Why I Wouldn’t March For Science

A few days ago there was a bunch of hullaballoo about a march for Science. Apparently, Science is under attack and threatened by false news and so on. Well, a march for Science is the last thing science needs at this point. In fact, science just needs to be left to scientists and politicians and well meaning activists should leave it well alone. Science, for them, has become a political tool – a weapon. Science is no longer a philosophical approach to problem solving in which someone raises a hypothesis based on their observations of known facts and allows their peers to throw stones at it and poke holes in it. This process usually results in a modified theorum or a new theory altogether. And, what was scientific fact at some point becomes a failed theory at another point in time. Once the world was flat. Now we know its a slightly compressed globe (though some would like it to be flat). This philosophical approach to problem solving that we call science has worked quite well for us so far and can be credited with all manner of human progress.

However, suddenly the politicians have gotten hold of science and not usually having much intelligence to go with their normally rather large egos, they think that science can be proven. It jolly well ought to be proven anyway especially if it happens to support my political agenda. Perhaps there is even a way I can make sure science is proven in support of my agenda by giving grants only to those who we can count on to ‘do the right thing’. In fact, let’s all have a good march about defending our proven science and lets ensure that never, ever again, is our science challenged in any way. We can’t have challenges to known scientific facts. It just won’t do! In fact, even as I write this, I can imagine a Monty Python sketch….. it is that silly.

Unfortunately, we combine the politicization of science with the populist view that everyone is now an expert and ‘experts’ (scientists or boffins with strange letters after their names) are just a bunch of arrogant people who don’t get that we know what we read on Facebook about climate change is the gospel, and we get marches for science.

Thanks, but this PhD can live without marches for Science. Keep politics out of science – that I would march for. (Oh, and I am now arrogant because I mentioned I have a PhD).

Now why am I writing a pseudo-sarcastic blog post on this website about marches for science anyway? Well, one day I just happened to tell a couple of people that I know that their ideas about 100% renewables might be a little off at the present – at least if they wanted a reliable power supply anyway. Their dream would have to wait just a bit probably. I thought I was bringing reality and sanity to the discussion based on 30-years of work experience. Nope, I was wrong. I am just another arrogant know it all that doesn’t get it….renewables are proven and the only thing stopping them taking over the world are the money hungry and evil polluting utilities…. that I am obviously in collusion with cos they pay me money to say what they want me to say.

Humanity – we are in deep doodooo.

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