Science is good. Anti-science propaganda is bad. DU should know this!

[The Straight Story]

17. The author at the link is so-so

But I agree with your post in general.

"and I strongly believe that her claims are not supported by the current evidence"

"this article appears to be an exercise in political activism and does not deserve to be in a legitimate scientific journal."

'Believes, appears'....really, just stick with a real analysis and not things just cut and pasted from google searches (which the author admits they do in the comments).

I think the problem many have when it comes to science and things like this is that you can't trust scientists to stick to facts. They are bought and paid for just like politicians and pollsters. We shouldn't just listen to someone because they claim they are a scientist and have written some paper on topic X.

All sides of an issue would do well to consider the politics of science:

3. OK, then what does it mean to “misuse science”?
An upper-level seminar course took on this challenge in 2004, and came up with six different categories relevant to understanding “misuse.” The first two are not misuses, but often are characterized as such:

Cherry picking: When making an argument people often selectively choose or present information that makes their case look as strong as possible. Not only is this an effective tactic in argumentation; cherry picking is inescapable as all uses of facts are selective by their nature.

Dueling Experts: On complex scientific subjects there are typically many valid ways to interpret data and present findings. This is part of the richness of science, particularly regarding highly complex topics. In cases where experts disagree a decision maker frequently can and must select among expert opinions. This is exactly how the adversarial legal process works. Simply because experts disagree is not a sufficient basis for identifying a misuse of science.

The other four categories are examples of the misuses of science:

Mistake: A mistake is an unambiguous factual error.

Mischaracterization: A mischaracterization of science refers to the intentional or unintentional characterization of a body of research or a particular finding in a way that is simply incorrect or clearly misleading. There is clearly room for interpretation as to what constitutes mischaracterization versus cherry picking.

Delegitimization: Conflicts of interest, real or perceived, can delegitimize information-producing bodies to such a degree that whatever information they produce is discounted in the decision making process, eliminating any chance for knowledge to contribute to effective decision making.

Arguing morals/politics through science: Some issues are debated in terms of science, but are really about underlying politics or moral issues.

The full report can be found here.

4. Is it true that science is increasingly politicized and misused?
Yes. It does seem that there is a long-term trend of the politicization of science, and with it more complaints about misuse. One reason for this trend is that many issues of public importance involve a science and technology component, such as stem cell research, genetically modified organisms, and climate change, to name just a few. Another reason for this trend is that since the end of the Cold War, the scientific community has been asked to make its research more relevant to society. One response to such calls has been for scientists to become more involved in political debates.

5. Is the Bush Administration the worst misuser of science in history?
Perhaps, but no one has systematically looked at the issue. Such claims probably say more about the political predispositions of the one making the claim than anything else. It is true that the Bush Administration has shown a remarkable penchant for controlling information, and the area of science seems no different. But a close look at the history of science in policy and politics in various presidential administrations clearly shows that the misuse of science is a bipartisan affair, with a storied history.

http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/news/media-resources/science-politics.html