Re: [Phys-l] About the "why" and "how" questions.

[William Robertson <wrobert9@ix.netcom.com>]

I've already provided one glaring example, which is Hawking stating  
(in so many words) the we (scientists) are on the verge of knowing  
what God intended. When scientists claim that they can falsify ID.  
When claims of fact are made based on computer modeling of the  
climate, as if the computer models are absolutely infallible. It is  
not common for the scientific community to overstate their position in  
the normal operation of science, but then most of the science we do  
day to day is not of major consequence to society. If scientists were  
as careful and cautious in their statements and predictions with the  
general public as they are within the scientific community, there  
wouldn't be a problem.

When was the last time you heard a major proponent of AGW (Hansen at  
NASA, for example) include in his statements the fact that all of our  
predictions at this point are based on computer models? A while back I  
provided a link where a NASA spokesman did just that. It was  
refreshing, and it didn't take away from the overall message or imply  
that the climatologists didn't know what they were doing.

Bill


On Dec 22, 2010, at 12:40 PM, John Mallinckrodt wrote:

> William Robertson wrote:
>
> > If scientists overstate what science can do, is it any wonder that  
> > this creates mistrust of those delivering the message?
>
> I think it is undeniable that, IF scientists overstate what science  
> can do, it WOULD create mistrust.  But the present tense  
> construction of the second phrase of your sentence promotes the  
> hypothetical proposition of the first phrase to the status of fact.
>
> I have no doubt that examples exist of "scientists overstating what  
> science can do," but I don't think it is at all representative of  
> what scientists do or even common and I *especially* don't think  
> that it is common for the scientific community to do so.  It seems  
> to me that, if anything, the scientific community almost always errs  
> on the side of caution.
>
> So, I'd be interested in having you provide a specific example or  
> two of what you have in mind.
>
> John Mallinckrodt
> Cal Poly Pomona
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