This has been news here before but a whole new round of articles just came out.
We’ve been through the Matt Kaeberlein/David Sinclair spat but this is an issue that’s not going away. The biggest problem is that it continues to erode our trust in authorities. (Trust No One! - The truth is out there…but where to look?) Sometimes a fact is so hard to find that you can’t even trust yourself. Anyway…here you go:
And if you think we can just turn to Google to find the truth - Think Again!
(the article is pretty brief but definitely read at least some of the comments…excellent!)
My kids google things all the time and they believe the results without question. At some point AI will start having it’s way with the public and it will be over.
While there are issues with science, the basis of science is self correcting in principle. Yes there are examples of science becoming dogma, like the Resveratrol fiasco that just does not want to go away.
For people who are change averse there is always Dogma
Dogma on the other hand has no correction mechanism, only stubbornly blind followers.
I don’t let the media dictate who I should believe or what principles to believe. The 4th estate has a job to do but they are not always right either. They do prefer a bit more hyperbole to gain viewers.
So science is dead, untrustworthy, etc and that makes great headlines while hard working people do the hard work to use science of all kinds benefit society.
I’d like to see more media coverage of how dogma is destroying society.
From your link - " The derivation of the term arises from the traditional European concept of the three estates of the realm: the clergy, the nobility, and the commoners. The term Fourth Estate refers to the press and news media"
Well, now you can replace “the clergy” with the big multi-national corporations, The nobility is just the super rich elites and the forth estate is under the thumbs of the first 2, as are the governments. “Dogma” is just the message that the powers want to infiltrate into every pore of our existence - just like microplastics or forever chemicals. And what is that message? Simple… BUY MORE!..CONSUME MORE! (until you burst)… and if your 2 car garage starts overflowing with stuff, give it to Goodwill or sell it cheap on Craigslist…then you can BUY MORE (and newer)…short on cash? we’ll extend credit. Think this model - emulated around the world, as fast as they can get there - might impact the climate? the earth?..well don’t worry because, It’s The Economy, STUPID!
What do you think Google, FaceBook, Amazon and Apple want to do? SELL YOU STUFF! (and more than you need) They can buy off anybody that gets in the way…and I mean ANYBODY.
What’s the definition of “irresistible”…welp, you’re looking at it. I don’t know a person on earth that doesn’t want stuff…Eyes bigger than your stomach?..Don’t worry, we see it all the time…we’ll give it to the cat. (and the cat says, “gee, trickle down economics…works for me!”)
Thomas Kuhn argued that science is not only dogmatic, but that dogma serves a function in that it provides a framework for scientists to work within. Though it does make challenges to the status quo difficult, sufficient evidence does eventually result in correction and new paradigms.
I was trained as a research astrophysicist, and I agree with Kuhn’s general framework. It’s very difficult to reach consensus in science, so once a general consensus is reached, one should generally trust it until enough evidence accumulates to overthrow it in favor of something better. So, yes, I agree that science is self-correcting, but it is most definitely dogmatic.
