General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Scientific American: Bash Homeopathy and Bigfoot Less, Mammograms and War More [View all]drokhole
(1,230 posts)Posts like this keep me checking in on DU, because I wouldn't have caught this article otherwise.
Have been a fan of John Horgan since I stumbled across his book Rational Mysticism: Dispathces From the Border Between Science and Spirituality some time back. I continue to be impressed by his reporting, and willingness to hold the scientific establishment's feet to the fire (whereas a great deal of scientific reporting veers towards an unquestioning, doctored-up press release model). Especially have to give him a massive amount of credit for giving this speech in the belly of the beast. Brave man. And, more than that, it's that sort of fundamental challenging - bringing to light those unstated yet fairly substantional assumptions and false certainties - that science (and any organization/foundation/pursuit, for that matter) is in dire need of to root out its weaknesses and grow stronger/sturdier as a result. Horgan has the courage to explore those domains of error, call them out for what they are, and invite/challenge others to do the same. We need more, not less, of that.
And I like Eisenstein's assessment of the issue of academy giving intellectual cover (and, in effect, justification) for these sort of biases, belief systems, and willful blindspots. I remember listening to a public radio program with an illusionist who said his favorite crowds to perform in front of were academics, because it wasn't that they were necessarily any more or less susceptible to being fooled than other groups - they were just more skilled in (and had a broader/more extensive toolkit for) rationalizing what they believed.
Anyway, great lecture here on the myopia and shortcomings of the "gene for every mean" notion:
Here, a neurologist recounts how she was able to eliminate her debilating headaches only after going outside the model she was force fed in med school and reluctantly giving the Ayurvedic approach a shot (you know, that whack-a-doo, "alt" med method that treats illness through nutritional and lifestyle means):
How to Stay Healthy with Principles of Ayurvedic Medicine
And a recent essay on Aeon that speaks to the failings and trappings of another prevailing scientific model, and more broadly how these models/myths can be more limiting than liberating:
The empty brain
The map, as it were, is not the territory