We trust scientists but we don't believe them?

[Msterbeau]

"The public trusts scientists—but not their conclusions

The public loves scientists, but it's not so pleased with conclusions that most scientists agree on, such as evolution and climate change. A new set of surveys explains this gap and hints at a widening partisan divide. A recent set of surveys performed by the Pew Research Center shows that the public generally supports scientific research and feels that scientists are valuable members of society, but finds that some of science's conclusions are widely mistrusted, and hints at a widening partisan divide."

http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2009/07/public-trusts-scientists-not-their-conclusions.ars

[Confess]

That was an amusing article. It is funny that people have a general tendency to pick what they like out of a conversation and ignore the rest. Scientists are the most intelligent people in the world if their statistics support my opinions. If they don't support me or they refute my claims then they must be wrong.

[candyman]

Well, when there are scientists that have conclusions on one side of the issue while others have conclusions on the other side and then there are some with conclusion elsewhere...its hard to say that you belive the. Fill the holes and it will be easier to believe...but right now its just about as solid as some religions are.

[Rev.Reverence]

Here's what I think of Scientists...they are great-big-bunch of buffoons.

As a child...studying the Neanderthal, & Homo Erectus/Sapians bones...I noticed features immediately that would lead me to suppose that there was in fact interbreeding...they said that there was NO WAY...in the 80s...BUT...just recently, they have found a skeleton of a child with MARKEDLY MIXED FEATURES in Spain...They tested it...guess what...WE ARE A MIX.

This stupid shit they have concocted about the global warming...yeah, they don't have enough temperature records to cause a real panic...think, this place has been warming & cooling, long before we got here..& while I am sure that we are affecting the temp, a bit...the ice caps were already thawing in 1800...just slower...BUT, ever shoveled your snow into 1 huge pile in the Winter? I did..I suggest it as a study to any "Scientist"...

[pomba gira]

That was an amusing article. It is funny that people have a general tendency to pick what they like out of a conversation and ignore the rest. Scientists are the most intelligent people in the world if their statistics support my opinions. If they don't support me or they refute my claims then they must be wrong.

+1

I think a lot of that attitude is due to general ignorance of basic scientific principles and a desire for everything to be solidly either/or.

And I can't agree that scientists are "buffoons" since, thanks to scientists, I (a) survived to be born in the first place; (b) am not currently dying of liver cancer; © can function and thrive without being crippled by depression; (d) can walk without constant pain. Not to mention less vital things like being able to share my opinions via this neat little gadget and the network that supports it.

[n0Mad]

I think Candyman has a valid point. Some scientists have proved global warming exists while others have proved that it doesn't. Who to believe? Scientists are flawed humans just like the rest of us and believe what they want to believe and ignore what they don't. True, the scientific method is supposed to be approached unbiased but the truth is far from that. Project Alpha proved that.