4 ms·

> In science, evidence means everything, reputation means nothing. That's a bit optimistic, in the long run it may be true, but over shorter time periods reput

by mogrim 14y ago

> In science, evidence means everything, reputation means nothing. That's a bit optimistic, in the long run it may be true, but over shorter time periods reputation and authority often discourage proper criticism.

lutusp 14y ago
> ... .but over shorter time periods reputation and authority often discourage proper criticism. Yes, but that's not science. When people pay attention to authority and claimed expertise, they're abandoning science. "Science is the organized skepticism in the reliability of expert opinion." — Richard Feynman
- mogrim 14y ago
  No, it's not science, it's human nature. (And I really hope you're being ironic using a Feynman quote there!)
  - lutusp 14y ago
    > And I really hope you're being ironic using a Feynman quote there! If you had met Feynman, you would realize when he said something like that, he wasn't posing as any kind of authority. This naturally reminds me of one of my favorite Einstein quotes: "To punish me for my contempt for authority, fate made me an authority myself."
    - robbiep 14y ago
      Paul, I just looked you up and realised of course you would have met Feynman. Although he died when I was 3, Reading books by and about him when I was going through my final years of undergrad changed the course of my life - I am now a final year medical student due to the influence of him and, subsequently, Carl Sagan. so, I guess this is just a hand wave across the internet at someone who has achieved much and met one or more of my intellectual idols. ps. I find your aperger's by proxy article very interesting.
      - lutusp 14y ago
        > ... I find your aperger's by proxy article very interesting. Thanks for reading! Here's another more recent article on the same general topic: http://arachnoid.com/trouble_with_psychology http://arachnoid.com/trouble_with_psychology
    - mogrim 14y ago
      Inspired by robbiep's comment I clicked on your user, that's some pretty cool stuff you've worked on!

by mogrim 14y ago

lutusp 14y ago

> ... .but over shorter time periods reputation and authority often discourage proper criticism. Yes, but that's not science. When people pay attention to authority and claimed expertise, they're abandoning science. "Science is the organized skepticism in the reliability of expert opinion." — Richard Feynman

mogrim 14y ago
No, it's not science, it's human nature. (And I really hope you're being ironic using a Feynman quote there!)
- lutusp 14y ago
  > And I really hope you're being ironic using a Feynman quote there! If you had met Feynman, you would realize when he said something like that, he wasn't posing as any kind of authority. This naturally reminds me of one of my favorite Einstein quotes: "To punish me for my contempt for authority, fate made me an authority myself."
  - robbiep 14y ago
    Paul, I just looked you up and realised of course you would have met Feynman. Although he died when I was 3, Reading books by and about him when I was going through my final years of undergrad changed the course of my life - I am now a final year medical student due to the influence of him and, subsequently, Carl Sagan. so, I guess this is just a hand wave across the internet at someone who has achieved much and met one or more of my intellectual idols. ps. I find your aperger's by proxy article very interesting.
    - lutusp 14y ago
      > ... I find your aperger's by proxy article very interesting. Thanks for reading! Here's another more recent article on the same general topic: http://arachnoid.com/trouble_with_psychology http://arachnoid.com/trouble_with_psychology
  - mogrim 14y ago
    Inspired by robbiep's comment I clicked on your user, that's some pretty cool stuff you've worked on!