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This is like saying: "Opinions differ substantially as to whether man-made climate change is real". Yes, opinions differ, but when all mainstream scientists agr

• samatman 6y ago
  Economists aren't scientists.
  • disgruntledphd2 6y ago
    > Economists aren't scientists. How do you define scientist, and who else isn't included? Like, micro-economists do a lot of interesting experimental work that certainly seems like science. Macro-economics is pretty much entrail-reading because we fundamentally don't understand how the modern economy functions, and is massively political and hijacked by a variety of interests, but that's a subfield that even economists agree is problematic.
    • fastball 6y ago
      Scientists should have falsifiable theories, for starters. Actually to my mind that is all you need for science: observe, make a falsifiable hypothesis, try to falsify your own hypothesis. That is... not most economics.
      • disgruntledphd2 6y ago
        Is geology a science? They have most of the same issues as economics (modulo the political stuff), but everyone seems OK with it. Also, Popper's falsification is a pretty unrealistic account of how science actually works, and it only really works as advertised where you can run effective experimental designs (which economics and geology, amongst other disciplines) have a problem with.
        • fastball 6y ago
          Geology definitely has more experimental falsification attempts going on than economics. If you have a theory that is impossible to falsify experimentally, we're no longer talking about science (at least if your idea of science is the pursuit of objective truth). Modern "science" running amok with people more concerned with attempting to prove themselves correct than find the truth doesn't change that. > Popper's falsification is a pretty unrealistic account of how science actually works That's the rub though. A pretty strong argument can be made that "science" is not working and that "scientists" have lost their way, if you look at things like the reproducibility crisis.
          • taffer 6y ago
            There are many scientific fields that cannot conduct experiments, such as climate science. To say that this is not science is quite naive.
            • fastball 6y ago
              First off I reject the premise that people investigating the climate cannot perform experiments. Even assuming what you say is true, if not experiments and attempts at falsifying your ideas, how does one pursue the truth?
              • disgruntledphd2 6y ago
                You only have one planet, it's a little difficult to split it in two. How would you suggest we run randomised experiments on the climate (or the macro-economy)?