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Notes -
Is Covid-19 still a thing anyone here is interested in? Anyway, Eric Winsberg of the Chronicle of Higher Education published this article entitled
We Need Scientific Dissidents Now More Than Ever (2023-08-10, archive link because the site is kinda borked)
Anyway, I'm not sure anything super new is said in here, but I found it to be an interesting meta-commentary on the clash between science and politics. It starts off by telling an abridged version of the story of Ignaz Semmelweis and then analogizes it to science discussion related to the Covid-19 pandemic. The analogy isn't exact but I think it's still relatively fair tbh.
My impression is honestly I agree with the article. Though I think there's a balance from being super close minded to having such an open mind your head falls out, the scientific consensus being at such odds with the political messaging seems... quite problematic indeed. So I think the question partially becomes... "how do you make sure that scientific consensus which is supported shines through, even when it may be politically inconvenient to do so?" My relevant concern seems to be less about "the science™ being wrong"1 and more about "the science being right but it becoming too politically inconvenient to do so" or the lack of even carrying out such studies in the first place in the worry that it might to inconvenient conclusions.
1. I recognize the problem of reproducibility of results. And while I do agree it's likely a larger problem than is known about, especially in light of the recent Stanford scandal, I do think there is quite a bit more malicious intent with regards to politically inconvenient conclusions.
We don’t need more dissidents. We need the establishment to change. Then more normie scientist will show up. Change the incentives coming from those in power.
I’ve flip flopped on this but now I think I’m down with jail Fauci. The actual crime is likely lying under oath.
Indirectly things like breaking DEI departments in schools should help too. Maybe I’m creating a boogeyman here but DEI just looks like the Ministry of Truth truth to me and the center of punishing wrong think. By normalizing dissent eslewhere it will likely help dissent everywhere.
I think that only when challenged do institutions actually change. That’s how most changes happened. If Diogenes doesn’t pluck the chicken, I don’t think philosophy would have developed as much. If Copernicus doesn’t challenge th3 establishment, we wouldn’t have gone to the moon. Even in government, if you want to improve a law you need it to be challenged.
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