The Science of Why We Don't Believe in Science

[maja]

Originally Posted by le roi

You are also doing the same thing as the OP, by claiming that liberals have no scientific background.

The truth is that human beings are riddled with 'cognitive biases.' The politics & OC forum is like a laboratory of various cognitive biases.
List of cognitive biases - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

My favorite one, and the one I think best describes the OP, is 'confirmation bias'.
Confirmation bias - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

See Post #28.

[le roi]

Originally Posted by maja

See Post #28.

NY Times shut me out of their system, but I remember that as a very good article from a few months back.

I agree with you. The fact that Mother Jones' article considered PhD's and academians to be the baseline of what constitutes the "correct" version of social science -- rather than, say, scientists from the private sector -- was a key consideration behind my statement that this article was a biased attempt at persuasion.

All they really told me is that conservatives are skeptical of traditionally liberal sources of information, regardless of the credentials.

Maybe next they should see if the majority of liberals believe in the scientific studies BP conducted in the gulf where it was concluded that "all is well" after the recent oil spill. When they inevitably show skepticism of the source (rightfully so, of course), would they be branded "Anti-science" ?

[Kracer]

Science is a methodology.

Science is at best a proclaimation of momentary truth.

Science is dynamic and requires challenge and change to exist. Classic case of abandoning/ slaying science, was the Human caused global warming crowd who proclaimed the scientific discussion is over. Monstrous RED FLAG!!!!!! Run Bambi, run!

Science and its companion statistics can be manipulated and used for partisan agendas and has a long sordid history of such use. Generally accepted scientific conclusions can be wrong. Earth the center of the universe, myasmic theory of bad odors causing disease, the government food pyramid, on an on. Blood letting has been proposed as the actual cause of death of Lincoln. Bacteria cause infection!? Well shut my mouth!

Wielding science as a political warclub while assuming a common belief among a defined group of people is a demonstration of the basics that breathe life into racism.