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> Many of those beliefs boil down to “scientists say” The beliefs don't "boil down" at all: they form an interconnected web of theory and explanations that sup
by feoren 3y ago
> Many of those beliefs boil down to “scientists say”
The beliefs don't "boil down" at all: they form an interconnected web of theory and explanations that support and reinforce each other. You're acting like anything that one hasn't independently verified is something one is taking on faith, but that's not true. These aren't independent propositions that can be falsified on their own without dragging down an entire body of scientific understanding -- including things you have verified yourself.
- kragen 3y ago+1 insightful
- haswell 3y agoI think my use of "boil down" didn't come across as intended. My point was that many/most people do not have the ability to independently verify the claims of experts in various scientific fields, nor do they care to. They instead trust the institutions that have been built throughout history and entrusted with the task of getting things right. Their beliefs really are roughly "this is what scientists say so I believe it". I'm not saying they don't have a good reason to believe it, just that this is the reality of the dynamic. I think this is important because it underscores the criticality of institutions, and the importance of maintaining the health of the ones we have. > You're acting like anything that one hasn't independently verified is something one is taking on faith To be clear, this is definitely not what I'm saying.