The Science of Why We Don't Believe Science

[Islander]

I'm posting this here because I found it fascinating and thought some of you might, too. It's a 4-page copyrighted article, so here's an excerpt. Proceed at your own risk. You might be shattered.

By Chris Mooney
Mon Apr. 18, 2011

"A MAN WITH A CONVICTION is a hard man to change. Tell him you disagree and he turns away. Show him facts or figures and he questions your sources. Appeal to logic and he fails to see your point." So wrote the celebrated Stanford University psychologist Leon Festinger (PDF), in a passage that might have been referring to climate change denial—the persistent rejection, on the part of so many Americans today, of what we know about global warming and its human causes. But it was too early for that—this was the 1950s—and Festinger was actually describing a famous case study in psychology.

More: http://motherjones.com/politics/2011...e-chris-mooney

[LabDoc]

Up till the end of the fourth sentence, I thought this was a description of the man who runs 'that other' health site!

[Julieanne]

Funny, Labdoc!

[Reesacat]

Excellent article, Islander.

[highlander]

It's easy to observe this just by watching people.
OTOH, the article stated "Modern science originated from an attempt to weed out such subjective lapses... Even if individual researchers are prone to falling in love with their own theories, the broader processes of peer review and institutionalized skepticism are designed to ensure that, eventually, the best ideas prevail."
Nice idea but as long as money and power can influence or be influenced by scientific studies we still end up believing what we want to believe. I hope for the day when people are less driven by fear and greed than they are by the search for truth.

[bmc65]

Funny all those folks who claim we are a "christian nation". Those are the very same people who seem to ignore the fact that Jesus turned the merchant tables over in the temple.
I look forward to giving the article a look-see, but first.... I think a trip to the Bronx Zoo with the little man is in order.

[Islander]

Aaaah...I was at the mumble mumble Zoo in Brooklyn with granddaughter last fall. It was a perfect day and we had the most marvelous time! I took loads of pictures, and when I got home to Maine I made a book for Tillie, with narrative and pix, about our day at the zoo. It was the MOST fun!

[highlander]

Are any on FB?

[Islander]

No, they went straight to my Kodak app, where I edited and then imported them to the "book."

Would you believe, I am just getting around to exploring the iPhoto app on my Mac?

[bmc65]

Sounds like so good times Islander. We went to the reptile house and saw the famous Mia. Missing In Action baby cobra who escaped and made a news splash. They had a naming contest and Mia won. I still prefer my sons entry (of course) which was Trick-a, because she was tricky and got away.

[Islander]

I remember seeing those updates on Facebook. Funny stuff!

What's troubling about that article is the many reasons why people are unable to accept a fact when the evidence is staring them in the face. There was a time when I associated that kind of behavior with a deficit of intelligence, but I've known for a long time that intelligence has nothing to do with the dogmatic rejection of facts (or its opposite, a firm belief in the unseen). Now I have a better understanding of people like global warming deniers, but I still find it troubling...even though I'm sure I myself fall into some of those categories!

[Reesacat]

I think a lot of people bought into the idea that scientists are without prejudice.
Not true!

Getting my degrees in biology and medical technology-the scientists were the biggest bunch of babies I knew...They would have fights and hissy fits and pissing contests.
Medicine is supposed to be scientific-it is mostly an art. Best doctors are the ones who actually listen to the patients-and that is a lost art in today's world!

I do think we are wired differently-if you look at a person's ability to interpret information/worldview I use an analogy of being a hand.
Some are right-handed, some are left, and a few gifted ones are ambidextrous.
I think we need all three types of hands for balance.
And we are most effective when we can join hands-there is great strength when hands clasp together....

[Maurya]

Reesacat, I wish I could have expressed this as well as you have done!

[highlander]

And then there are the people who are all thumbs, the ones whose middle finger has a perpetual boner, and the ones who would never join hands with anyone because there's just not enough hand sanitizer to go around.

[Islander]

Funny Highlander!