Comments on: Why You Should Be A Skeptic

By: Even More Reason to Be a Skeptic « The Emergent Fool

Even More Reason to Be a Skeptic « The Emergent Fool — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:17:59 +0000

[...] the “consensus” about catastrophic anthropogenic global warming (AGW). You’ll recall that the disclosure of internal emails undermined confidence in both the surface temperature record [...]

By: leslie speakers

leslie speakers — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 01:59:06 +0000

As far as climate change issues go, I haven’t read enough to really have a concrete opinion, but, I will say, erring on the side of caution seems better than not.

That’s not siding with any one side; rather, I’m looking at it the same way I look at money: the more you save, the more you have.

By: Rafe Furst

Rafe Furst — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 04:32:26 +0000

[to paraphrase myself:] In look at the history of religions, it becomes clear that all religions are created to redress human suffering in whatever forms are ubiquitous during the founding. They are spread at a rate directly proportional to the simplicity of the message (and to the perceived suffering). There’s no question science is a religion by this definition.

What can make it a good religion is different from how it is actually practiced, much of the time. Thankfully there are scientists who are not deterred by the psycho-social pressures of the scientific enterprise:

http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/27/a-climate-scientist-on-climate-skeptics/

What’s needed, in my mind, is more meta-science that addresses the scientific method and the non-scientific influences surrounding science. I will be posting a lot more on this in the future…

By: Ed O

Ed O — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:56:04 +0000

I can understand why, if an individual really believes that we are going to be seeing the end of civilization, why he would be willing to cut a few corners to get the word out (see: missionaries of all types throughout history) …

But any time a scientific theory becomes a matter of religious faith, I don’t see how the theory can be properly challenged (or even proven, if it is not allowed to be disproved).

Of course, what if the scientific method becomes a matter of faith? Are we running into the same problem at a higher level?

By: Alex Golubev

Alex Golubev — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:48:22 +0000

Great stuff. Transparency is a b1tch! Respect for technology is a requirement. 60 minutes was just talking about Chinese hackers robbing banks and breaking into the pentagon computers and sitting there for days. Seems like even our government will eventually make an effort to reduce transparency on the web, probably using a glorified 9/11 type hacker attack to sway the public.

Watergate via Facebook anyone? Over under at 2 years, just in time for the next election. :)