| As a young lad, I took on my first scientific | | | | Yes. In fact Dr. Larry Laudan, former chair of the |
| experiment simply because I could. Like most curious | | | | history and philosophy of science department at the |
| youngsters who own walky-talkies, I could only resist | | | | University of Pittsburgh, wrote a book (Science and |
| for so long the urge to bury one of them (well | | | | Values) where he catalogued over 30 such theories. |
| behind enemy lines) in the bread aisle at the local | | | | He indicated that he could have lengthened his list |
| grocery store, to see what startled shoppers might | | | | extensively (and others have done this). These |
| make of extroverted wheat. This, my first foray into | | | | truth-status flip-floppers trounce about like a salmon |
| the field of agorology -- the very scientific study of | | | | on deck, where "true yesterday" becomes "false |
| shopping, shoppers and shoppingcarts -- told me just | | | | today." Here, truth comes with an expiration date like |
| what I needed to know.Would they simply scurry | | | | raspberry yogurt. And who knows, these theories |
| off, fearing all that is both sourdough and articulate, | | | | may yet make a comeback -- only to get smoked |
| or might they try to hunt down the source of the | | | | again (as salmon are want to do).This tells us that |
| taunting loaves? The jovial, phoney French accent | | | | theoretical science shows itself fickle when it comes |
| that greeted each customer in the aisle proved | | | | to truth-telling. In court, they call this "perjury," but let |
| harder to maintain -- while trying hard not to laugh -- | | | | us avoid the unpleasantries of name-calling. One |
| than I had anticipated. In the end, fear of the | | | | commentator on this problem recently put it quite |
| manager (bigcheesophobia) cut short the | | | | sublimely in these words: "If the history of science |
| data-gathering event, but not before we -- Tony | | | | were a single person, it would present to the world |
| (my assistant) and I -- had learned far too much. We | | | | just that sort of person we should least want to see |
| now knew the inside truth about science, kept hidden | | | | driving heavy machinery or carrying sharp |
| for many ages: it's a real kick in the pants.Much time | | | | objects."Question #3. Professor, isn't it true that |
| passed, and the California State University (at | | | | theories considered false today by the scientific |
| Hayward) received, and then quite foolishly approved, | | | | majority, as well as in the past, have often turned |
| my application for admission. There I learned that the | | | | out to be very useful? And doesn't this show that no |
| representatives of "science" bore the right to decide | | | | established relationship between true theories and |
| all matters of cultural importance; that scientists could | | | | useful theories exists?Answer: Yes, and yes. And this |
| provide the answers we need; and that science is | | | | shows from the empirical facts of history that any |
| "self-correcting," and so marches forward with | | | | theory might be highly useful, and yet utterly false, |
| unrelenting progress. Just look at the microwave | | | | so that it's utility offers no real guide to whether or |
| ovens, and the GPS gadgets in our cars. Science | | | | not it's true. And you guessed it: Dr. Laudan has a |
| carries the badge of authority in all matters of | | | | long list of these successful-but-false theories too. |
| knowledge. Or so the story goes.But then it | | | | And he isn't the only one.Question #4. Isn't it true |
| happened. I took my first history of science class, | | | | professor that scientists often resolve the contest |
| and began studying the items that interested me, | | | | between rival theories by choosing the one as "more |
| even if they weren't on the menu. Then came the | | | | probably true" which appears either simpler or more |
| individual study course in the philosophy of science. | | | | elegant than the others, and doesn't this tell against |
| By then I had meandered into areas of study best | | | | the alleged "objectivity" of what is supposed to be a |
| dubbed "plainly unauthorized." Here, I had realized that | | | | truth-seeking enterprise, reducing it to the status of |
| the science textbook authors (and most of my | | | | a Miss America beauty pageant?Answer: Yes, but |
| science professors) had completely -- I believe the | | | | don't tell my wife or she won't let me go to work |
| scientific term is -- "discombobulated" almost | | | | either.Question #5. Professor, isn't it true that various |
