Comments on: Start The Week http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/ Ben Goldacre's Bad Science column from the Guardian and more... Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:24:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Amy25 http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/comment-page-1/#comment-30931 Amy25 Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:18:04 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/#comment-30931 Lots students transpire the duty to qualified resume writers because they don't have the skill to compose a respectable resume so that the argument why you need to <a href="//www.prime-resume.com" rel="nofollow">resume service</a>, but such people like writer don't do that. Thank you very much for the article. A kind of important knowledge about this topic. Lots students transpire the duty to qualified resume writers because they don’t have the skill to compose a respectable resume so that the argument why you
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]]> By: jumma http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/comment-page-1/#comment-23879 jumma Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:57:40 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/#comment-23879 Ah, got it. I don't think she is referring to randomness of results, she must be as aware of the orderliness of evolution's products as any of us, I think it's more the randomness of evolution's methods that she's referring to. For a proponent of ID, the non-randomness is provided by God; it would be interesting to know what Midgley (a staunch opponent of ID) would put in His place. Ah, got it. I don’t think she is referring to randomness of results, she must be as aware of the orderliness of evolution’s products as any of us, I think it’s more the randomness of evolution’s methods that she’s referring to.

For a proponent of ID, the non-randomness is provided by God; it would be interesting to know what Midgley (a staunch opponent of ID) would put in His place.

]]> By: jonathon tomlinson http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/comment-page-1/#comment-23878 jonathon tomlinson Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:34:49 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/#comment-23878 Returning to the trickier subject of narrative. Lyotard also makes the point (more original in 1975 than today) that scientists scorn narrative knowledge as [variations of the general theme of woolly, unflasifiable rubbish] ...which is a very popular position today (just read the hammer and tongs responses on most science blogs) I'm also interested in the various narratives here: the Epic; Ben as hero fighting the forces of woo, The liberation struggle: Ben as revolutionary leader emancipating the masses by translating science [the Bible] for the proletariat, The Tragedy: the Sysyphean task of battling markets with science and so on. Returning to the trickier subject of narrative. Lyotard also makes the point (more original in 1975 than today) that scientists scorn narrative knowledge as [variations of the general theme of woolly, unflasifiable rubbish] …which is a very popular position today (just read the hammer and tongs responses on most science blogs) I’m also interested in the various narratives here: the Epic; Ben as hero fighting the forces of woo, The liberation struggle: Ben as revolutionary leader emancipating the masses by translating science [the Bible] for the proletariat, The Tragedy: the Sysyphean task of battling markets with science and so on.

]]> By: mikewhit http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/comment-page-1/#comment-23877 mikewhit Fri, 23 Jan 2009 14:29:57 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/#comment-23877 My beef is that she asserts that evolution by natural selection would give rise to 'random' results. Can't locate the quotation I'm thinking of ATM ... My beef is that she asserts that evolution by natural selection would give rise to ‘random’ results. Can’t locate the quotation I’m thinking of ATM …

]]> By: jumma http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/comment-page-1/#comment-23876 jumma Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:47:23 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/#comment-23876 Aargh spelling, I meant 'cause' not 'clause' Aargh spelling, I meant ’cause’ not ‘clause’

]]> By: jumma http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/comment-page-1/#comment-23874 jumma Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:43:57 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/#comment-23874 Thanks, poisongarden! I don't honestly think that the September 6th letter says anything controversial about evolution itself. What she may be doing is something she has been accused of elsewhere, which is 'attacking a straw man' in implying that Richard Dawkins and Jerry Coyne promote natural selection as the 'sole and exclusive clause' of evolution. This is an absurd belief which I'm sure neither of them hold. Thanks, poisongarden!

I don’t honestly think that the September 6th letter says anything controversial about evolution itself.

What she may be doing is something she has been accused of elsewhere, which is ‘attacking a straw man’ in implying that Richard Dawkins and Jerry Coyne promote natural selection as the ‘sole and exclusive clause’ of evolution. This is an absurd belief which I’m sure neither of them hold.

]]> By: thepoisongarden http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/comment-page-1/#comment-23872 thepoisongarden Fri, 23 Jan 2009 08:20:19 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/#comment-23872 jumma, here's the letter mikewhitt referred to http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2005/sep/06/religion.news jumma, here’s the letter mikewhitt referred to www.guardian.co.uk/science/2005/sep/06/religion.news

]]> By: jumma http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/comment-page-1/#comment-23866 jumma Thu, 22 Jan 2009 20:00:00 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/#comment-23866 mikewhit says Mary Midgely is 'rubbish on Evolution by Natural Selection'. This surprises me: I have always found her writing both subtle and rigorous, so I'd love to see an example of her producing rubbish. In the spirit of openness, it would be nice to know what she said or wrote that earned this description: the link is to a letter written to the Guardian by somebody else who gives no evidence of having read her. mikewhit says Mary Midgely is ‘rubbish on Evolution by Natural Selection’. This surprises me: I have always found her writing both subtle and rigorous, so I’d love to see an example of her producing rubbish.

