I felt at least some sense of commenting on one or two things.
On 6 Nov 99, at 10:36, Gavin Ritz wrote:
> Further much of our so-called scientific theory and so
> called causal science is not correct at all. Association in statistics
> does not prove that one thing caused another at all, this has been abused
> by science for so long now,
It maybe abused by poor scientists, it may be abused by the media, or it
may be abused by ignorant people, but this seems to be a bit of a straw
man. I don't know any researchers who abuse it so. If you know of people
doing that, then my guess is they just aren't competent in research and
science. So, let's not tar everything here with the brush of the worst
people.
> the fact that man and mice are 90% genetically
> the same does not mean they are the same or that mice caused man or visa
> versa, many so called causal proofs are such.
A very unique example. I've never met anyone who suggested that.
> Also many of our theories
> are abstractions of abstractions that really have no proof at all in many
> of the fields of science.
That requires some clarification I think. I'm sure you are aware that
nothing is EVER proved in science, so this is hardly that meaningful a
statement. It isn't the nature of science to prove...it is the nature of
science to continue to propagate more science, and therefore more
knowledge...but not proof. Never proof.
> So many so called proofs are becoming redundant
> within shorter and shorter periods. Just look at the new models in
> medicine, geology, engineering etc that have replaced ones that were
> gospel just a few years ago. I actually find the seats of learning in our
> societies so reductionist that it is becoming increasingly difficult to
> make sense of many of the so called theories that are now espousing the
> new truths!!!!!!
I'm sorry but if you find the sands shifting and feel that is problematic,
then you have a different grasp of science than I do. That's what is
SUPPOSED to happen. Any scientific field where that doesn't happen is dead
and useless. (but then it gets replaced in toto).
The problem is not with science so much as with the people who are looking
for gospel and grab on to science to provide something it is incapable of
providing - absolute conclusions that are never changing.
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