Empirical science and the scientific method, in principle, are great ideas. However, their effectiveness in practice depends on the integrity of those who use them. And in today’s culture, and scienctific culture, there are many forces that are undermining the science.
These forces include the pressure to publish or perish, the influence of commercial interests (pharma) providing money to scientists, the evolutionary bias in science, the liberal media which filters and spins scientific discoveries way out of proportion in the direction of their liberal biases, misrepresenting the importance or meaning of the discoveries. And here’s yet another example of how and why scientists, like those in the recent debacle over stem cells, are lying about their data more and more.
- Would Scientists Lie?
The Chronicle of Higher Education reports today that a large percentage of research scientists admit to fabricating or manipulating data because of a sense of "being wronged." Reporter Lila Guterman explains that The Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics will report that "perceived injustice" and scientific misbehavior are linked.
What the study didn't report is that scientists faking data are way, way, way below the data faking in other disciplines — theology, for example.
So, if one doesn't "trust" science (and one should retain one's skepticism), multiply that lack of trust by several times for all other enterprises that offer data.
Do you have data on those faking theology? Isn't that kinda like faking philosophy?
You see, another example of how evolutionists can't separate their science from their theology – they should be integrated (i.e. faith doesn't exist apart from reason or data), but it does extend beyond it.
"Do you have data on those faking theology?" -intelligent design, for example.
Intelligent design is not theology. I feel like I am arguing with 3rd graders.
3rd grade? I'm 2nd grade actually :) The misunderstanding occured earlier in this thread.
"What the study didn't report is that scientists faking data are way, way, way below the data faking in other disciplines — theology, for example." -Ed Darrell
I think Ed believes theological scientists, like those 600+ you mentioned in another thread, fake data to suit their own needs to a greater extent than the scientific community at large. You responded…
"Do you have data on those faking theology? Isn't that kinda like faking philosophy?" -seeker
Here is the misunderstading, you thought Ed was accusing people of "faking theology." I wasn't sure about what you meant by this so I went by Ed's interpretation, i.e. if you want an example of "faking in other disciplines — theology, for example" I offered intelligent design as an example.
OK, but isn't that faking *science?* I had no idea what Ed meant, and your interpretation that he meant "IDists faking science" is more than an interpretation – it's a whole other idea that not even a liberal theologian could have pulled from the term "faking theology."
So have any ID scientists been accused or indicted for faking data? I'm sure the common retort is that they don't produce actual data, or that they only distort other people's data, but the latter is just the point.
How do you interpret your data? What assumptions do you make.
And that's kind of off track – I am supporting my contention that the modern mistrust of science is not a religious matter – there is hard data to show that there are forces that undermine the integrity of science, and that these forces ARE actually having that affect.
People often accuse IDists and others of being anti-science for religous reasons, but really, there is good reason to be skeptical about modern science. It is not anti-intellectual to question modern scienctists and their reports, for often, they are being anything BUT scientific. Rather, they are willing pawns of the pharma and govt funding programs who demand certain results, as well as other ideological and political organizations that have a purpose for science other than pure discovery.
Please see my response to Aaron in the Titalaak – evolutions savior thread.