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Whenever science and politics intersect, science loses. If science is studying something apolitical like the metabolism of water bear or a quasar burst from a

by reddog 6y ago

Whenever science and politics intersect, science loses. If science is studying something apolitical like the metabolism of water bear or a quasar burst from a distant galaxy it’s fine. Throw politics in the mix and the waters become muddied very quickly when funding and reputational concerns motivate and corrupt a delicate process. Politics is like Lennie who wants to pet the rabbits. Science is like the rabbits.

colpabar 6y ago
That is pretty unfair to Lennie; at least his intentions were good.
mindfulhack 6y ago
I am honestly and hearteningly surprised to even hear these sentiments from someone else here, which I have now observed for years. It's one reason why I love HN. I'm not in the science field, but I absolutely am a student of human nature (and mindfulness). It's unbelievable how much the mechanism of science is dirtied, distorted, and abused by our emotional pride, greed, tribalism, fear, and all other aspects of human nature, which show that - for all our intelligence - we humans are wired for survival, and only wired for truth if and when it helps that survival. If truth comes at odds with it, we will lie - even if to ourselves, and at very deep subconscious levels - as much as we need to. Rationalisation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rationalization_(psychology) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rationalization_(psychology) How this biological reality plays out is complex. It's not just in our lizard brain, but the entire realm of our secondary limbic brain, with its 'tribal' swirl of social emotions and resulting behaviours. 'Survival' means a great of things, not just literal survival right in front of you right now. It's a powerful and primary goal coursing through our blood and all behaviour at the deepest and most subtle levels. We would do well to educate about this fact, and practice mindfulness to be able to see it in ourselves.

by reddog 6y ago

colpabar 6y ago

That is pretty unfair to Lennie; at least his intentions were good.

mindfulhack 6y ago

I am honestly and hearteningly surprised to even hear these sentiments from someone else here, which I have now observed for years. It's one reason why I love HN. I'm not in the science field, but I absolutely am a student of human nature (and mindfulness). It's unbelievable how much the mechanism of science is dirtied, distorted, and abused by our emotional pride, greed, tribalism, fear, and all other aspects of human nature, which show that - for all our intelligence - we humans are wired for survival, and only wired for truth if and when it helps that survival. If truth comes at odds with it, we will lie - even if to ourselves, and at very deep subconscious levels - as much as we need to. Rationalisation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rationalization_(psychology) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rationalization_(psychology) How this biological reality plays out is complex. It's not just in our lizard brain, but the entire realm of our secondary limbic brain, with its 'tribal' swirl of social emotions and resulting behaviours. 'Survival' means a great of things, not just literal survival right in front of you right now. It's a powerful and primary goal coursing through our blood and all behaviour at the deepest and most subtle levels. We would do well to educate about this fact, and practice mindfulness to be able to see it in ourselves.