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I don't know who all needs to see this, but I know there are some

glennlab 10 Oct 8
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3

Evangelicals need to see it. Actually, I think lots of people of all persuasions need to see it, not just for science, but lots of other aspects of life. I look back on my education and understand that I was taught to answer the question with what was taught. Every question had a "right answer" so truth is the acquisition of right answers. When science isn't able to conclusively answer a question, or when more information leads to a new model or conclusion, then those pursuing right answers are thrown into a quandary. They don't know how to act or how to respond because their right answer was wrong. Science in its collections of facts which leads to new conclusions must not be reliable if the right answers from yesterday and today can become wrong tomorrow. We as understanding human beings must be willing to accept the paradigm shift when new information becomes available indicating a new dynamic previously unknown of unrealized. I find this has been as true in regards to my personal relationships as much as any scientific discovery I may read about or hear has been discovered.

2

Most religious minded people are used to silver bullet solutions because they believe in the magical concepts that religion promotes, no need to think critically when you can just believe and do as you are told. Religions have thousands of years of practice at this stuff and when stuff happens that contradicts the magical explanation in the magic book they either change the text, chastise the person questioning the contradiction for lacking 'faith' or put it down to a misinterpretation, allegory, metaphor, etc.
Science and the Scientific Method are about using empirical data to either prove or disprove a Hypothesis but even when it becomes a Proven Theory it is not stated as an Absolute Fact because Science leaves open the door for new information, improvements in technology to more accurately measure and provide improved data, so a Proven Theory is always subject to reassessment and analysis so that we get a clearer picture of reality.
No unicorns or harp playing angels in a Scientific World, unless you can prove it.

3

Important to remember.
Actually it is a very simple concept. I think those who attack science and seek to undermine it are most often NOT honestly confused about the basic fact that science is a process.
No, they are intentionally attacking it because THEY have a personal political and/or religious agenda and are afraid of science exposing their agenda as being divorced from reality.
Scientists get verbally attacked all the time for their statements, and not just by BD66 here, but by their fellow scientists. That is part of the process. Science is bigger than any one scientist.

0

And sometimes scientists are just flat out liars:

BD66 Level 8 Oct 8, 2021

I’m sure some scientists are, but this video is not an example of that. At the time this advice was given, it was the best advice. As he clearly states, the point was to conserve the limited (at the time) supply of masks for those who needed them the most.

As the virus spread, and as masks became available, the correct advice was for everyone to wear a mask.

There was no lying in this video.

@skado The fact that we didn’t have enough masks was due to mind boggling incompetence on the part of Fauci the NIH and the CDC. When that dishonest idiot went on 60 minutes with his terrible advice, I had already made a homemade mask following the steps a Chinese woman showed on YouTube.

@BD66
Maybe you should apply for his job.

Explain to me how that's a lie?? It comes across to me as an opinion.....

@Dhiltong Covid is an airborne virus. They knew in 1918 (during the Spanish Flu) that one of the best ways to prevent the spread of airborne viruses was the use of face masks. Many people made homemade face masks back in 1918 and 1919 that were effective at stopping the spread of the Spanish Flu. There were two different outbreaks in Asia, SARS in 2003 and the Swine Flu in 2009. They broke out the face masks to stop the spread. Plus Covid-19 had been around for 3 months already when Fauci did the 60 Minutes interview. It was effectively kept under control in countries like China, Taiwan, Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan by the population using face masks. If Fauci was unaware of all of those facts, he had to be one of the biggest idiots on planet Earth. Instead of telling people to create whatever face mask protection they could, he said that face masks were not for ordinary people. That's a flat out lie. There is no way around it.

@skado I took my last biology class in 1981. I chose to get my doctorate in electrical engineering rather than medicine, so I have a strong background in electronics, magnetism, solid state physics, RF propagation, and acoustics. My knowledge of viruses is limited. However I do know enough to tell when someone in WAY past his prime. Anthony Fauci is now 80 years old. He contradicts himself all the time. Here is a short video of him throwing a baseball:

Twenty years ago, his arm would have worked just fine, but time has taken its toll on his arm, just like it has taken its toll on his brain. You don't have 80 year old generals leading troops in to battle. It's equally crazy to have an 80 year old man leading the US effort at fighting the pandemic.

He needs to be replaced by someone younger, more honest, and with a better functioning brain.

@BD66 Ya, you’re a Fauci hater we got that. But you need to keep in mind that at the time his boss was Donald Trump and he may very well have been instructed to downplay it. We all know via a recorded conversation with Bob Woodward that Trump knew the severity of the virus while at same time telling us it was a hoax.

@BD66
Man who can’t throw baseball not capable of understanding science.

Or that’s what my grampa used to say anyway, so it’s gotta be true.

@skado 80 year old man can't throw a baseball.
80 year old man makes ridiculous recommendations.
80 year old man contradicts himself regularly.
80 year old man should be replaced with a younger sharper man.

@BD66
Eighty year-olds are, without exception, incapable of functioning in any position of responsibility? Should categorically be banned from employment?

@skado When they are in important positions, and show obvious evidence of cognitive decline, (Biden and Fauci for example), they should be replaced with a younger, sharper person.

@skado Here's the latest example:

@BD66
Or if their training and lifetime of professional experience in an area that you have no training or experience in happens to disagree with your whims?

@skado I had 4 grandparents go through significant mental decline from their late 70's through their 80's. The signs in Biden are obvious.

Fauci is stil much brighter than Biden, but not bright enough to serve in his current role:

@BD66
I’d say, with those credentials, you should be able to snatch either of those jobs away from those incompetent geezers. I’ll wait.

@skado That's the problem with our current political system. In the USA, The best and the brightest do not rise to the top. The 2008 Presidential Election was the best example. If you look at who was on the Democrat and Republican tickets:

Obama: Never once made the honor role his entire time as an undergraduate.
Biden: Graduated bottom 1/3 of his class both as an undergraduate and in law school.
McCain: Graduated 5th from the bottom of his class in the US Naval Academy.
Palin: Took 6 tries at 6 different colleges to finally get a degree in Journalism.

The problem seems to be some combination of polarization that would allow someone to watch Biden's pathetic display:

but still vote for him for President, biased journalism that would cover for someone as incompetent and mentally compromised as Biden.

At any rate, if you compare our top politicians to the top politicians from China and Japan, it's not contest. Politicians in Japan and China actually need to achieve something before they move up their party's ladder.

It's a very sad state of affairs.

@BD66
A n d . . . you voted for Trump?

@skado I'm not fan of Trump, I would have preferred most of the 2016 Republican candidates over Trump.

I couldn't stand Trump or Hillary in 2016, so I voted for a 3rd party candidate.

In 2020 when comparing Trump vs. Biden, Trump was the lessor of 2 evils.

@BD66
Ok, well, there’s where we part ways. I, too, voted 3rd party in 2016, for the same reason. But come 2020, even tho I preach constantly against lesser evil voting, I had to vote against moral gangrene, in spite of rigor mortis.

The problem, in my estimation is not the candidates, but the culture. A well-informed and healthy electorate would not allow such clowns to be nominated, let alone elected.

@skado Agreed.

6

And remember, science isn't in a completely chaotic state of flux.
It most often just modifies existing knowledge to more precisely describe reality.

One of my favorite essays is from Isaac Asimov -- 'The Relativity of Wrong' -- [hermiene.net]

Great point!

Thanks also for posting the Asimov article - a very worthwhile read.

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