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What does “better” mean? Is it science that produces results that you like? It is science that produces that produces useful technologies. Or is it science that
by RcouF1uZ4gsC 7y ago
What does “better” mean? Is it science that produces results that you like? It is science that produces that produces useful technologies. Or is it science that produces models that reflect reality.
If you go by the first two definitions then brining politics is helpful. If you go by the third, then politics is decidedly unhelpful.
- themodelplumber 7y agoWe talk a lot about bad science, so I would guess that the opposite of that is what the author may be talking about. Which is probably a good idea, since bad science sucks and it's getting more air time than it used to. "Better" could probably even be quantified in a helpful way if desired. Politics are just another human factor. Stimulus and response. Can also be quantified if addressed situationally. As a catch-all it's a low-leverage descriptor though. I like that the author is at least talking about this. It could lead to a system-level improvement. > models that reflect reality Or models that elegantly allow for multiple perspectives while contributing to a desired outcome. Reality when held up as an accountability target opens up a bit of a can of worms, starting with the subjectivity question: Whose reality? Or which reality? Humans are remarkable in their ability to create, entertain, use, and appreciate even conflicting models of reality.