THERE is no doubt that many people are susceptible to the repetition of a single message. No matter how stupid the message, if enough people say it often enough, a large percentage of those who hear it will begin to believe it. That’s the basis of … [Read more...] about How Scientific Ideas Become Fashionable (Part 1)
Philosophy
Australian Universities: A Portrait of Decline
Dear Friend, Despite that salutation, I can’t be found on Facebook nor can you follow me on Twitter, BUT you CAN read my book: Australian Universities: A Portrait of Decline which lays bare the corruption of our institutions of higher … [Read more...] about Australian Universities: A Portrait of Decline
The Age of Apocalypse?
“When questioned, Jesus of Nazareth had this to say on the subject of the end of the world: 'But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.' (Mark 13:32) We don’t seem to have … [Read more...] about The Age of Apocalypse?
Pseudoscience as a Consequence of Confirmation Bias: Matt Ridley
Matt Ridley began a recent lecture to the national academy of sciences in Scotland by suggesting it was easy to distinguish science from pseudoscience. He explained that: Astronomy is science; astrology is pseudoscience. Molecular biology is … [Read more...] about Pseudoscience as a Consequence of Confirmation Bias: Matt Ridley
Cardinal Attacks Primitive Climate Change Religion
IF the saying ‘it takes one to know one’ has any truth then the extraordinary attack by Cardinal George Pell on the science of anthropogenic global warming in a recent lecture given in Westminster Cathedral Hall, London, has special significance. … [Read more...] about Cardinal Attacks Primitive Climate Change Religion
Let’s Agree to Disagree for the Sake of Science: Daniel Sarewitz
"THE very idea that science best expresses its authority through consensus statements is at odds with a vibrant scientific enterprise. Consensus is for textbooks; real science depends for its progress on continual challenges to the current state of … [Read more...] about Let’s Agree to Disagree for the Sake of Science: Daniel Sarewitz