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Scientific Skeptics Have a Right to be Heard
ICECAP - The Blogosphere ^ | December 27, 2007 | Clyde E. Stauffer

Posted on 12/27/2007 2:32:59 PM PST by CedarDave

In the 16th century a large, powerful institution saw itself as threatened by heretics - people who didn’t agree with all its dogmas - so it began to identify and punish those dissidents. Five hundred years later a similar effort is under way. In the 16th century it was the Roman Catholic church; today it is Big Science. The only real difference is that today heretics are simply deprived of their livelihood; burning at the stake is no longer in vogue.

Exhibit One in this contention is found on Page A2 of the Dec. 14 Enquirer: “Global-warning skeptic says he’s being vilified.” This is from an economist, but scientists who express similar doubts about the fashionable view (global warming is due to generation of CO2 by humans) are similarly marginalized.

Exhibit Two is the denial of tenure to Guillermo Gonzalez by the astronomy department of Iowa State University, despite a stellar record of scientific publications. His crime? He co-authored a book ("The Privileged Planet") that suggested that the unusually benign (for life) situation of the Earth might have been due to an intelligent designer.

As a doctoral student I was taught that good science sought reliable facts about the world around us, and hypotheses followed wherever those facts lead. Sadly, that no longer seems to be the case. Instead, selected facts have led to politicized conclusions, and countervailing facts are no longer tolerated. This is not good science.

~~snip~~

To end this Inquisition, scientists dedicated to good science must defend the right of skeptics to be heard.

(Excerpt) Read more at icecap.us ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: academia; globalwarming; intelligentdesign; tenure; witchhunt
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Author credentials:

Clyde E. Stauffer earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry at the University of Minnesota, has done research at Procter & Gamble, and has been involved in more applied science for the last 30 years.

1 posted on 12/27/2007 2:33:03 PM PST by CedarDave
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To: xcamel

PING!

Another established scientist speaking out. As mentioned in other articles, its the senior scientists who are speaking up regarding the global warming scam, those who already have established reputations, have tenure or are nearing retirement. The younger ones, though they may agree with naysayers, speak their doubts only to colleagues, avoid publishing their opinions and speaking out in meetings, except as questions to presenters.

The intimidation is real and as the author says threatens livelihoods and does not contribute to the advancement of true science, characterized by presenting a hypothesis and testing it for validity. Science and all mankind is the loser as a result.


2 posted on 12/27/2007 2:44:55 PM PST by CedarDave
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To: CedarDave; OKSooner; honolulugal; Killing Time; Beowulf; Mr. Peabody; RW_Whacko; gruffwolf; ...

FReepmail me to get on or off


Click on POGW graphic for full GW rundown

New!!: Dr. John Ray's
GREENIE WATCH

Ping me if you find one I've missed.


Good find..
3 posted on 12/27/2007 2:50:33 PM PST by xcamel (FDT/2008)
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To: CedarDave

Being heard is not identical to being hired.

As for being published... that costs money. Who pays?


4 posted on 12/27/2007 3:01:46 PM PST by From many - one.
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To: CedarDave
scientists dedicated to good science must defend the right of skeptics to be heard

This is Humean nonsense.

5 posted on 12/27/2007 3:05:12 PM PST by RightWhale (Dean Koonz is good, but my favorite authors are Dun and Bradstreet)
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To: CedarDave

Hey I followed the link, but can not find the part of the article that was “snipped” out.


6 posted on 12/27/2007 3:13:11 PM PST by AndyTheBear (Disastrous social experimentation is the opiate of elitist snobs.)
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To: CedarDave

In the 16th century, the Church was going on what THEY knew at the time, without internet access, television, and widespread publications, amounting to pure ignorance on their part. With what we know today, and the info we have access to that disputes pinko junk science, we are witnessing a true inquisition.


7 posted on 12/27/2007 3:18:57 PM PST by roamincadillac (Beware Heebee Al-Faqtap)
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To: CedarDave

That’s my biggest gripe with Big Science. Rather than keep an open mind, they pull stuff like this.

Look what they did to astronomers, et al who agreed with some of Velokivsky’s theories.


8 posted on 12/27/2007 3:22:04 PM PST by Oatka (A society of sheep must in time beget a government of wolves." –Bertrand de Jouvenel)
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To: AndyTheBear

There is a second link in the story itself.


9 posted on 12/27/2007 3:32:52 PM PST by CedarDave
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To: From many - one.
Being heard is not identical to being hired.
No, but if you are not heard, you are unlikely to be hired.