In the spirit of openness, it would be nice to know what she said or wrote that earned this description: the link is to a letter written to the Guardian by somebody else who gives no evidence of having read her.

]]> By: jonathon tomlinson http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/comment-page-1/#comment-23865 jonathon tomlinson Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:05:20 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/#comment-23865 What is sometimes difficult to understand is that people (including scientists) make sense of the world (including science) through narratives which include facts, and not facts alone. The challenge is to consider what makes a narrative authentic or true (as opposed to politically useful) and not get stuck in a postmodern bog of relativity. In in this difficult endeavour Mary's definitely on our side. What is sometimes difficult to understand is that people (including scientists) make sense of the world (including science) through narratives which include facts, and not facts alone. The challenge is to consider what makes a narrative authentic or true (as opposed to politically useful) and not get stuck in a postmodern bog of relativity. In in this difficult endeavour Mary’s definitely on our side.

]]> By: mikewhit http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/comment-page-1/#comment-23858 mikewhit Thu, 22 Jan 2009 14:22:48 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/#comment-23858 "Mary Midgely is beautifully clear on the subject." ... although she is rubbish on Evolution by Natural Selection: http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2005/sep/07/guardianletters1 “Mary Midgely is beautifully clear on the subject.”

… although she is rubbish on Evolution by Natural Selection: www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2005/sep/07/guardianletters1

]]> By: jonathon tomlinson http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/comment-page-1/#comment-23851 jonathon tomlinson Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:04:23 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/#comment-23851 Hi Ben, I guess you covered Lyotard during your stint at Kings, but having just started reading 'The Postmodern Condition' (as part of an attempt to read around narrative medicine) i came accoss discussions of science and narrative which is highly relevant to your endeavour: ""....the Platonic discourse [The Dialogues] that inaugurates science is not scientific, precisely to the extent that it attempts to legitimate science. Scientific knowledge cannot know and make known that it is true knowledge without relating to the other, narrative, kind of knowledge, which, from its point of view is no knowledge at all. Without such recourse it would be in the position of presupposing its own validity and would be stooping to what it condemns: begging the question, proceeding on prejudice. But does it not fall into the same trap by using narrative as its authority?" Mary Midgely is beautifully clear on the subject. Should Badscience be 'Badscience, Badscience narratives and The Goodscience narrative?' (carefully avoiding any grand/meta-narrative tedencies) Hi Ben, I guess you covered Lyotard during your stint at Kings, but having just started reading ‘The Postmodern Condition’ (as part of an attempt to read around narrative medicine) i came accoss discussions of science and narrative which is highly relevant to your endeavour: “”….the Platonic discourse [The Dialogues] that inaugurates science is not scientific, precisely to the extent that it attempts to legitimate science. Scientific knowledge cannot know and make known that it is true knowledge without relating to the other, narrative, kind of knowledge, which, from its point of view is no knowledge at all. Without such recourse it would be in the position of presupposing its own validity and would be stooping to what it condemns: begging the question, proceeding on prejudice. But does it not fall into the same trap by using narrative as its authority?”
Mary Midgely is beautifully clear on the subject.
Should Badscience be ‘Badscience, Badscience narratives and The Goodscience narrative?’ (carefully avoiding any grand/meta-narrative tedencies)

]]> By: mikewhit http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/comment-page-1/#comment-23850 mikewhit Wed, 21 Jan 2009 17:58:33 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/#comment-23850 So,any observations or info on the forthcoming edition of Bad Science (see above) - or should I just Google more assiduously in an attempt to find out ... So,any observations or info on the forthcoming edition of Bad Science (see above) – or should I just Google more assiduously in an attempt to find out …

]]> By: mikewhit http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/comment-page-1/#comment-23846 mikewhit Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:07:28 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/#comment-23846 Don't forget the media also has "bonkers social workers" to go at ... Don’t forget the media also has “bonkers social workers” to go at …

]]> By: censored http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/comment-page-1/#comment-23844 censored Tue, 20 Jan 2009 09:14:33 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/#comment-23844 Good stuff. I think this makes you part of the intellectual establishment. Did you get the vague impression the presenter didn't quite get your main point though? He kept bringing it back to trying to simplify complex ideas, whereas I think you were trying to say that science isn't hard but it's either dumbed down to idiocy or reported as if it's alien and distant and only "bonkers boffins" would understand. Good stuff. I think this makes you part of the intellectual establishment.

