75% Sagan says "Let's respect science"
Review : Pretty logical book about science and democracy
meaning : Science is good applying scientific principles to other things like coming up with the constitution is good
SYNOPSIS
- science inspired him as child
- broad knowledge is important
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The war against Science
- pseudo-science LIKED seen as +ve, it's easy and reassures. What we don't understand we assign to God so always has an answer
- Real-science NOT LIKED seen as -ve - not understood (society is science illiterate, dumbed down), but some bad CFC etc, also boring and unsexy cos skeptism is part of process, takes away the magic
- science moves too fast so people lose faith
- but science is good there are real results e.g. it can predict sex of baby, but pseudo cannot.
- science accurately predicts the future religion doesn't
- science welcomes skeptics religion doesn't .. when you lose ability for critical thinking can't have a proper debate
- individual scientists are fallible, but scientific process picks up errors, so science itself doesn't get weaker but moves forward
- float ideas which are then disproved, but eventually get universal truths
- scientific truth is not questionable unlike history
- e.g. Soviet political interference kept their genetics study 30 years behind
- e.g. 2 if prayer worked Kings wouldlive longer than other nobles
- Uncool nerds - well they keep the world alive Radar etc
Lies
- blames bad counselors for causing false beliefs, e.g. 1 alien abduction, 2. false sex abuse
- worst is to disbelieve, but say you believe (calls it infidelity)
- same lies in commercialism
- lies cover evils - scientists in pay of business, fake science crystals etc
Balony detection kit
- Independent confirmation
- debate encouraged from all levels
- alternative hypotheses
- don't be loyal to a hypothesis
- numbers
- check every stage of chain
- choose simplest explanation - Occams Razor
- can it be faked ?
- controlled expt
- double blind
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Bad Logic
- criticise the man
- blind trust in authority
- external arguments - if we don't find him guilty it might encourage others
- not been proved false so must be true
- word games
- assuming
- cherry picking stats
- small sample
- bad statistical principles e.g. must be due for a win soon
- coincidence=cause + effect
- false dichotomy - "you are with us or against us"
- slippery slope
- building a straw man (misrepresenting the opp opinion then demoloshing it)
- not based on truths
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- interesting ship owner story.. he didn't apply rules of logic and took a risk sending his ship to sea. Yes conned hisself, but is reponsible for deaths
- Deutomy expressly forbids divination
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Morality in science
- Rant against H-bomb Mr Teller
- "devil can quote scripture to his purpose"
Science principles to life
- CSI-COP - rationalism not just ridicule
- science is for everyone even Bushmen use it
- teaching - need to learn by experience e.g. play at writing a constitution
- whinge at bad science teaching in US schools
- literacy important
- whinge at bad science on TV
- science needs to be generally funded can't just commercially direct, it grows organically can't be programmed
- whinge against spending on military science
- more money is spent on quack medicine than research
- problem is short termism of commercial investors
- politicians are afraid cos they know science sceptism will lead to political sceptism, but just like it's good for science it's good for society
Constitution is Great
- separation of Church and state is important so there can be different religions
- democracy is good to stop tyrants
- people can be misled so seperation of powers justice/legaslature / federation is important
- policies are only experiments, so scientific principles should be applied
- scientists wrote constitution Franklin and Jefferson
- seems that American got the vote 100 + years earlier than UK working man/women in 1919
- Freedom of speech important cos stupid ideas get debated
- oath "I promise to question the leaders.."
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