Dienstag, 1. April 2014

Against "consensus" science

>I often cringe when I hear the media use the word consensus in reference to some area of science. The concept of consensus is antithetical to the scientific method. I have no problem talking about "mainstream" or "conventional" science, or saying that "most scholars accept" some claim. But "consensus" is not right.

Much like the equally bad phrase "settled science," consensus implies that the debate is entirely over. That indisputable proof exists. That anyone who disagrees is simply wrong as a matter of objective fact. Worst of all, it implies that truth can be determined by a majority vote. ...<

Jason Richwine
[The whole article: Against "consensus" science (Feb 2014)]

Keine Kommentare:

Kommentar veröffentlichen