Did you get the vague impression the presenter didn’t quite get your main point though? He kept bringing it back to trying to simplify complex ideas, whereas I think you were trying to say that science isn’t hard but it’s either dumbed down to idiocy or reported as if it’s alien and distant and only “bonkers boffins” would understand.

]]> By: NeilHoskins http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/comment-page-1/#comment-23843 NeilHoskins Tue, 20 Jan 2009 08:29:35 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/#comment-23843 ...or you could just buy a Nokia smartphone and use the free podcasting app. If you set it to download only on your home/work WiFi, you can avoid avoid data charges from your operator. I hope you know more about science than you do about smartphones. …or you could just buy a Nokia smartphone and use the free podcasting app. If you set it to download only on your home/work WiFi, you can avoid avoid data charges from your operator.

I hope you know more about science than you do about smartphones.

]]> By: tobrien http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/comment-page-1/#comment-23839 tobrien Tue, 20 Jan 2009 01:34:52 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/#comment-23839 Who was the fashionably Autistic man on the program with you who talked wistfully of Obama's Inauguration maybe opening the door up for a high-functioning Autistic Prime Minister? Who was the fashionably Autistic man on the program with you who talked wistfully of Obama’s Inauguration maybe opening the door up for a high-functioning Autistic Prime Minister?

]]> By: wiz5 http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/comment-page-1/#comment-23836 wiz5 Mon, 19 Jan 2009 23:53:25 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/#comment-23836 Why is it always assumed rational people should follow health advice? Surely desire for self survival is an irrational core belief. From another core belief it could be argued that you shouldn't wish to live beyond your usefulness. Why is it always assumed rational people should follow health advice?

Surely desire for self survival is an irrational core belief. From another core belief it could be argued that you shouldn’t wish to live beyond your usefulness.

]]> By: mockingbird http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/comment-page-1/#comment-23835 mockingbird Mon, 19 Jan 2009 23:13:46 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/#comment-23835 It's a shame there wasn't more time to discuss the issue of widening the goalpoasts when it comes to diagnosing autism. Daniel Tammet describes himself as having high-functioning autism, yet still feels that without help he would have suffered a lot more than if he hadn't been diagnosed. In light of Daniel's comments, I'd have been interested to hear Ben's opinion regarding when it would be appropriate to decide at what point a personality trait that causes someone difficulties (which we all have to an extent) becomes severe enough to be diagnosed as a 'disorder'. It’s a shame there wasn’t more time to discuss the issue of widening the goalpoasts when it comes to diagnosing autism. Daniel Tammet describes himself as having high-functioning autism, yet still feels that without help he would have suffered a lot more than if he hadn’t been diagnosed. In light of Daniel’s comments, I’d have been interested to hear Ben’s opinion regarding when it would be appropriate to decide at what point a personality trait that causes someone difficulties (which we all have to an extent) becomes severe enough to be diagnosed as a ‘disorder’.

]]> By: T http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/comment-page-1/#comment-23834 T Mon, 19 Jan 2009 22:51:58 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2009/01/start-the-week/#comment-23834 Wow sorry Ben but Daniel stole the show for me, I could listen to him talk all day. I found his view on life very poignant and enlightening. Having been appalled by the labour MP Graham Stringers comments on dyslexia in the press recently it was wonderful to hear Daniel describe how he sees numbers in his minds eye in such a creative manner, but also to hint at the possibilities of enabling others to achieve a greater awareness of the richness of mathematics and language if they were taught differently.( I know Daniel is an autistic savant and not dyslexic but I could see correlations in relation to differences in brain functionality) Daniel for PM.. Wow sorry Ben but Daniel stole the show for me, I could listen to him talk all day. I found his view on life very poignant and enlightening. Having been appalled by the labour MP Graham Stringers comments on dyslexia in the press recently it was wonderful to hear Daniel describe how he sees numbers in his minds eye in such a creative manner, but also to hint at the possibilities of enabling others to achieve a greater awareness of the richness of mathematics and language if they were taught differently.( I know Daniel is an autistic savant and not dyslexic but I could see correlations in relation to differences in brain functionality) Daniel for PM..

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