Be Wary Of Politics Masquerading As Science

Michael Crichton gives a thought-provoking lecture about the relationship between science and popular opinion, similar themes to those put forward by Professor Emeritus Philip Stott.

The argument is not that global warming isn’t going to happen, or that we shouldn’t seek to have less impact on the world around us; but that we should be scientific about our acceptance of the presented “facts” about such topics.

The investigations into global warming seem (to my admittedly very limited exposure) on a par with those into the harmful effects of radiation from mobile phones. Yet, as a whole, we see the benefit of having our mobile phones, and so take the “well, nothing has been proven just yet” line, in contrast to our “we haven’t proven anything, but it would be so terrible we must do something now” response to global warming.

Neither of which is a scientific approach, because there aren’t any hard facts, just speculation and predictions about what are very complex and difficult to model systems.

I think what we need is to get to a proper philosophical or moral discussion about technology and science. Where we stop hiding behind faux-scientific reports, and acknowledge that “because we can” isn’t sufficient justification for some of the technological advances and scientific investigations that we’re undertaking.