Monday, December 7, 2009

Separation of State & Science

The November 28, 2009 issue of The Economist includes a pithy opinion piece, ostensibly addressing the need for allowing the voice of a skeptical minority of climate scientists to be heard in the midst of political wrangling over climate change. More significant than the specifics of the context however is the broad-reaching argument regarding the necessity of separating scientific debate from political maneuvering. Here is a concise formulation from the end of the article:
There are no certainties in science. Prevailing theories must be constantly tested against evidence, and refined, and more evidence collected, and the theories tested again. That is the job of the scientists. When they stop questioning orthodoxy, mankind will have given up the search for truth. The sceptics should not be silenced.
Well said, indeed!

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