This is why I like the Post-Normal view of science. I have had arguments with Funtwicz and Ravetz about whether working with this expanded peer group is just a more rigorous form of politics, or whether it is science. I am half-convinced that, if appropriately facilitated & self-regulated, it can be a new, inclusive, democratic science in which the general public and "expert" scientists co-generate knowlege they both can agree on. That's easier at smnaller spatial scales than it is globally - but not impossible. It may in fact be our rare hope of keeping the spirit of open scientific inquiry alive in an age of competeing religious fanaticisms.
dwt Quoting Phil Henshaw <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > Re: David's "I agree that the public needs to be reminded of the > uncertainties in science, > but how do we do that without sabotaging the whole enterprise of trying > to > establish that there are some forms of knowledge that we might want to > give > more weight to in particular situations?" > > No doubt if we gave people access to our data and asked them to judge > the discrepancies for themselves, i.e. ask whether they would describe > he world the same way we do, it would add to the confusion. I think > it would also strengthen the enterprise. Part of the purpose of > science is making more efficient ways to control nature and avoid making > mistakes. The other part, giving people valid mental connections with > the physical world around them, what's really happening, only works if > we include our one direct connection to that physical world within our > results, and make it accessible. > > The most important finding, for example, of global climate research is > not the relatively imprecise predictions, but the paleo-climate history > dominated by abrupt change. Understanding why our models can't model > that is quite important and gives people a much more direct appreciation > of how change evolves and the risks of pushing our luck. > > > Phil Henshaw ¸¸¸¸.·´ ¯ `·.¸¸¸¸ > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > 680 Ft. Washington Ave > NY NY 10040 > tel: 212-795-4844 > e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > explorations: www.synapse9.com <http://www.synapse9.com/> > > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: > http://mail.learningforsustainability.net/pipermail/intsci_learningforsustainability.net/attachments/20060304/22af37de/attachment.html > _______________________________________________ > IntSci mailing list > [email protected] > http://mail.learningforsustainability.net/mailman/listinfo/intsci_learningforsustainability.net > > D. Waltner-Toews, Professor Department of Population Medicine University of Guelph Guelph, Ontario, Canada www.ovcnet.uoguelph.ca/popmed/ecosys www.nesh.ca www.eccho.ca _______________________________________________ IntSci mailing list [email protected] http://mail.learningforsustainability.net/mailman/listinfo/intsci_learningforsustainability.net
