[FRIAM] Science Commits Suicide (yes, another trolling headline)

[Gary Schiltz]

Eric, I don't know either you or Dave West personally, and hope I don't fan
the embers into flames. Some of Dave's posts certainly have a trolling
tone. I agree that painting everyone in a group (in this case, scientists)
with such a broad brush merits calling bullshit, but the posts haven't
bothered me. As far as Friam involvement goes, I suspect that nobody has
ever been banned for their posts, for which I'm happy. This is the most
mature group of thinkers that I've ever had the pleasure to be a part. I
admit that I only skim a lot of the philosophical ramblings, which are
quite over my head, but I would miss anyone who has been part of the group.

On Fri, May 29, 2020 at 5:18 PM David Eric Smith <desmith at santafe.edu>
wrote:

> Dave,
>
> > On May 30, 2020, at 12:32 AM, Prof David West <profwest at fastmail.fm>
> wrote:
> >
> > Science suffers from a similar problem. Making assertions as if they
> were unalloyed accurate and True Facts when they know that the models, the
> assumptions, the data (lack of) generate more ambiguity and conclude little
> more than probabilities. And they constantly change. But Science remains
> unable to admit to error or ambiguity — generating a facade that is just as
> false as the "We are always in the right" facade of police departments.
>
> That’s a lot of bullshit.
>
> It is a general claim about the actions of an encompassing set of people.
> I have a large set of people against whom I can test that claim, and it is
> about as opposite from factual accuracy as I know how to get in the world
> of human behavior.
>
> You are, of course, free to believe whatever serves your own needs, and I
> continue to support your right to do it unmolested.  You are even free to
> troll up to whatever limits the board moderators consider appropriate, and
> I can’t imagine the above comes anywhere near infringing on a limit of
> decency.
>
> However, if you are trolling in a public place, it is reasonable for
> someone else to flag the trolling as bullshit.
>
> Eric
>
>
>
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