat remarkable to me – partly in the vehemence in the attack of British skeptics in general, and of me in particular. But the other thing that struck me was the lack of direction – I can only assume from the tone and the aggression that she is a true believer, but curiously I have no clue what in!
Question of the Week: What Have You Changed Your Mind About?
Posted by Marsh in Question of the Week, Skepticism on July 8, 2009
Skeptics are dogmatic. Skepticism and science are just alternative belief systems, no different to pseudoscience. Skeptics need to be more open-minded, but instead they steadfastly doubt and debunk and generally sit on their big skeptical pedestals, dispensing their faulty wisdom blindly and without question. Skeptics never change their minds.
I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve heard those arguments, and I’m pretty sure they’ll sound familiar to you too. But of course, it’s sheer nonsense – skepticism and science are, by their very nature, ways of questioning. No true skeptic ever holds to a position in face of convincing evidence – instead once the weight of genuine evidence builds up, the skeptic adjusts their own personal stance.
So, with this in mind, I give you the question of the week:
What have you changed your mind on? Where has evidence and logic caused you to re-assess your position on a topic, and join the other team?
Personally, I could think of a few – off the top of my head I’d say Climate Change and Christianity, and only the C’s…
Upcoming Events
