A great video I found which I thought should be shared here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYZE5900EBA&list=UUzFNr3ZDIlTETxF0S8DpwOQ
Why we can trust Science
by cantleave 13 Replies latest social current
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Band on the Run
Science moves on. It is one of the attributes of science. It seems to me that in the tiresome fights between believers and atheists, science is now worshipped as a God. It is not. I know of one scientific disaster that involved my university. Columbia is a very liberal place. Its location in Manhattan gives its students sophistication. I had read about eugenics before WWII. My assumption was that Columbia held the line against sterilization. Hardly. Its Teachers College and allied institutues provided scientific underpinning for eugenics and sterilization. Some of Columbia's heroes still hailed for work not on the projectwere active. They worked in conjunction with Nazis. The bright people felt sterilization made sense. The Supreme Court endorsed it. Scientists must have ethics concerning the work they do.
I wonder what did turn the tide. Perhaps it was only political considerations in the wake of WWII. I fear the person who doesn't truly know science reading the garbage in the news today.
I notice when there is a new study, the New York Times and other credible newspapers get in touch with the leaders in the field. They respond that future studies need to be done but if true, the field will have to be changed. There is skepticism which is good for a believer or an atheist. Again, I don't know how there are Witness lawyers or doctors. Perhaps they become Witnesses to get clients/patients.
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cantleave
Did you actually watch the video BOTR?
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KateWild
Very interesting. I always knew media propaganda was dangerous but I didn't realise they distorted scientfic facts and discoveries, I only thought they sensentionalised celebrity stories and politics. Thanks Kate xx
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Band on the Run
No, I do not watch videos as a rule. First, I have a life. Second, I can read much more quickly than watch a video. Third, there is no forum rule that I cannot comment. Fourth, I fear my computer becoming infected. I have no idea who is on this forum. Fifth, this is not a university course. Excuse me, I have a New York Times to read.
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cantleave
Well when a comment you post is completely irrelavant to a opening post I would class that as breaking posting guidline 10 below.
Your comments make no sense to this topic because you couldn't be arsed to watch the video. I have no problem with you not wanting to watch it, but I do have a problem with you making an off-topic post because you didn't.
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Oubliette
Interesting video. This emphasizes the need for scientific literacy among the general population.
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cofty
Excellent video.
There is a strong tendency for people to seek out anything that confirms the things they want to be true and ignore mountains of evidence to the contrary.
His argument at 6:30 needs to be repeated again and again.
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Oubliette
Cofty: There is a strong tendency for people to seek out anything that confirms the things they want to be true and ignore mountains of evidence to the contrary.
Yes, I'm sure you're familiar with the term for this: confirmation bias.
Some of the newer JWN members might not be familiar with this term. It's important for everyone to understand this very human phenomenon:
- Confirmation bias (also called confirmatory bias or myside bias) is a tendency for people to favor information that confirms their preconceptions or hypotheses regardless of whether the information is true.As a result, people gather evidence and recall information from memory selectively, and interpret it in a biased way.
This is just one of the reasons that most JWs will continue to cling to their demonstrably false beliefs in spite of massive amounts of disconfirming evidence.
It takes a unique personality to admit error. Especially when one has a huge amount invested in maintaining these beliefs: time, money, reputation, family ties and the like.