At the heart of science is an essential tension between two seemingly
contradictory attitudes -- an openness to new ideas, no matter how
bizarre or counterintuitive they may be, and the most ruthless skeptical
scrutiny of all ideas, old and new. This is how deep truths are
winnowed from deep nonsense. Of course, scientists make mistakes in
trying to understand the world, but there is a built-in error-correcting
mechanism: The collective enterprise of creative thinking and skeptical
thinking together keeps the field on track.
-- Carl Sagan, "The Fine Art of Baloney Detection," Parade, February 1, 1987
contradictory attitudes -- an openness to new ideas, no matter how
bizarre or counterintuitive they may be, and the most ruthless skeptical
scrutiny of all ideas, old and new. This is how deep truths are
winnowed from deep nonsense. Of course, scientists make mistakes in
trying to understand the world, but there is a built-in error-correcting
mechanism: The collective enterprise of creative thinking and skeptical
thinking together keeps the field on track.
-- Carl Sagan, "The Fine Art of Baloney Detection," Parade, February 1, 1987
Related:
- At the heart of science is an essential tension between two seemingly
contradictory attitudes -
an openness to new ideas, no matter how bizarre or... - Skeptical scrutiny is the means, in both science and religion,
by which deep insights can be winnowed from deep nonsense... - Skeptical scrutiny is the means, in both science and religion,
by which deep thoughts can be winnowed from deep nonsense... - One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we've been
bamboozled long enough,
we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We're... - Finding the occasional straw of truth awash in a great ocean of confusion and
bamboozle requires intelligence,
vigilance, dedication and courage. But if we don't... - Another writer again agreed with all my generalities,
but said that as an inveterate skeptic I have closed... - Originality does not mean thinking something that was never thought before;
it means putting old ideas together in new ways... - The inability to benefit from feedback appears to be the primary cause
of pseudoscience.
Pseudoscientists retain their beliefs and ignore or... - If science were explained to the average person in a way that is accessible
and exciting,
there would be no room for pseudoscience. But there...
