>Oh and I meant to say, scientist aren't they the people that
>until last year thought that the animal and the human
>fetus developed along the same lines?
Umm ... No. I believe you are refereing to the notion that ontogeny
recapitulates phylogony, which was a popular scientific notion about a century
ago, and has chiefly been promulgated by pseudointellectuals since then.
> See what I
>mean, tainted work!
No you are not clear but perhaps I joined this thread too late. Tainted by
what? Personal bias? Dogmatism? Conflict of Interest?
ALL ENDEVOURS engaged in by humans suffer from these weaknesses, but science
far and away has the best corrective mechanisms for these and other errors.
Peer review, independent empirical hypothesis testing, the use of controls,
open ended revision, deductuve as opposed to inductive charecterization of
natural phenomena, etc...
> Don't take anything for granted
>in this World, find it out yourself. Of course I may be
>wrong about that, try and find out :o)
>
I fully agree with you. This is the heart of the true scientific ethic, but
good scientists temper this realization with the notion that they are not the
smartest person that ever lived, nor are their thoughts and observations
objective in any sense. Scientists, know that thousands of brilliant people
spent their life-time learning ways to determine the truth in a more objective
manner. We study the work of these people and draw from it those things proven
most valuable in the past. We then use our imagination to try to ask new
questions and tear down the answers of the past. Only the most foolish and aged
of those people who call themselves scientists ever entertain the notion that
they have the final word on the nature of some aspect of physical reality.
If you perceive scientists as close minded and dogmatic, you are occasionally
right, but more often you may perceive contempt that springs from the fact that
most laymen as too undisciplined, lazy, or ignorant to apply even the most
basic quality standards that scientists impose on themselves everyday.
Michael Michalchik
Direct replies to Michalchik at aol.com appreciated
>