| everything they had taught me in my science | | | | scientists working in different fields put to use a wide |
| classes.Oh, they managed the empirical details in the | | | | array of different methods, depending on factors like |
| books well enough. Like motorcycle riders who smile | | | | which field of study they work in, the nature of the |
| too often, the experts had strained out the empirical | | | | claim under question at the moment, and the like? |
| gnats with an aggressive and precise toothpick. But | | | | And doesn't this rather abolish the popular myth that |
| conceptual camel-swallowing became the order of | | | | anything like "THE" scientific method has ever actually |
| the day. In other words, their story of what science | | | | existed?Answer: Of course. Philosopher of science, |
| actually is, how scientists employ its methods, and | | | | Paul Feyerabend at UC Berkeley wrote a book in the |
| what science can actually accomplish -- the whole | | | | late 90's entitled "On Method," which proves just that |
| story surrounding the details -- proved phonier than a | | | | point. Brain-scanning Neurologists do not do anything |
| well-modulated, French accent in a grocery store.To | | | | like what mechanics do when the latter search to |
| help illustrate these well-educated fibs, which I have | | | | find out how much pollution your car puts out. They |
| boiled down to five for the sake of brevity, I have | | | | use different instruments, and entirely different |
| put this section in the shape of a question and | | | | methods. Some methods involve developing |
| answer format. Here sit before the readers eyes | | | | computational models to run different stress-condition |
| THE five questions your science professors hope you | | | | scenarios (structural engineers do this), while others |
| never ask.Question 1. Professor, isn't it true, that | | | | amount to sticking a fancy wand up your car's tail |
| when you call a model or theory "true" merely | | | | pipe.Conclusion: The heroic model of science -- with |
| because it makes accurate predictions that you in | | | | scientists in the driver's seat as the keepers of true |
| fact commit the fallacy called "affirming the | | | | knowledge -- amounts to a political ploy designed to |
| consequent?"Answer: You'd better believe it, Bucko. | | | | exalt those with white labcoats as the final arbiters |
| And nearly all scientists do this on a regular basis. | | | | of truth about what kind of world this "really" is. But |
| Coincidentally enough, so do the textbooks these | | | | the kind of reasons scientists (and their textbooks) |
| guys write. "If a mother, then also a woman" seems | | | | must invoke to prop up this flimsy mythology make |
| obvious enough. In logic, this takes the form, "If P, | | | | no headway against the empirical facts known to |
| then Q." But reasoning in the reverse direction leads | | | | students of the history and philosophy of the |
| to trouble. "If a woman, then a mother [Q, therefore | | | | sciences. Moreover, if stripped of their technical |
| P]" doesn't ring true at all. Many women do not | | | | jargon, and rendered in the common tongue, such |
| practice motherhood. Likewise, "If my theory is true, | | | | half-baked reasons would not earn scientists a |
| we should find 'Q' to be the case [If P, then Q] does | | | | passing mark in a second-semester logic course at |
| not in any way validate the reverse, "We did find 'Q' | | | | any decent college.The way I see it, if you are going |
| to be the case, therefore my model is true [Q, | | | | to try to fool people, you might as well go all the |
| therefore P]."This is like the man who argues that "If | | | | way, and head for the aisle with the heckling |
| it is bread, it does not talk. It does not in fact talk, | | | | rye.Carson Day has written some 1.3 gazillion articles |
| therefore it must be bread." Imagine that: science | | | | and essays on all manner of topics. These aim to |
| professors make a career of reasoning that poorly, | | | | glorify God and offer people real help to live wisely |
| and your sandwich never said a word.Question #2. | | | | and well. You can visit Carson's websites at (The |
| Professor, isn't it true that many highly successful | | | | Omniblog, where Carson blogs everything) or |
| theories in the past gained the allegiance of entire | | | | (Carson's Day Trading Outpost). Thanks for stopping |
| scientific communities, only to suffer rejection later | | | | by. |
| as so much molarky by the same group?Answer: | | | | |