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So much this! There’s surely a huge argument that all of scientific education is a massive disservice. The point should be to learn and appreciate the method o

by maegul 4y ago

So much this! There’s surely a huge argument that all of scientific education is a massive disservice. The point should be to learn and appreciate the method or process of scientific investigation of uncertain and mysterious or hard to understand phenomena. Instead we get dogma as a proxy of measuring intelligence with little regard for what the fundamental tools are of being a scientist. I’ve gone all the way through to Grad School and came out astounded at just how little commitment to or a sense of the essence of scientific investigation and what’s expected of the investigator there is in the system. They don’t prepare you for it because they themselves weren’t prepared. You can try to leverage some meta understanding of the “process” in conversation or debate, but so often the conversation falls flat because few are prepared or accustomed to it. Research is often done, IMO, in philosophical poverty by people eking out a living in the gutters of novelty and paradigmatic safety, averting their gazes from the sky (flourishes aside, you get my point). Putting aside the health of actual research. If the general public is to benefit from education and pass that benefit into their society (that’s the point right), it needs to be more than soon to be forgotten and often useless fallacies.

cwalv 4y ago
> There’s surely a huge argument that all of scientific education is a massive disservice. > If the general public is to benefit from education and pass that benefit into their society (that’s the point right), it needs to be more than soon to be forgotten and often useless fallacies. I realize this is hyperbole, but still I think it's obvious that there is more than soon to be forgotten and often useless fallacies. I do generally agree though that current models/paradigms are usually presented more as "the final word" vs "a useful mental model". Esp. when paradigms are challenged by, or conflict with untestable traditional explanations, ppl tend to get irritated and overstate the confidence of their own understanding
- maegul 4y ago
  Agree. I’m guilty of descending to hyperbole at times! Nonetheless, while I agree with your pushback, I do wonder how much utility there is in the “dogma” approach. There’s a lot of “facts” being thrown around in education, from what I’ve seen, that are often forgotten or become vague memories. How much better would it be to focus on skills and practice and concepts? Especially in the digital age where a fact is easily discoverable, provided one has the appropriate research skills.

by maegul 4y ago

cwalv 4y ago

> There’s surely a huge argument that all of scientific education is a massive disservice. > If the general public is to benefit from education and pass that benefit into their society (that’s the point right), it needs to be more than soon to be forgotten and often useless fallacies. I realize this is hyperbole, but still I think it's obvious that there is more than soon to be forgotten and often useless fallacies. I do generally agree though that current models/paradigms are usually presented more as "the final word" vs "a useful mental model". Esp. when paradigms are challenged by, or conflict with untestable traditional explanations, ppl tend to get irritated and overstate the confidence of their own understanding

maegul 4y ago
Agree. I’m guilty of descending to hyperbole at times! Nonetheless, while I agree with your pushback, I do wonder how much utility there is in the “dogma” approach. There’s a lot of “facts” being thrown around in education, from what I’ve seen, that are often forgotten or become vague memories. How much better would it be to focus on skills and practice and concepts? Especially in the digital age where a fact is easily discoverable, provided one has the appropriate research skills.