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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lane3 who wrote (12466)	4/26/2001 6:51:53 PM
From: The Philosopher	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

the financial incentives of partisanship over science in our litigious society. Not quite sure I know what you mean by partisanship. If you mean intellectual prostitution, you're absolutely right. I can tell you I get more ads, email solicitations, etc. than you can imagine from "experts" offering to testify for me on virtually anything I want. I can find an expert somewhere to put forward virtually any position I might want to prove. The courts are finally cracking down a wee, wee bit on "junk science," but there's still WAY too much of it out there. BUT, and it's a huge but, you have to look beyond the lawyers and judges and take a look in the mirror. These huge verdicts are almost always given by juries. It's the people who are accepting this junk science, who are giving out the awards. Granted, the lawyers and judges provide the forum which makes it possible. But if a jury hadn't been willing to give $8 million or whatever for spilling a cup of hot coffee in your lap, it wouldn't have happened. The lawyers aren't allowed in the jury room. There's a tremendous lack of faith in our corporate culture. Almost every citizen has been screwed, or feels they have been screwed, but some company somewhere. So when they get their opportunity to strike back, they do. Rein in the juries and you rein in the lawyers. Otherwise, the sky's the limit. And, of course, the cost is paid by all of us in higher prices and higher insurance bills. Ah, how did I let you get me started on this?

To: Lane3 who wrote (12466)	4/27/2001 2:08:44 AM
From: epicure	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

? You could never "trust" scientists. In fact, scientists are not really supposed to "trust" themselves. But a certain percentage of them fall in love with their ideas, damn the evidence. Scientists are as prone to irrationality as everyone else- and they always have been Karen. There have been some whopping scientific errors in the past. People trusted ALL professionals more in the past because people were naive. With the electronic age, and media investigations, we can all understand more about the whoppers we are told (by everyone) if we want to understand these things. So distrust is simply part of a better communication and information system (imo).