3 ms·

So basically, "because science."

• TeMPOraL 11y ago
  Yeah. That and the fact that I recognize the concept of global optimization. Sometimes things you think are in your best interest turn out not to be so if you take a global view. Take gasoline. Of course cheap fuel seems like it's in my best interest because it means I pay less for travel. Still, I want the carbon tax badly because I understand that if we don't start accounting for the emissions, we're going to cook the planet in few decades. Or a different example - traffic lights and signs. People bitch about the timings all the time because they see a red light often when driving through their area, without stopping to consider that they're being optimized to give optimal traffic throughout half of the city.
  • briholt 11y ago
    You misunderstand. "Because science" is the correct reason to do anything. It is short hand for everything objective and rational in the world. It means, "we've conclusively proven this will have a better outcome; your personal whims are baseless." Why should we decrease fossil fuel use? Because science. Why should kids get vaccinated? Because science. Why is the Earth 6 billion years old? Because science.
    • TeMPOraL 11y ago
      While I personally wouldn't use the term "because science" for this, if you define it as "short hand for everything objective and rational in the world" then yes, I agree - I'm doing so because science.