Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Principia · 07-07-2003, 10:59 AM

This article and its author have been cited quite frequently over at ARN and ISCID the last couple of days after Dembski and Tipler whined about unfavorable ID peer review.

Here's an excerpt:

Quote:

Here are some ways of trying to be treated seriously in the face of hostile interests. There is no single best strategy; each has advantages and disadvantages. These options each assume some recognition that success is very unlikely by simply expecting that one�s work will be treated without any bias.

Mimic orthodox science
Since mainstream scientists expect contributions to be in a certain standard format, then writing articles in this format may increase chances of success. Since submissions from institutional addresses are usually treated more seriously than those from home addresses, it may be useful to set up an institute &endash; even if it is only one person! Alternatively, it might be possible to obtain an honorary position at an established institution, such as a university. There are a few open-minded departments that may be willing to provide a haven for dissenters.

As well as the superficial appearance of being orthodox, it may also be useful to carry out research in what is said to be the orthodox manner, for example using double-blind randomized trials. Parapsychological research has followed this path, and as a result is carried out much more "scientifically" than most orthodox science.

Sometimes this is not enough: the ideas are too threatening even when they come from the most reputable scientists from prestigious institutions, and carried out using all the methods claimed to be required of proper scientific research. In this case, it can be useful to set up specialist scientific journals, with the highest standards, to give credibility to the field, and provide a focal point for its workers. Parapsychological journals fulfill this function.

The more able a field is to do research and produce results that looks like conventional science, the more appropriate is the strategy of mimicking science: eventually the mimic will be taken for &endash; and be &endash; the real thing. A disadvantage is that the process of squeezing into the scientific mold may exclude some of the most exciting and provocative aspects of the field. Furthermore, if hostile vested interests are powerful, the dissenters may not be accepted no matter how much they replicate the scientific model.

Aim at lower status outlets
If it is impossible to gain acceptance in top journals and conferences, it may be possible to get a hearing in less prestigious outlets. There are thousands of journals and all sorts of conferences, of all different styles, orientations, and statuses. By picking an outlet that is less resistant to unorthodox ideas, it may be possible to gain an audience. Perhaps, from these beginnings, some people in the field will provide comment, critique, or support. This may provide the basis for building a better argument and gaining wider credibility. There are even some journals that specialize in work challenging orthodoxy, such as Speculations in Science and Technology and Medical Hypotheses.

There is no dishonor in publishing in lower status outlets. After all, most scientists go through their entire careers never publishing in the leading journals in their fields. It makes sense to publish somewhere rather than nowhere. On the other hand, it is easier for challenges to be ignored when they only appear in lower status outlets.

In the case of fluoridation, critics have long had the greatest difficulty in publishing in mainstream dental journals. Australian dental researcher Geoffrey Smith could not get past the referees for the Australian Dental Journal but was successful in numerous international scientific journals. Applied mathematician Dr Mark Diesendorf had similar difficulty in publishing his critiques of fluoridation in dental journals. He made a major breakthrough with an article in Nature, a highly prestigious scientific journal not controlled by the dental establishment (Martin, 1991). Scientists critical of fluoridation also set up their own journal, Fluoride.

Enlist patrons
Is there, somewhere, an open-minded mainstream scientist who is willing to examine your ideas fairly and, if they appear to have promise, help in ensuring that they obtain proper recognition? Many challengers believe the answer must be yes and spend a lot of effort trying to find this elusive scientist. Unfortunately, most scientists are either too busy, not sufficiently intelligent or open-minded to grasp the new idea, biased by prejudice or self-interest, or have too much to lose by championing something unorthodox. The most desirable patron of a challenger is someone who is fairly senior, has excellent mainstream credentials and track record, has plenty of spare time, and is willing take risks on your behalf. It is quite likely that there is no one who fits this specification. But sometimes there is, so it pays to inquire. By asking at a few universities for recommendations about open-minded scientists in a certain field, you may well be directed to one or two candidates.

Scientists who gain a public profile, especially those who communicate to a general audience, are obvious targets. David Suzuki, Paul Davies, and the late Carl Sagan are examples. They are likely to be totally and utterly overwhelmed by people seeking their help. It is probably better to seek someone who is known in a speciality but less known to others.

A patron can be a great help. The main problem is that lots of effort can be wasted seeking one when actually there is no one out there.

Seek a different audience
Rather than seeking to obtain credibility among orthodox scientists, another option is to seek a different audience. This might be practitioners, those in a different field, or the general public. For example, some investigators into "alternative health" distribute leaflets to nutritionists and alternative therapists, publish articles in popular health magazines, and give talks to community groups. Some parapsychologists have obtained support from industry, which has less hostility to the paranormal than pure scientists.

