4 ms·

Yes, as it establishes the potential bias of the article author. If this article was written by typically a pro-nuclear author it would be much more noteworthy

Yes, as it establishes the potential bias of the article author. If this article was written by typically a pro-nuclear author it would be much more noteworthy.

pydry 6y ago
That was the idea behind this nuclear industry PR piece from a few weeks ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26213984 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26213984 Predictably, it didn't bring up the costs (though of course the first comment on HN did) but it tried to play the "environmentalist who has seen the light" angle pretty hard. It's actually kind of weird how many articles like this do get submitted to hacker news. Link says "it's safe & making a comeback", comments say "it's just not economic and no" <- this has happened quite a few times.
lamontcg 6y ago
It is possible to be both biased and correct. https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Appeal_to_bias https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Appeal_to_bias
- mamon 6y ago
  Broken clock shows the right time twice a day. Biased people being correct is an exception, not the rule. We should be suspicious of people with know biases.
  - lamontcg 6y ago
    Well that's interesting in light of the obvious pro-nuclear bias of HN.
- treesprite82 6y ago
  Noting an author's biases/motives, like agarttha did, is useful. It's not the same as asserting that a conclusion is logically false because of the biases of the person who argued it.
  - pydry 6y ago
    In this case I thought it was rather obvious what the author's bias was and he doesnt't try to hide it. It might be useful if they tried to conceal it. E.g tried to present themselves as an objective researcher at a think tank that takes money from general dynamics/lockheed or a journalist who clearly hastily rewrote a press release.
StavrosK 6y ago
Is it bias when you have an opinion and share it? The article can contain some of the reasons he's anti-nuclear, instead of the other way around, where his bias causes him to write the article.

Yes, as it establishes the potential bias of the article author. If this article was written by typically a pro-nuclear author it would be much more noteworthy.

pydry 6y ago

That was the idea behind this nuclear industry PR piece from a few weeks ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26213984 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26213984 Predictably, it didn't bring up the costs (though of course the first comment on HN did) but it tried to play the "environmentalist who has seen the light" angle pretty hard. It's actually kind of weird how many articles like this do get submitted to hacker news. Link says "it's safe & making a comeback", comments say "it's just not economic and no" <- this has happened quite a few times.

lamontcg 6y ago

It is possible to be both biased and correct. https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Appeal_to_bias https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Appeal_to_bias

mamon 6y ago
Broken clock shows the right time twice a day. Biased people being correct is an exception, not the rule. We should be suspicious of people with know biases.
- lamontcg 6y ago
  Well that's interesting in light of the obvious pro-nuclear bias of HN.
treesprite82 6y ago
Noting an author's biases/motives, like agarttha did, is useful. It's not the same as asserting that a conclusion is logically false because of the biases of the person who argued it.
- pydry 6y ago
  In this case I thought it was rather obvious what the author's bias was and he doesnt't try to hide it. It might be useful if they tried to conceal it. E.g tried to present themselves as an objective researcher at a think tank that takes money from general dynamics/lockheed or a journalist who clearly hastily rewrote a press release.

StavrosK 6y ago

Is it bias when you have an opinion and share it? The article can contain some of the reasons he's anti-nuclear, instead of the other way around, where his bias causes him to write the article.