Scientists and politics

[Blackrook]

Democrats have found a new victim group, this time a highly privileged, highly educated group of mostly white males who have the easiest jobs in the world, automatic job protection, and no real problems that people in the real world have to face, like finding enough money to pay the landlord.

 

[JoeNormal]

The whole point of this thread is that increasingly, they dismiss the experts.

... or, is it possible, that the so-called 'experts' have created a skepticism in their findings by tainting their presentations based on their personal politics.

When the "impartial experts" have lost, or discarded, their mantle of impartiality, they become nothing more than another political wonk. When we see these so-called experts manipulating the data, and lying about the findings, is it any wonder that they are viewed as nothing more than another propagandist more interested in feathering their own nest?

No field of endeavor eliminates human bias completely but spend some time in college courses trying to absorb some of the information that they are trying to convey and question it as you like. I think you will find as I have that scientists have the highest integrity of any profession that I have encountered.

In my chosen field, I have worked with a vast array of scientists (space exploration). I have found them to be no different (though more self absorbed) than most people - prone to mistakes, interested in further their personal position, and VERY susceptible to pressure and politics.

I find that hard to believe unless they're scientists-turned-managers of some form.

Then, you are destined to be disappointed.

Scientists are no less political, and self motivated, than anybody else. Most are more interested in furthering their own position - and opinion - than they are in furthering their science.

How many scientists do you know? I know and have known a bunch. Considering the incredible amount of extremely complex and conceptually difficult knowledge they've had to amass, I find them much less materialistic and political than the average manager.

 

[Spare_change]

... or, is it possible, that the so-called 'experts' have created a skepticism in their findings by tainting their presentations based on their personal politics.

When the "impartial experts" have lost, or discarded, their mantle of impartiality, they become nothing more than another political wonk. When we see these so-called experts manipulating the data, and lying about the findings, is it any wonder that they are viewed as nothing more than another propagandist more interested in feathering their own nest?

No field of endeavor eliminates human bias completely but spend some time in college courses trying to absorb some of the information that they are trying to convey and question it as you like. I think you will find as I have that scientists have the highest integrity of any profession that I have encountered.

In my chosen field, I have worked with a vast array of scientists (space exploration). I have found them to be no different (though more self absorbed) than most people - prone to mistakes, interested in further their personal position, and VERY susceptible to pressure and politics.

I find that hard to believe unless they're scientists-turned-managers of some form.

Then, you are destined to be disappointed.

Scientists are no less political, and self motivated, than anybody else. Most are more interested in furthering their own position - and opinion - than they are in furthering their science.

How many scientists do you know? I know and have known a bunch. Considering the incredible amount of extremely complex and conceptually difficult knowledge they've had to amass, I find them much less materialistic and political than the average manager.

At one point, I had 43 scientists and 151 engineers working for me, plus a support staff of 251 other professionals. You are judging "managers" ---- few scientists become managers. When you become a manager, you give up your pursuit in your given field, and supervise those working in it.

 

[JoeNormal]

No field of endeavor eliminates human bias completely but spend some time in college courses trying to absorb some of the information that they are trying to convey and question it as you like. I think you will find as I have that scientists have the highest integrity of any profession that I have encountered.

In my chosen field, I have worked with a vast array of scientists (space exploration). I have found them to be no different (though more self absorbed) than most people - prone to mistakes, interested in further their personal position, and VERY susceptible to pressure and politics.

I find that hard to believe unless they're scientists-turned-managers of some form.

Then, you are destined to be disappointed.

Scientists are no less political, and self motivated, than anybody else. Most are more interested in furthering their own position - and opinion - than they are in furthering their science.

How many scientists do you know? I know and have known a bunch. Considering the incredible amount of extremely complex and conceptually difficult knowledge they've had to amass, I find them much less materialistic and political than the average manager.

At one point, I had 43 scientists and 151 engineers working for me, plus a support staff of 251 other professionals. You are judging "managers" ---- few scientists become managers. When you become a manager, you give up your pursuit in your given field, and supervise those working in it.

Most managers go that route because they've burnt out on the technical aspects of their chosen field. A few actually improve the departments they manage. Most only seem to have the ability (or authority) to screw things up.

 

[toomuchtime_]

Professor Smith Goes to Washington
In response to the new president’s stances on a range of issues, more scientists are preparing to run for political office.

For American science, the next four years look to be challenging. The newly inaugurated President Trump, and many of his Cabinet picks, have repeatedly cast doubt upon the reality of human-made climate change, questioned the repeatedly proven safety of vaccines. Since the inauguration, the administration has already frozen grants and contracts by the Environmental Protection Agency and gagged researchers at the US Department of Agriculture. Many scientists are asking themselves: What can I do?

And the answer from a newly formed group called 314 Action is: Get elected.

The organization, named after the first three digits of pi, is a political action committee that was created to support scientists in running for office. It’s the science version of Emily’s List, which focuses on pro-choice female candidates, or VoteVets, which backs war veterans. “A lot of scientists traditionally feel that science is above politics but we’re seeing that politics is not above getting involved in science,” says founder Shaughnessy Naughton. “We’re losing, and the only way to stop that is to get more people with scientific backgrounds at the table.”

Thanks to Trump, Scientists Are Planning to Run for Office

When we have people in high office, President on down, that have the science knowledge of a third grader, it is time to work to put people that have some smarts in office.

Ok, so some scientists have a sense of humor.