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> I think climate change is a problem (not a crisis) but it's important to note that if a scientist questions climate science, he becomes a pariah. People who

> I think climate change is a problem (not a crisis) but it's important to note that if a scientist questions climate science, he becomes a pariah. People who have never done science really like this idea of the general scientific community being some sort of secret society that agrees to support eachothers ideas. If you put 5 scientists in a room, you can't get them to agree on >anything<. The idea that disagreement is enough to get you outcast from "science" is complete nonsense.

slibhb 3y ago
I know scientists who are climate change skeptics. However, what gets published ("the consensus") isn't the same as "what scientists think". This isn't only true in science, it's true in virtually all parts of human societies. It's hard to go against the grain and you're naive if you think doing so doesn't blight careers.
- jarenmf 3y ago
  Who is preventing the skeptics from posting their arguments anonymously to arxiv for us to see how the arguments hold?
  - slibhb 3y ago
    Well for one thing it's a waste of time to work on research that won't advance your career. Also, I'm not saying "heterodox scientists have secret, bulletproof analyses to disprove climate change," I'm saying that there are significant incentives against publishing climate-crisis-skeptical research. I'm unsure how anyone can disagree with that. Acknowledging it doesn't mean denying climate change is real or accepting that its risks are exaggerated.
    - sjducb 3y ago
      If you're a climate sceptic scientist then the oil companies will give you a lot of money to do research.
pmichaud 3y ago
This is a pretty serious misunderstanding of the claim you're responding to. It's not that scientists in general agree about everything in general. It's that certain hot button issues become politicized in such a way that prevents real scientific skepticism / decent on those subjects in particular.

slibhb 3y ago

I know scientists who are climate change skeptics. However, what gets published ("the consensus") isn't the same as "what scientists think". This isn't only true in science, it's true in virtually all parts of human societies. It's hard to go against the grain and you're naive if you think doing so doesn't blight careers.

jarenmf 3y ago
Who is preventing the skeptics from posting their arguments anonymously to arxiv for us to see how the arguments hold?
- slibhb 3y ago
  Well for one thing it's a waste of time to work on research that won't advance your career. Also, I'm not saying "heterodox scientists have secret, bulletproof analyses to disprove climate change," I'm saying that there are significant incentives against publishing climate-crisis-skeptical research. I'm unsure how anyone can disagree with that. Acknowledging it doesn't mean denying climate change is real or accepting that its risks are exaggerated.
  - sjducb 3y ago
    If you're a climate sceptic scientist then the oil companies will give you a lot of money to do research.

pmichaud 3y ago

This is a pretty serious misunderstanding of the claim you're responding to. It's not that scientists in general agree about everything in general. It's that certain hot button issues become politicized in such a way that prevents real scientific skepticism / decent on those subjects in particular.