4 ms·

Arts? Economics is more of a religion than a science.

by atmosx 8y ago

Gibbon1 8y ago
If you poke at economists you get the exact same arrogant rage that you get when you poke at fundamentalist religions. Go ahead poke at Milton Friedman and watch them get really hot under the collar. Compare with poking at Einstein (never accepted quantum mechanics) or Linus Pauling (alternative medicine nutter), Shockley (racist). Poke all you want the physics community doesn't care.
- closeparen 8y ago
  The physics and math communities get plenty agitated at ludicrous pop-sci and Hollywood depictions, cranks who think they are oppressed geniuses with important answers, etc. Approach just about anyone with arrogance and contempt for the methods and body of knowledge they spend their life on, and they won’t be happy about it.
  - Gibbon1 8y ago
    Difference between annoyed/amused/slight despondency and narcissistic rage. It's kinda of like this, a mechanical engineer doesn't feel threatened by some guy selling a magnetic doohickey you put in series with your cars fuel line to increase MPG. He just thinks it's stupid. He's not mad though. Economists get angry.
    - taffer 8y ago
      And some physicians get mad at homeopaths. So what?
- taffer 8y ago
  > Go ahead poke at Milton Friedman and watch them get really hot under the collar. Who is them? Do you think economics hasn't made any progress sice the 1970s and everyone is a paleomonetarist?
  - blunte 8y ago
    It is exceptionally difficult to prove economic theories because experiments cannot be repeated. The variables are always changing, and there is far from complete control over them.
    - taffer 8y ago
      Microeconomists and behavioural economists do indeed conduct repeatable experiments. This is more difficult for macroeconomists, of course, but the same is true for many sciences, such as theoretical physics, climate science or much of biology.
  - Gibbon1 8y ago
    Oh I think progress has been made, retrograde progress. Economists as less competent now than they were back then.

Arts? Economics is more of a religion than a science.

by atmosx 8y ago

Arts? Economics is more of a religion than a science.

If you poke at economists you get the exact same arrogant rage that you get when you poke at fundamentalist religions. Go ahead poke at Milton Friedman and watch them get really hot under the collar. Compare with poking at Einstein (never accepted quantum mechanics) or Linus Pauling (alternative medicine nutter), Shockley (racist). Poke all you want the physics community doesn't care.

closeparen 8y ago
The physics and math communities get plenty agitated at ludicrous pop-sci and Hollywood depictions, cranks who think they are oppressed geniuses with important answers, etc. Approach just about anyone with arrogance and contempt for the methods and body of knowledge they spend their life on, and they won’t be happy about it.
- Gibbon1 8y ago
  Difference between annoyed/amused/slight despondency and narcissistic rage. It's kinda of like this, a mechanical engineer doesn't feel threatened by some guy selling a magnetic doohickey you put in series with your cars fuel line to increase MPG. He just thinks it's stupid. He's not mad though. Economists get angry.
  - taffer 8y ago
    And some physicians get mad at homeopaths. So what?
taffer 8y ago
> Go ahead poke at Milton Friedman and watch them get really hot under the collar. Who is them? Do you think economics hasn't made any progress sice the 1970s and everyone is a paleomonetarist?
- blunte 8y ago
  It is exceptionally difficult to prove economic theories because experiments cannot be repeated. The variables are always changing, and there is far from complete control over them.
  - taffer 8y ago
    Microeconomists and behavioural economists do indeed conduct repeatable experiments. This is more difficult for macroeconomists, of course, but the same is true for many sciences, such as theoretical physics, climate science or much of biology.
- Gibbon1 8y ago
  Oh I think progress has been made, retrograde progress. Economists as less competent now than they were back then.