Posted on 01/23/2006 7:26:53 AM PST by ZGuy
In our secular, post-religious society, the figure of the cassock-clad priest has been replaced by that of the white-coated scientist. Dispensing wisdom from the laboratory -- his every word is awaited breathlessly by a world thirsting for knowledge.
It's all very well having secular shamans, but when they're caught cooking the holy books once too often, the faithful start to get worried. Scientific fraud, like that perpetrated by South Korean stem-cell researcher Hwang Woo Suk, is not new. Newton did it; Dalton did it; even Sigmund Freud did it. In more recent times, IQ researcher Sir Cyril Burt committed fraud, as did Australian gynecologist William McBride.
Ernst Haeckel spun pictures of human and animal embryos out of whole cloth in order to show that they shared primitive evolutionary similarities. The year 2002 saw the uncovering of apparent frauds by physicists Victor Ninov at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Jan Hendrik Schön at Bell Labs. [snip]
I venture to suggest that contemporary science is now so corrupted by the lust for loot and glory that nothing less than root-and-branch reform can save it. I share the late philosopher Paul Feyerabend's demand for a separation of science and state, or at the very least a radical curtailment of public financial sponsorship of scientific research. How could the millions thrown at scientists be anything other than a veritable inducement to misconduct? When you combine it with the honors and awards that await the next would-be secular savior of humanity, one wonders that fraud is not even more common.
Were a bishop to be caught doctoring the Gospels, I doubt any scientists would be rushing to approve the Church's latest request for help to build a new cathedral. Why it should be any different for the secular bishops of science is difficult to discern.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
BAAAHHH AAAH AAAH-LONEY!!!! The "world" is less toxic that at any time in human history post the "hunter-gatherer" stage. Read up sometimes on sanitary conditions in ANY town or city prior to about 1880.
One problem with the new priesthood is that they have no answer to the nagging question of what becomes of us after death. So far, all they have to offer is head-freezing technology.
First, the lust for government money has caused universities to turn their backs on their teaching mission. Faculty are rewarded for bringing in money, not for teaching.
Second, the federal funding agencies have too much influence over what gets studied. For all the talk about peer review, it is a dirty little secret that program managers can steer the money where they think it should go.
Third, the bureaucrats at the funding agencies are risk-averse, and therefore prefer to spend money on "safe" research. That means they will fund the currently fashionable research being done by established researchers.
Fourth, in general, government cannot be expected to do spend taxpayer money efficiently. The money might be better spent closer to the source.
The article makes some points, but the rhetoric will ruffle feathers and it a bit over the top, IMO.
And the arts, and agriculture, and commercial development, and the health industry, and the ACLU, andandandand....
"You and me, baby, ain't nothin' but mammals, "So let's do it like they do on the Discovery Channel...."
If we had no TOXINS on the planet nobody would EVER develop these symptoms.
Colds and flu
Rashes
Respiratory illness
Cancer
Hormonal dysfunction
Headaches
PMS
Digestive disturbances
Problems with teeth and gums
Liver dysfunction
Skin disease
Sinus infections
Congestion
Chronic fatigue and exhaustion
Yep. This moonbat reminds me of the DUmmies who would cut defense down to a shoestring because of a few $700 toilet seats.
Chemicals damage: Our immune system: causing infections, allergies and cancer. Our endocrine system: causing thyroid disease and adrenal disease and diabetes. Our nervous system: causing learning and behavior problems. Our reproductive system: causing major sexual difficulties, and changes.
Also research into Food Allergies and Sensitivities.
According to some scientific research:
Men who are addicted to corn may drink a lot of beer and they can become alcoholics. They're sensitive to and addicted to the beer, but it's the corn or sometimes some other component in the beer that is causing the problem. Sometimes, if grains are a problem, they can feel "drunk" after eating cereal or baked goods.
If by "us" you mean our consciousness, or "soul", I don't think science has the ability to answer that with hard data. But why do you think that there is an "after", after death? People of many religious persuasions think that there is an "after", and it seems hard to believe that there is not an "after". But bottom line, if our consciousness is contained in the neural structure of our brain (I think it quite obviously is), then after you're dead, then you're dead.
Sucks doesn't it?
It's no wonder people flock to religion even when they should know better.
Really? You simply must contact those people who've been wasting their time sequencing those viral genes.
My point was, we have many toxins and pollutants in our daily life that is causing a host of diseases and
allergies.
One word---pseudoscience. Too bad you bought it. This is just more eco-freak propaganda. The simple fact is that we are healthier and live longer on average than at any other time in human history. Most of the "problems" you mention are simply due to our longevity. For MOST of history, the typical human didn't live to make 45 years old.
I am not debating that fact.. Yes we do live longer and that has to do with research into better health due to eating habits, excercise, vitamin supplements, lower stress levels, yet problems as Obesity and Diabetes is on the rise.
Let me know how old you are when you die, please. I'm conducting a little scientific research on longevity. From my observations of my family and hubby's family, the generation born around 1900 to 1915 lived the longest. (80 to 95) The family members born later are not making it past 75. With a few exceptions.
LOL
He makes a valid point, one I have have been espousing for years; people operate best when they have something to anticipate bettering their perceived lot in life.
With the priests, a delayed reward is promised; with the scientists, the reward is promised soon but always delayed.
Science seems poised to win simply because hope springs eternal.
Reinforcement comes in dribs and drabs as news of longer lifespans, healthier old age and even possible spare parts are held in front of a trudging herd eager to see a utopian pasture at the end of the trail.
The struggle is not between the priests and the scientists, the shepherds or the landscapers, or even the scribes, the real battle is contested with every studied step.
How can I get that info to you if I have already died? :)
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