Food & Drink2 mins ago
Blinkered Scientists
Scientists are often described as 'blinkered' on AB by people who have theories that cannot be justified or accommodated by mainstream science. It seems ironic that the 'unblinkered' have contributed next to nothing to the fund of human knowledge yet can be so dismissive of scientists and science. Or are my blinkers wrongly fitted?
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Naomi, I am unable to apportion accusations of blinkeredness to any specific philosophical categories of mankind as I have insufficient data (none actually). If posters to this thread would like to categorize themselves and declare their views re. blinkers then perhaps some-one with more spare time than sense would find the information useful. personally I don't give a monkey's :-)
It might just be, in fairness, personal experience over-riding all other considerations. Most people trust themselves over other people so that if you had some experience and someone says oh no that's impossible, I imagine no amount of saying that in the world can override the "but it happened to me" response. Whether or not the experience in question was possible.
Typical examples include "my uncle smoked like a chimney and never caught cancer therefore smoking isn't dangerous", etc.
Typical examples include "my uncle smoked like a chimney and never caught cancer therefore smoking isn't dangerous", etc.
I simply ask why no one has picked of James Randi's $1m.
http://
now if you really belived that you had any of the special "powers" or that homeopathy, etc works then that would be an easy $1m bucks would it not?
I'll carry on being "blinkered"
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now if you really belived that you had any of the special "powers" or that homeopathy, etc works then that would be an easy $1m bucks would it not?
I'll carry on being "blinkered"
jim, a lot of that is caused by the unfortunately named ideomotor effect, as in water devining for example. I have a friend who can reliably find known water with welding rods! and as such is 100% convinced that he/deviners have special powers! Funny that he won't do a scientific test though and just sneers. I said we could split the million!
jim
\\\\Typical examples include "my uncle smoked like a chimney and never caught cancer therefore smoking isn't dangerous", etc. \\\\
Wow!.....scientists say that smoking CAUSES cancer.
Now, let's re write your example.
"my uncle smoked like a chimney and never caught cancer , therefore smoking doesn't cause cancer"
Would you accept that revised quotation?
\\\\Typical examples include "my uncle smoked like a chimney and never caught cancer therefore smoking isn't dangerous", etc. \\\\
Wow!.....scientists say that smoking CAUSES cancer.
Now, let's re write your example.
"my uncle smoked like a chimney and never caught cancer , therefore smoking doesn't cause cancer"
Would you accept that revised quotation?
Smoking increases the likelihood for people to catch lung, mouth, throat cancer. Quite significantly, usually? And not just cancers either, but also other lung diseases.
It's nevertheless true that a lot of people go for the "it'll never happen to me" approach for certain diseases or dangerous activities.
It's nevertheless true that a lot of people go for the "it'll never happen to me" approach for certain diseases or dangerous activities.
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