[FRIAM] Science Commits Suicide

[Marcus Daniels]

Jon writes:



“Especially interesting in Bret's story is the uncoverings/speculations

around corruption which does/can exist in the peer-review process.

Contrast this with the tremendously naive, and much more nationally

syndicated, perspective of the new Daily Show host, Trevor Noah.

Here he is arguing that "People shouldn't be able to put out studies

before they've been verified". Before this statement and after he

makes some ambiguous gestures at the necessity of peer-review in

the truth making process.“

There was an article posted by Eric a few weeks ago that turned out to be very controversial once it made it to major newspapers.   The Atlantic, for example, made similar remarks on the importance of peer review.   From my perspective, that article was like many of the papers from the authors.   It might have had a bit more rhetoric than needed, but overall it seemed to me to raise public health concerns that certainly should be considered as possibilities by officials and all people.   If there is worry that people will panic when faced with potentially bad news, well, maybe people need to become more robust to ambiguity.   For the most part in biology, results are trends and not black-and-white contrasts.   It doesn’t help in a crisis to hold back investigations just because a few premises aren’t fully evidenced.   Instead, seek to get more evidence *and* think about interventions if the expected outcome is severe enough.

Like with Trump, the problem is not that Science™ is so grandiose and arrogant, the problems is with impatient, ignorant people and their authoritarian personalities that seek out leaders, whether political or scientific, that will offer false dichotomies rather than admitting that they are not sure what to do or what will happen.  It seems to me doctors wear white coats because people seek-out and are comforted by authority.  Perhaps that is why so many female leaders were more adaptive to the pandemic.   When confidence couldn’t be provided, at least they could talk about it and make vulnerability be ok.

Marcus
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