As for being published... that costs money. Who pays?
Prestigious scientific journals are usually peer-reviewed and the makeup/orientation of the reviewers determines who gets published. Usually you don't pay to get published, but if you want reprints to handout to colleagues, then you put out the cash.

Read this link to see how a prestigious journal can be corrupted by its selection of a biased editor: $cience Mag Jumps on Global Moneywagon

10 posted on 12/27/2007 3:54:04 PM PST by CedarDave
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To: CedarDave

You really did not respond to either point.

According to your source Gonzalez has a “stellar” (humor intended?) publication record. So, he was heard. Just not hired.

And, “Who pays” is not answered by pointing out aspects of the peer review structure. It is properly answered by identifying who buys, or otherwise subsidizes, the journal (not the reprints).


11 posted on 12/27/2007 4:02:24 PM PST by From many - one.
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To: CedarDave

This is great news! Hopefully more and more scientists will start crawling out of the woodwork and doing the same. Bravo Dr. Stauffer!


12 posted on 12/27/2007 4:03:35 PM PST by GodGunsGuts
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To: CedarDave

When I was a kid, after much to do, they banned cyclamates in soft drinks because they were determined by scientific experiments to be the most carcigenic substance known to man. Now they say cyclamates don’t even cause cancer.


13 posted on 12/27/2007 4:09:03 PM PST by Brilliant
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To: CedarDave
Exhibit Two is the denial of tenure to Guillermo Gonzalez by the astronomy department of Iowa State University, despite a stellar record of scientific publications. His crime? He co-authored a book ("The Privileged Planet") that suggested that the unusually benign (for life) situation of the Earth might have been due to an intelligent designer.

Imagine that, that any thinking person could look at the universe in all it's beauty, order, and complexity and come to the conclusion that it was created instead of just happening.

Dontcha know that it makes more sense to declare that everything appeared out of nowhere, all on its own, exploded itself, organized itself, established its own laws, and gave rise to complex, intelligent life, all just by chance? Really, to think that someone could have designed and created it. How silly....

14 posted on 12/27/2007 4:17:19 PM PST by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: Brilliant

I’d like to see the list of things that science hasn’t changed its mind about at some time or other. It shouldn’t be a long read.


15 posted on 12/27/2007 4:18:32 PM PST by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: metmom
any thinking person could look at the universe in all it's beauty, order, and complexity and come to the conclusion that it was created instead of just happening.

Beauty, order, and complexity are subjective. We create those things. As to whether 'it' was created we can never know but we also cannot prove it wasn't either. Some things are beyond the power of reason.

16 posted on 12/27/2007 4:21:37 PM PST by RightWhale (Dean Koonz is good, but my favorite authors are Dun and Bradstreet)
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To: From many - one.
According to your source Gonzalez has a “stellar” (humor intended?) publication record. So, he was heard. Just not hired.
Yes, it seems Gonzalez' views were not politically correct. It this case, it appears he was punished, if that's what happened, for publishing his own controversial opinions in matters peripheral to his field of study. So "being heard" can be a two-edged sword.

And, “Who pays” is not answered by pointing out aspects of the peer review structure. It is properly answered by identifying who buys, or otherwise subsidizes, the journal (not the reprints).
I assume you know that most scientific journals have a hefty subscription fee, reduced by only a few dollars by membership in the associated scientific society. Additional funds are raised by scientific conferences held once a year or every two years that require a registration fee for professionals attending and a similar fee for conference exhibitors. Sometimes a conference will have multiple sponsors so as to attract a maximum number of registrants and split the costs accordingly. And I have both published and presented papers in my professional career, beginning in college, though I am not now associated with a university or research institution.

17 posted on 12/27/2007 4:26:17 PM PST by CedarDave
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To: CedarDave

The subscription fees for top scientific journals are way beyond my means anymore. Fortunately a university with apparently unlimited library funding is just three miles up the road.


18 posted on 12/27/2007 4:29:51 PM PST by RightWhale (Dean Koonz is good, but my favorite authors are Dun and Bradstreet)
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To: CedarDave

Being heard and being given equal respect are two different things. Good science always drives bad science out in the long run, and just because it’s a new theory or explanation does not mean it’s good science.

Sometimes it is.

But every new explanation or theory should be attacked relentlessly. If it stands up, it moves into the good science category.


19 posted on 12/27/2007 4:35:25 PM PST by Dog Gone
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To: CedarDave

Maybe they did’t like how he parted his hair.

You are aware, are you not, that there is no obligation to hire any specific individual?

As for publishing, as you have just pointed out, subscriptions cost an arm and a leg. Do you think the libraries and universities would pay as much for non-peer reviewed journals?


20 posted on 12/27/2007 4:43:45 PM PST by From many - one.
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