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Let's say that in 10% of controversies of this nature, The Scientific Consensus is wrong and the revisionists are actually correct. I personally don't have tim
by sethg 17y ago
Let's say that in 10% of controversies of this nature, The Scientific Consensus is wrong and the revisionists are actually correct. I personally don't have time to review every controversy in enough depth to decide which ones belong to that 10%. For issues that I care about I may read enough critical work to form an opinion about whether or not the critics are kooks, and if they aren't kooks, then I may do enough follow-up reading to decide whether or not they are right. For issues that I really care about I may learn enough that I can advance arguments for one side or the other in my own words. For issues that I don't have time to look at, I assume that The Scientific Consensus is correct.
As Carl Sagan said, they laughed at Galileo and they laughed at Einstein, but they also laughed at Bozo the Clown.