The big advantage of this strategy is that it is possible to sidestep the most obvious hostile interests. If the cancer establishment is opposed to a treatment relying on a common substance, there are a number of groups that may be more receptive, including some patients and relatives, alternative therapists, and health food stores. The strategy can have many ramifications: setting up journals, newsletters, and conferences; establishing protocols and certification procedures; seeking mass media coverage.

Seeking a different audience has risks too. It may lead to an insular alternative community that cannot recognize its shortcomings due to its own interests. It may lead to associations with bizarre allies that serve to discredit what is sensible. It may make acceptance by the mainstream more difficult.

Any challenging group that develops a significant audience is a potential target for attack. Dissenters who have no following are usually ignored. Dissenters with a mass audience are a threat to the mainstream. This suggests that it is wise to develop a solid foundation of research experience and results, organizations, networks and activist skills before gaining too wide a public profile.

Expose suppression of dissent
When attacks are made on dissenters and their work, the best response is to expose the attacks and use them to gain wider attention on the original work. Detailed documentation should be kept of all attacks, and a careful, conservative, and absolutely accurate account prepared and used to reveal the tactics of the other side. However, it is a mistake to become preoccupied by the injustice of attacks, for example by suing. Rather, the focus should always be returned to the work in question and the need for a fair evaluation.

Dissenters need to be prepared for anything. In the course of harassment, reprimands, transfers, dismissals and other such actions, there can be unscrupulous behavior, including spreading of lies, destruction of documents, blackmail of potential supporters, and frame-ups. Most people can scarcely believe what happens to whistleblowers, and indeed can scarcely believe it when it happens to them! It is salutory to read some whistleblower stories (Dempster, 1997; Glazer & Glazer, 1989; Martin, 1997; Martin et al., 1986; Nader, Petkas, & Blackwell, 1972) and study advice from people who have dealt with whistleblower cases (Stewart, Devine, & Rasor, 1989).

Build a social movement
If vested interests are stopping the expression or acceptance of certain ideas, ultimately the only thing that will change this is a change in society, including decision making and attitudes. One way to help bring this about is through a social movement, which can be thought of as a loose alliance of individuals and groups pushing for a change in the way people do things. Conventional examples are the environmental, feminist, peace, and anti-abortion movements. Social movements normally challenge established interests; a successful movement can become a vested interest, as in the case of neoliberalism. Some movements are not so obvious. For example, computers did not appear by themselves: there was a strong push to introduce them, which can be called a "computerization movement" (Kling & Iacono 1988). Science was certainly a social movement in its early years, challenging the religious establishment.

Isolated dissenters can be suppressed easily; that is the fate of most whistleblowers. A movement, in contrast, has a better chance of gaining a hearing since it combines the skills and resources of many like-minded people who are committed to a cause and who can support each other. It is worthwhile for dissenters to contact activist organizations that are related to their area. Many activists have great skills in analyzing local power structures, mobilizing support, and building campaigns (Coover et al., 1981; Shaw, 1996). Building a social movement is not a quick road to success but in the long run it may offer the best prospect for challenging vested interests.

Mimic orthodox science
Aim at lower status outlets
Enlist patrons
Seek a different audience
Expose suppression of dissent
Build a social movement

Gee, does this sound familiar?

KC · 07-07-2003, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Principia

Mimic orthodox science
Aim at lower status outlets
Enlist patrons
Seek a different audience
Expose suppression of dissent
Build a social movement

Gee, does this sound familiar?

[/B]

I guess this article came from the Department of Redundancy Department of the Discovery Institute.

KC

Principia · 07-07-2003, 12:52 PM

Well, I am not sure whether DI had anything to do with this, but it sure makes for an interesting read when cranks all seem to turn up with the same evidence for promoting their crack-pot ideas.

So what's with Dr. Martin? I think this other article makes it quite clear:

Quote:

Strategy
This set of directions for an anarchist science policy implies a dramatic shift in the present social context of science: many research topics would be different, communities rather than powerful institutions would support and control the scientific enterprise, many more people would participate in research, and everyone could be involved in making science policy. Such a change is unlikely without similar changes in other aspects of society. Indeed, it has long been my opinion that science is one of the social institutions most resistant to popular participation and control.

Even radical critics of science have seldom explored the implications of self-management. Critics of science are prone to reject science itself. Science is seen as either good, neutral or bad, in each case having an essence that is independent of society. A more useful perspective for radicals is to see science as a feature or aspect of society, currently mainly oriented to the requirements of elites but with potentials for development to be a useful part of a society without hierarchy.

This is quite different from the idea that science is neutral and can be 'used' for good purposes or 'abused' for bad purposes. This is like saying that 'the economy' (that is, the current capitalist economy) can be used or abused, to produce food or weapons. This use-abuse model ignores the possibility of other economic systems or other science systems. As I've indicated, various aspects of science could be potentially be changed: research directions, institutional context, participation in research, decision-making.

