Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

insaneintheblain t1_iylffby wrote

Reply to comment by Smooth_Imagination in A new study based on 22 FOI requests of over 11,000 pages found that Coca-Cola exerts direct influence on academic institutions and organizations that convene major public health conferences and events, and makes payments directly to speakers and researchers conditional on media interviews. by Meatrition

The only solution is for the individual to take on a scientific mindset of their own - but people are complacent and allow their reality to be dictated to them.

−2

Sawses t1_iyli2rg wrote

There are only so many hours in the day. Most people have too many other responsibilities to be able to think scientifically about everything.

I'm trained as a scientist and understand the nature of science better than most. I don't use a scientific mindset for everything, because that requires a great deal of thought, data collection, and background investigation.

I'll let experts in economics or geopolitics or computer science dictate my reality in areas of expertise. Not because I can't just figure it out for myself, but because that will take hundreds of hours to even get to a point where I can begin to have an educated opinion.

18

insaneintheblain t1_iylm1di wrote

Having a scientific mindset doesn’t mean a person has to think about everything - it means a person can choose which things they wish to think about.

−1

SilverMedal4Life t1_iym00gr wrote

I wish to think about how we ought to be able to trust experts rather than having to constantly guess peoples' motives.

5

insaneintheblain t1_iym0xeb wrote

It's just a matter of developing one's own discernment

“The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool.” - Richard Feynman

1

m-in t1_iym3vc0 wrote

It’s not only about thinking. It’s also about access to information. A lot of science is behind paywalls. Not everyone is a student or lives close to a campus to get access to papers “for free”. I go to campus biweekly just to download IEEE papers I need. Had I had to buy those at list price, it’d have been hundreds of dollars each month. I graduated almost 2 decades ago.

1

insaneintheblain t1_iymd3vo wrote

Information is everywhere - the ability to parse it constructively is rare in individuals

“We live in a world where there is more and more information, and less and less meaning.” ― Jean Baudrillard

3

m-in t1_iyncrjk wrote

I agree. Reading papers with understanding is real work, at least in disciplines I’m interested in (engineering-related mostly).

1