Been a while so I thought I would drop bye and pop a question that I've been wondering about.

[SemperFiDawg]

You got the answers. They just aren't what you wanted.

No, what I've got is evasive talking points. That's fine. Maybe I was wrong to expect more, and that's fine too.

 

[WaltL1]

Let me give it a shot. May or may not be what you are looking for -
No my faith in science, in and of itself, has not taken a hit. All I have to do is look around and I can physically see its accomplishments. That doesnt require faith of any sort to believe.
What has taken a shot is the realization of just how far man will go to manipulate science to tell the story he wants told.
For me, thats EXACTLY the same issue I have with religion.
Is there a God? Maybe.
But I cant just look around and 100% attribute anything to a g(G)od the way I can with science.

 

[bullethead]

No, what I've got is evasive talking points. That's fine. Maybe I was wrong to expect more, and that's fine too.

Nothing was evasive. I went into specifics.

 

[oldfella1962]

I'm an engineer by training with additional graduate level classes in mathematics and statistics. I don't say that to boast, I state it as the basis of my love of math and science. Mathematics, and science, particularly physics to me, is pure, irrefutable, beautiful. There is no interpretation, there is only fact. There is a reason they call them "proofs" in mathematics.

The issue with "science" today is simple and twofold: man, and money.

@NCH nailed it in post #2. Man twists science for political or economic gain. And funded research is typically a precursor to economic gain. If it is not, then the research dollars are eliminated. So "researchers" have to find the answers to sustain their research dollars and grants. And governments and corporations have to have "science" for control and economic gain.

If you are inclined, read "Salt, Sugar, Fat" which illuminates the role companies and governments play in determining what we eat, and the inter-relationship between the two.

When I was at Pizza Hut HQ we hired a sensory scientist from R.J. Reynolds. Why? Because that person knew how to tweak and manipulate the chemicals and ingredients in the tobacco industry to maximize cravings and appeal to the tastes of consumers. Did we do anything unethical? Unlikely, but that person was there to make pizza appeal to more consumers, and to make you want to eat more per sitting. Expand the market and grow the guest check.

The problem isn't the actual science, the issue is man and greed. It's about control, power, and dollars. Follow the money, and science will be there to support it.

So to answer the question, yes I believe in science. I just don't believe in man's ability to accept it at face value and use it for the greater good.

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Great comment! I can see manipulation going on: how the sugar industry says artificial sweeteners are evil on different levels, and then another study comes out saying that artificial sweeteners are better for you on different levels than the sugar study told us about - and round & round we go! My own (simplistic) view on science is as such: the "scientific process" is the greatest thing since sliced bread, but mankind being mankind some people find a way to misuse & abuse the results far too often.