Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/04/30

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Scientific METHOD not a game
From: Johnny Deadman <john@pinkheadedbug.com>
Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2001 19:17:56 -0400

on 4/30/01 5:54 PM, Austin Franklin at darkroom@ix.netcom.com wrote:

> The way tests are conducted, can easily lead to biased results.  Also, the
> interpretation of the data can easily be made into "a game".  The exact same
> data can be claimed to prove two completely opposing positions in some
> cases.  There is so much mis-information intentionally provided by both
> sides of the spectrum with it comes to the issue being discussed, it becomes
> difficult to take either side seriously.

For probably the best exposition of this viewpoint, which I heartily endorse
from both professional experience as an investigative journalist and
personal experience (my wife's a scientist) see Paul Feyerabend's marvellous
books AGAINST METHOD and SCIENCE IN A FREE SOCIETY, probably the most
waspish and entertaining books on the philosophy of science ever written.

For the more idealistic version endorsed by Mark, try Karl Popper. Plenty of
good stuff in there, but in the end it's Feyerabend who gets my vote.
- -- 
John Brownlow

http://www.pinkheadedbug.com

Replies: Reply from Mark Rabiner <mark@rabiner.cncoffice.com> (Re: [Leica] Scientific METHOD not a game)