🚀 go-pugleaf

On Mon, 14 Nov 2005 13:02:35 -0600, tetraethylleadREMOVETHIS@yahoo.com
(Brent P) wrote:

>In article <1e6cn19vt852hpqaibfr9db5ae05mkkono@4ax.com>, Don Homuth wrote:
>
>>> I arrived at that by long study of "science".
>> 
>> Study and comprehension being two entirely different things.
>
>I guess you haven't learned about the politics, the power struggles, 
>pride, arrogance, etc that all come into play. The world of science isn't 
>as pure as we would hope. 

Nothing is Pure.  Hoping for such a thing is a fool's errand.

But on a comparative basis, Science is far more Pure than is theology.
Church Politics is, if anything, even More silly than is academic
competition.

>>>The same set of facts can support different theories.
>
>> Entirely as it should be, in that it provides impetus for even More
>> study and the gaining of More knowledge.
>
>The problem is, many typical human traits get involved leading to the 
>conditions where alternative theories are surpressed.

Knowledge cannot be suppressed over the long term.  Less so in the
modern era.  Problem is defining what Knowledge really is.

>>> For instance, in geology the 
>>>theory that features were slowly worn over time vs. the theory that they 
>>>were worn by sudden, large, violent events. 
> 
>> And whaddaya know -- Both Of The Above are true, depending on
>> different circumstances.  The Grand Canyon was the result of millennia
>> of erosion, whilst the Columbia River Gorge happened as the result of
>> large violent events seriatim.
>
>However, it wasn't always like that. 

Nothing was Always like that, for large values of Knowledge.  That's
the joy of Science - Truth is held in abeyance while new information
comes along.  Religion is Not like that.

>>>> Science holds Truth temporarily, till more and better Evidence for it
>>>> comes along.
>
>>>And those who's careers are based on the old 'truth' will seek to stop 
>>>the new one. 
>
>> That's the Human Condition.  Folks defend things till something new
>> comes along.  Newtonian Physics works as an approximation sufficiently
>> to build bridges and buildings, but Relativistic Physics builds
>> nuclear devices, and Quantum Physics builds microcircuits.
>
>It's not just until something new comes along. Something new can be 
>surpressed for decades or even centuries because of the investment in the 
>status quo. 

If it's to become Knowledge, then Science is rather better at dealing
with such things than is mere superstition.