Deseret News | Science prostituted

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Readers' forum: Science prostituted

Anonymous | 1:17 a.m. Nov. 14, 2009

Politicians on both sides of the aisle have been guilty of selectively appropriating scientific findings and using them for personal gain. What I find disturbing is that the Bush administration would routinely censor scientific findings of federal agencies when those findings disagreed with Bush's political ideology.

But don't blame the scientists for the politicians' actions. Scientists who are publishing their findings in reputable, peer-reviewed scientific journals are not simply pushing a political agenda, nor are they manipulating the facts in order to keep their jobs. They're doing rigorous research, writing honestly about what they find, and subjecting that writing to serious scrutiny. The process is the same for the folks whose findings support theories of climate change as for those whose findings cast doubt on those theories (and both camps are publishing).

John C. | 2:38 a.m. Nov. 14, 2009

Part 1: It is amazing how we as a people will believe anything that is said by scientist. We are taught in school that science is pure and only seeks for truth. Well science may be pure but those in the differing scientific fields are not always out to find what is true.
Just as in any other profession or beliefs if you will, there are those who are out for themselves. Scientist just like any other person can have ambitions for fame and notoriety, rich’s and political pressure the same as some big wig on wall street.
Just a couple of examples are what all the scientist said to prove that Jews were a inferior race in Hitler’s Germany so that he could get the people on his side of that issue.

John C. | 2:39 a.m. Nov. 14, 2009

Part 2: Also during WWII here in America certain senators who had discriminating views against Blacks got scientist to prove that to prove that blacks couldn’t possibly be good fighter pilots because of there biological make up wouldn’t allow them to take high G- forces. But the brave men of Tuskegee proved them wrong.
Today scientist love their computer models. Why? Because they can get their models to say anything they want when the put the #’s in just right. Sometimes for us laymen it is hard to understand who really is on the right track and who is up in the night. Especially now with the debate of global warming. This is one of those issues that is very much foiled by politics and money. Al Gore has gotten himself a lot of money with it.

Comments continue below

Thank You | 3:29 a.m. Nov. 14, 2009

Exactly!!!

What? | 4:53 a.m. Nov. 14, 2009

You got educated real good by your relative Gomer Pyle.

today's hilarious entry.... | 5:31 a.m. Nov. 14, 2009

the problem today is that there are way too many greed-driven miscreants who don't feel the need to leave a decent world behind for future generations. And speaking of religion, don't most religions view greed and selfish behavior as sins? Many many Americans are just plain hypocrites!

Timj | 6:23 a.m. Nov. 14, 2009

So the politicians that bring in a fringe scientist from Alabama to speak about global warming are practicing good science, while the numerous local scientists (including 18 from BYU) who call this scientist "fringe" are practicing politics?

dave | 7:26 a.m. Nov. 14, 2009

What on earth are you talking about? Did your tin foil hat slip off?

How wrong can you get? | 7:38 a.m. Nov. 14, 2009

Mr. Gomer, it's not about conflicting religious points of view.

Reality is staring you in the face and you're closing your eyes, plugging your ears and shouting "La la la la la I can't hear you!" to avoid dealing with your own ignorance.

Doug G | 7:53 a.m. Nov. 14, 2009

Yes, it must be new left politics, and not science or even common sense that suggests that every county road ditch isn't still a landfill, and that every waterway a chemical dump, like in the good old days. Bring back leaded gasoline, I say, there's no 'good' science to say it shouldn't be.
What a crock.

shecky | 7:59 a.m. Nov. 14, 2009

Another Gomer.

Anonymous | 8:06 a.m. Nov. 14, 2009

Hey Ed, rather than some cheap, broad-based partisan shot, how about some evidence? I seriously doubt you have any evidence and would rather shove you head in the sand and worry solely about your own personal economic interests. Do you speak with any knowledge or training, or are you one of those who attack those who do because you don't?

Anonymous | 8:08 a.m. Nov. 14, 2009

Yes Ed it is very evident that there is a collution between certain segments of our society, like; education and politics, or the media and politics, or big corporations and politics, and even science and politics. We have become corrupted to the core. Just look at who Obama appointed as the "green czar" even an avowed communist! Who's plan it was to use the hoax of 'global warming' to redistribute the wealth of our country in true marxist form. "give them the wealth! give them the wealth!" he screamed! We are being destroyed from within. I hope that the left and the right figure this out before too much longer.

Art C. | 8:30 a.m. Nov. 14, 2009

Ugga bugga Ed. Fear of everything that has a good effect on the human race is bad. Right?
Lets return to the days of stripping forests, over fishing, open pit mines, offshore drilling, strip mining, etc.
Oh wait, we are still doing that.
Now what is your problem?

Kevin | 9:17 a.m. Nov. 14, 2009

Ed "Gomer" of Herriman doesn't "know" what he's talking about. Maybe "he" should write a "new right" scientific paper "and" get it published.

Ned | 9:18 a.m. Nov. 14, 2009

Never waste a good crisis, Ed.

Anonymous | 9:29 a.m. Nov. 14, 2009

You think science is corrupt but you still sit in front of a computer. You probably still go to the doctor. You get in a car that's 100% safer and cleaner than 24 years ago.

Technology developed from scientific investigation has been pretty successful for the last 24 years.

Huh? | 9:29 a.m. Nov. 14, 2009

You mean because the "New Left" wants to base policy on the best science available, that this is a form of "prostitution"?

