"In fact, it's Douggie's growing conviction that the greatest flaw of the species is its overwhelming tendency to mistake agreement for truth. Single biggest influence on what a body will or won’t believe is what nearby bodies broadcast over the public band. Get three people in the room and they’ll decide that the law of gravity is evil and should be rescinded because one of their uncles got shit-faced and fell off the roof.”
Richard Powers, The Overstory
My thoughts:
My thoughts:
There are many definitions of science, but not one of them includes judgement on what is evil. The biggest instigator of learning is curiousity and the biggest obstacle is preconceived ideas and assumptions. Science is an exercise of intellect and methodology that is applied to advancing our understanding, which means it is a process. If we get stuck believing that what has been proven at a certain period of time is true we are limiting progress. The stronger we defend a "story" the more curious it should make us, and we should be curious in ways we aren't even aware of yet.
Yesterday afternoon I listened to four plus hours of the Halton Region Statutory Public Meeting on the latest Nelson Aggregate application to expand their quarry in Burlington. There were many impassioned pleas against the quarry expansion and a few that were for it. I don't envy the municipal and regional councilors having to try to make an unbiased decision on this application.
One of my takeaways is that the presentations that were based on science and methodical research were startling in their impact on the rational of the applicant. For example: a justification for the application is based on an increased demand for aggregates for the expected growth in this area that will require building more roads, housing and infrastructure and that it is better for everyone and the environment if those aggregates come from a local source. I totally get this argument... and I assumed this meant the capacity of our existing quarries in the area would not be enough to support the growth... turns out some curious group did some investigating, into the records of the quarries themselves, and reported that none of the licensed aggregate extractors in the area is even close to reaching the limit of their licensed annual extractions while meeting current demand.
No matter what side of the fence we are on for any issue we should not be afraid to examine our assumptions and be willing to stay curious and listen. Douggie's quote seems ridiculous... but ridiculous is in the eye of the beholder... or in the believer
Science definitions:
- the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment.
- Science is the pursuit and application of knowledge and understanding of the natural and social world following a systematic methodology based on evidence.
- Scientific methodology includes the following:
- Objective observation: Measurement and data (possibly although not necessarily using mathematics as a tool)
- Evidence
- Experiment and/or observation as benchmarks for testing hypotheses
- Induction: reasoning to establish general rules or conclusions drawn from facts or examples
- Repetition
- Critical analysis
- Verification and testing: critical exposure to scrutiny, peer review and assessment
Members of the Flat Earth Society claim to believe the Earth is flat. Walking around on the planet's surface, it looks and feels flat, so they deem all evidence to the contrary, such as satellite photos of Earth as a sphere, to be fabrications of a "round Earth conspiracy" orchestrated by NASA and other government agencies.
Conspiracy theory psychology
As inconceivable as their belief system seems, it doesn't really surprise experts. Karen Douglas, a psychologist at the University of Kent in the United Kingdom who studies the psychology of conspiracy theories, says flat-earthers' beliefs cohere with those of other conspiracy theorists she has studied.
"It seems to me that these people do generally believe that the Earth is flat. I'm not seeing anything that sounds as if they're just putting that idea out there for any other reason," Douglas told Live Science.She said all conspiracy theories share a basic thrust: They present an alternative theory about an important issue or event, and construct an (often) vague explanation for why someone is covering up that "true" version of events. "One of the major points of appeal is that they explain a big event but often without going into details," she said. "A lot of the power lies in the fact that they are vague."
The self-assured way in which conspiracy theorists stick to their story imbues that story with special appeal. After all, flat-earthers are more adamant that the Earth is flat than most people are that the Earth is round (probably because the rest of us feel we have nothing to prove). "If you're faced with a minority viewpoint that is put forth in an intelligent, seemingly well-informed way, and when the proponents don't deviate from these strong opinions they have, they can be very influential. We call that minority influence," Douglas said.
In a study published online March 5, 2014, in the American Journal of Political Science, Eric Oliver and Tom Wood, political scientists at the University of Chicago, found that about half of Americans endorse at least one conspiracy theory, from the notion that 9/11 was an inside job to the JFK conspiracy. "Many people are willing to believe many ideas that are directly in contradiction to a dominant cultural narrative," Oliver told Live Science. He says conspiratorial belief stems from a human tendency to perceive unseen forces at work, known as magical thinking.
“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.”
Albert Camus
Albert Camus
Action: To develop my curiousity muscle. I'm sure this could provide an irresistible opportunity for some friends to point out my assumptions, so if someone tells me that I'm making an assumption for the purpose of proving something they are making assumptions about, I am going to try to live the act of rebellion and remain free. This is not a competition, it is an exercise.
And I am very grateful for my dishwasher again!
DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!!
Cheers
Jeanne
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