How reliable is science? (The limitations of science)
"For one thing, basic science studies are rarely "blinded" the way clinical trials are. That is, researchers know which cell line or mouse got a treatment or had cancer. That can be a problem when data are subject to interpretation, as a researcher who is intellectually invested in a theory is more likely to interpret ambiguous evidence in its favor.The problem goes beyond cancer.-On Tuesday, a committee of the National Academy of Sciences heard testimony that the number of scientific papers that had to be retracted increased more than tenfold over the last decade; the number of journal articles published rose only 44 percent."-This is precisely my point. As the article goes on to mention, it goes beyond the medical/biology field. For the layman, this translates into, "if I do not have the ability to verify their results, and I can not take them at their word, why should I believe anything that they say? More importantly, if I can't trust the people doing research, such as the medical and pharmaceutical companies, how can I trust my doctor?"-Keep in mind that lawmakers pass laws based on this as well. There was a woman recently that was charged with murder because she refused to give her son Chemotherapy. Given the state of cancer research, can we blame her?
--
What is the purpose of living? How about, 'to reduce needless suffering. It seems to me to be a worthy purpose.