Can We Trust Expert Scientists?

[Theland]

Most notably on climate change, but on many other subjects as well such as vaccinations, diet, and a myriad of other things, can we trust scientists?
How do we mame decisions?

My personal interests are origin of the universe, origin of life, and evolution.

What do you think?

[Canary42]

I'd rather trust scientists than tub-thumping religio-maniacs with vested interests.

[teacake44]

Unless you know better, and who says you have to trust them? but I would always listen to such people that have studded such topics.

[ludwig]

Scientists can get things wrong, and always have done, which is why you need to use a bit of common sense.

If 95% of them are saying one thing, and 5% the opposite, we all need to make a decision about which group is likelier to be the one that has got it wrong this time.

[ichkeria]

Trust experts?
Are you mad?
An electirican came to our house and advised us that the everything needed re-wiring.
Electricians, who needs 'em.
A month later, when our house caught fire, we called the fire brigade.
Big mistake! They wanted to spray loads of water everywhere.
Fire brigades, who needs 'em ...

[woofgang]

Increasingly we are in the position where we can read their research for ourselves and even a lay person can understand a good deal of it. I think in the case of your personal interests they aren't as important as where we are now and what is happening now. I don't trust anyone blindly no matter what their credentials.

[Zacs-Master]

Absolutely not. Much better to trust a 2000 year old story which has been altered and edited hundreds of times by religious fruitcakes.

(Well, this IS what this thread is really about , isn’t it Theland)

[TheDevil]

Yes, because instead of hearsay they actually study things and come to conclusions based on likelihood and action rather than speculation and emotion.

[david small]

So called experts don’t even agree with each other. You takes your pick.

[Ellipsis]

We trust them every day, whether it's switching on the lights in the morning, getting in the car, taking the pills or a myriad other things.

It's important to know that you're actually dealing with an expert scientist before placing your trust.

[jim360]

It depends on how you are defining trust. It certainly should not be unconditional or uncritical. Scientists like everybody else are human and prone to myriad errors. On the other hand, the positions of the community as a whole are founded in decades, if not centuries of collective experience. At the very least that means that there is a good reason for the current consensus, that deserves to be fully understood before it is distrusted or even dismissed.

[jim360]

As a further point, it's worth noting that scientists are their own harshest critics, or at least the good ones are. Being able to evaluate your own position critically and impartially (or as impartially as possible) is vital, and I have paid myself a dear price whenever I've failed to do so.

[ToraToraTora]

I trust the approach of scientists. Reputable scientists use facts and experiments to confirm or refute theories and hypotheses. As a community they endeavour to prove themselves and each other wrong so that what emerges is at least accurate until proven otherwise. I prefer that to religious wack jobs demanding we have faith in their outpourings based only on faith.

[naomi24]

It depends upon what they're saying - and why.

[ToraToraTora]

Jim your post at 11:47 was not there when I started typing mine at 11:51

[TheDevil]

"and why"

Don't scientists usually become scientists for the same reason? For the name of science?

I doubt there is little "why" apart from the simple desire to learn more and know things.

[naomi24]

//I doubt there is little "why" apart from the simple desire to learn more and know things. //

You do?

[Zacs-Master]

The ‘why’ of why they’re saying things could be down to the need for funding I.e. they make things sound worse than they are to keep them in a job.

[pastafreak]

If you read journals and published research, check where the funding comes from. That's one thing I've learned when reading about diet and nutrition. Too much is funded by pharmaceutical and big *** food manufactures.
But yes, I trust scientists. And before you argue that opinions and results are always changing...thats no surprise. Research methods become more precise and focused on various issues within a discipline the more investigation is done.

[TheDevil]

"Can We Trust Expert Scientists?"

"Expert "

...

[TheDevil]

"they make things sound worse than they are to keep them in a job."

this makes me lol.

Scientists research and discover. They're not specifically for bad events or global warming, they're just constantly trying to learn more.

Nothing cynical behind science.