It’s almost impossible to pick up a newspaper without reading that scientists have agreed on something.
Sometimes it’s, “Most scientist agree” or even “More than 90% of the scientists agree” about whatever it is the writer want you to agree with.
It happened again this morning when our morning paper proclaimed, “Scientists generally agree that no research has suggested a direct human danger from drinking milk or eating meat produced by clones and their offspring.” In this case scientists generally agree.
In case you haven’t noticed, it really doesn’t make any difference what scientists believe or think. Remember back in the 15 hundreds? Of course you do. That’s when Galileo was ridiculed for his theories. After all, agreed most scientists, the sun does go around the world. They could see it start its orbit every morning and end it every evening. All scientists agreed. All but one and he was “That Galileo nut.” He was even renounced by the church for his goofy views. But, of course, he was right and every grade-school child now knows the sun does not rotate around the earth.
The big cause going on now concerns global warming. I suggest you prick up your ears when you hear, “Most scientists agree …”. It might be true and again, it might not. Look for your own information and draw your own conclusion. At least look to the back of the book or the bottom of the page to check the source of this kind of statement. For example, when I peeked at a copy of Al Gore’s book, “An Inconvenient Truth” I did that just because I wondered where the figures were coming from. I never found out because there are no citations noting the source of any figures stated in that book. I saw none. Not one.
I’m not saying the global warming premise isn’t valid; I just tire of hearing opinions generalized by some vague quote about “All scientists …” or “All anything else …” for that matter.
The Old Professor
Carmel, CA
February 16, 2007
