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Just look at nutrition science as an example for why this isn't so. Salt, fat, cholesterol, fructose, etc have each gone through several wild swings in good fo

Just look at nutrition science as an example for why this isn't so. Salt, fat, cholesterol, fructose, etc have each gone through several wild swings in good for you / bad for you. The science is entirely unsettled, yet forms the backbone of many doctors' recommendations. Then, when the science gets taken in by mainline cultural space, it gets blown up into all sorts of utterly nonsensical, mystical woo-woo. Somehow moderation turns into paleo, vegan, fruitarian, or alkaline based diets. People shoot wheatgrass or fast on lemon juice. All sorts of vaguely scientific sounding bullshit that isn't backed up by actual data.

paulryanrogers 5y ago
The word 'science' has been co-opted by con men. Yet it's basic tenants like the critical method and repeatable experiments have provided me with far more value than half a life filled with religious 'teaching'.
smackeyacky 5y ago
You can't just pick and choose what is scientific and what isn't to try an conflate reason with religion. That is an argument in bad faith (ahem). Further, using statements like "entirely unsettled" in reference to science is a fundamental misunderstanding of how science works. It's not "settled" like religious arguments where everybody agrees to a particular interpretation of the holy book. Science either works and we make stuff with it, or it doesn't and it gets tossed away.
- thaumasiotes 5y ago
  I mean, you're responding to an example of "science" that doesn't work and we make stuff with it.
  - smackeyacky 5y ago
    "making stuff with it" is not the entirety of the scientific method. I suspect you know this. What you are arguing here is nonsense. Science isn't perfect and doesn't claim to be, so pointing out some corner case and saying "here, this bit is wrong" can't be used to dismiss the entire scientific method. If you want to argue in that fashion, I'd like to point out to you that praying doesn't always work, so all religions must therefore be bunk.

paulryanrogers 5y ago

The word 'science' has been co-opted by con men. Yet it's basic tenants like the critical method and repeatable experiments have provided me with far more value than half a life filled with religious 'teaching'.

smackeyacky 5y ago

You can't just pick and choose what is scientific and what isn't to try an conflate reason with religion. That is an argument in bad faith (ahem). Further, using statements like "entirely unsettled" in reference to science is a fundamental misunderstanding of how science works. It's not "settled" like religious arguments where everybody agrees to a particular interpretation of the holy book. Science either works and we make stuff with it, or it doesn't and it gets tossed away.

thaumasiotes 5y ago
I mean, you're responding to an example of "science" that doesn't work and we make stuff with it.
- smackeyacky 5y ago
  "making stuff with it" is not the entirety of the scientific method. I suspect you know this. What you are arguing here is nonsense. Science isn't perfect and doesn't claim to be, so pointing out some corner case and saying "here, this bit is wrong" can't be used to dismiss the entire scientific method. If you want to argue in that fashion, I'd like to point out to you that praying doesn't always work, so all religions must therefore be bunk.