What do you recommend for establishing policy upon? Myth? (forcing creationism in schools over evolution) Gut feeling? (barring sex ed in schools) Doctored intelligence? (Iraq)... I'm sorry, but the track record of non-science based "knowledge" is not good.

Patsy | 9:54 a.m. Nov. 14, 2009

Um, it sounds like you are describing religion not science.

RL | 10:35 a.m. Nov. 14, 2009

You should've learned something after 22 years about respecting our Mother Earth from our Native American brothers and sisters.

Sad, you missed that beautiful lesson.
They were right, we've been wrong.

Peace

Interesting... | 11:16 a.m. Nov. 14, 2009

You state "Today the jobs of thousands of "environmentalists" are dependent on keeping the public in a constant state of fear that the end is near. "

I argue that we could rewrite this as "Today the jobs of thousands of "Religious Leaders" are dependent on keeping the public in a constant state of fear that the end is near. " And it would be a more acurate statement.

@ RL - 1035 am | 12:40 p.m. Nov. 14, 2009

If Science is prostituted, what makes these people tick?. Is this also called Respecting Mother Earth?.

What's for dinner in MOSCOW - Russian police have arrested three homeless people suspected of eating a 25-year-old man they had butchered and selling other bits of the corpse to a local kebab house.

Suspicions were raised when dismembered parts of a human body were found near a bus stop in the outskirts of the Russian city of Perm, 720 miles east of Moscow.

Three homeless men with previous criminal records have been arrested on suspicion of setting upon a foe with knives and a hammer before chopping up his corpse to eat, local investigators said in a statement.

same old same old | 1:11 p.m. Nov. 14, 2009

typical conservative rants by the letter writer and posters lots of name calling and accusations and no facts.

Anonymous | 3:08 p.m. Nov. 14, 2009

RIGHT WING COMMENT, DENIED TRUTH

Fudged data | 3:13 p.m. Nov. 14, 2009

Nothing is more common in science than data that has been "cherry picked" altered or incomplete! Ask the FDA or the EPA!

Anything! | 3:33 p.m. Nov. 14, 2009

Anything can be proven or disproven with science! It all depends on what you want "proved"! The evidence of this being the absolute truth about science is that there is almost never total agreement between scientists! Every scientific "truth" will eventually be shown to be totally wrong or totally incomplete! Anyone who says other wise is no scientist! On that, you can rest assured!

Felix Urioste | 3:43 p.m. Nov. 14, 2009

Science is a fraud. We all know people are black because Cain killed Abel.
We know a flood killed everyone on earth, except for 8 individuals just 4000 years ago.
We know the earth is only 6000 years old and that people built wooden submarines 3000 years ago and used shiney rocks to illuminate them.
Yep, science is a sham.

Re Felix | 4:14 p.m. Nov. 14, 2009

Has it occured to you that God is the greatest scientist in the universe? Because you can't comprehend God, he doesn't exist, right? We don't know how old (when God organized existing elements) the earth is and neither do mortal scientists. By the way they weren't submarines, they were barges! Huge difference but even if they were submarines, what difference does that make? Shiney rocks? Whats so tough about that? Edison invented "shiney" tungsten wires encased in a glass vacuum! Not too tough is it?

Lagomorph | 6:04 p.m. Nov. 14, 2009

Of course the Far Right would never consider "keeping the public in a constant state of fear that the end is near" to achieve their goals, right?

How often have we heard these fear-mongering shibboleths from Rush, Beck, Mero, Ruzicka, et al.:

socialism, socialism, socialism!
constitution hanging by a thread
gay marriage will destroy hetero marriage
illegal immigrant threat
war on Christmas
death panels
gun confiscation

Gloom and doom scenarios are staples of talk radio, where every day the nation is heading somewhere unpleasant in a handbasket. At least most environmentalist rants are balanced with an optimism thatthe situation can be reversed and improved.

@Langomorph | 8:15 p.m. Nov. 14, 2009

Shhhhh! We are in a crisis and need to spend our childrens future right now! No time to argue about unintended consequences. We'll have plenty of time for that later, for now, we must spend and create new beurocrisies (sp)!can't spell it and can't afford it!

RE: John C. | 9:08 p.m. Nov. 14, 2009

NO ONE has been taught that science is pure and only seeks for truth,

in fact it is quite UNPURE,

and populated by impefect people who are often spending their trying to prove their wacky ideas and NOT truth,

that why is constantly changing over the millenia.

While I think many are honestly trying to undestnad and search for truth,

too many are so caught up in their wacky and rediculous ideas like climate change and evolution,

that become completely blind to truth,

and miss truth altogether,

then thier science becomed dogma or politics.

Anonymous | 10:04 p.m. Nov. 14, 2009

REP'S dont like the idea of telling the truth about how are we helping to accelerate the natural process of killing our natural resources.

It is not about lying, there is a lot people out there that are working hard in order to share whats happening to our enviroment.

The problem is that people are so in politics that forget about taking care for what it is important today.

DOESNT MATTER IF YOU ARE REP OR DEM, THIS IS ABOUT TO CARE OF THE PLACE WE LIVE IN.

BUT OF COURSE, YOU DONT GET IT! Those crazy liberals (and the blind right wing)

re: Re Felix | 12:53 p.m. Nov. 15, 2009

You do not "know" that, you believe that.
Huge difference between knowing and believing. The sooner you figure that out, the better off you'll be.

Know everything? | 4:32 p.m. Nov. 15, 2009

Of course I don't know everything and niether do you! The sooner you figure that out the better off you will be.

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