But how? Because the present system of science has so successfully convinced people that it is the only possible system which, therefore, must be either accepted or rejected, it is difficult to do more than indicate some directions that will contribute towards a self-managing science. There is no strong constituency ready to take action.

The radical science movement that sprang up in the late 1960s and early 1970s did much good work, but radical science groups have usually had a precarious existence [11]. Some members are practising scientists who adhere to traditional ideas about science; they are mainly concerned to challenge the grossest abuses. Most of the radical critics have used a Marxist framework to develop powerful attacks on capitalist science. But their picture of an alternative, a socialist science, has never been well developed. A number of foreign models -- China, Nicaragua, Tanzania -- have been used for inspiration, often with some justification but also often with blindness to their limitations [12].

In this context, in which there is little development of the possibilities for anarchist science policy, I will canvass briefly a range of options.

Anarchist epistemology. Paul Feyerabend is the most prominent philosopher to champion a different philosophy of science. He criticises the positivist, dogmatic approach to knowledge that is common in establishment science, in which almost all resources are devoted to exploring the implications of the dominant theoretical framework. He supports, instead, investigation of a range of competing theories. This is called 'anarchist' because there is no central theoretical dogma that dictates scientific research [13].

Actually, Feyerabend's approach is what many scientists think is or should be going on anyway. Many scientists, after all, do investigate non-standard hypotheses.

Feyerabend is careful to say that while he supports anarchist epistemology, namely a theory of knowledge that is more pluralistic than present-day science, he does not support anarchism in a political sense. The problem, of course, is that most scientific knowledge is an outgrowth of the conditions that generate it, including funding, institutional structure and professionalism. Pluralism in theories cannot be created by intellectual will alone. There are plenty of alternative theories today. The problem is that dominant institutional forces give overwhelming emphasis to theoretical directions compatible with their interests. The epistemological road to revolution is filled with blind alleys. Creating 'liberatory' theory can be stimulating and worthwhile, but it cannot be relied upon as a means of achieving self-managing science.

Action by scientists. There are a range of things that radical scientists can do to help move towards self-managing science [14].

* Give talks and write articles presenting critiques of science.

* Write expos�s of the behaviour of scientists.

* Do research on socially relevant topics.

* Incorporate a radical critique of science in one's teaching.

* Promote greater participation and sharing of work in scientific workplaces.

* Enable non-scientists to join in scientific work.

These are all pretty obvious, but it is very difficult to carry them out. For most scientists, deviation from the range of expected behaviours can lead to serious consequences. To openly take a critical stand about science, especially the work of colleagues, can seriously jeopardise one's career. Just writing an article to a newspaper about social problems associated with science, implying criticism of the scientific establishment, makes one liable to being categorised as 'political' or 'unscientific.' It is yet more difficult to democratise the laboratory or involve nonprofessionals in research. This would be challenging even if all one's colleagues were supportive, which is rarely the case.

There is an hypocrisy in the allegation that critics are 'unscientific,' a hypocrisy deeply embedded in the incorporation of science in dominant social institutions. It is not considered 'political' or 'unscientific' to obtain research funding from corporations, to produce results favourable to funding bodies or to do weapons research. But to do research for an environmental organisation, thereby deviating from business as usual, is to be seen as 'political.'

There are some remarkable scientists, such as Steven Rose and Richard Lewontin, who undertake devastating critiques of science. Because of their position as working scientists, their criticisms have a credibility among outsiders unavailable to others. But many others who make criticisms, especially before their careers are established, are forced out of jobs, denied opportunities, or leave voluntarily, disillusioned. Like most occupations, few vocal critics can survive on the inside.

Participation in science policy. Another way to move towards self-managing science is to promote community involvement in science policy [15]. The best groups to promote this are 'community groups,' including trade unions, women's groups, environmental groups and many others. Few such groups today play any formal role in science policy. They often get involved in debates about scientific and technological issues, from automation in factories to genetic engineering, but not at the level of what scientific research is done or the institutional arrangements in which it occurs. Some things they can do include:

* Lobby scientific organisations to carry out research relevant to community interests.

* Push for community representatives on high-level scientific bodies, such as funding organisations, university councils, and research institutes, and also membership of review committees of research groups such as university departments.

* Help establish 'community extension services' such as the science shops in the Netherlands and elsewhere [16].

* Push for measures to reduce hierarchy in the scientific community and increase opportunities for participating in research, such as more equal salaries and permanent part-time work.

* Support tax incentives for individuals and small groups to undertake research linked to community concerns.

Essentially, these measures aim to reduce the orientation of establishment science to dominant vested interests and to make it easier for less powerful groups to do science. It should be obvious by looking at this list that these are at best mild reforms to the institutional structure of science. But such reforms can be useful. Currently there are very few 'independent researchers' who do high-quality science. A few more could make an important difference in a number of crucial debates. But even these reforms can be enormously difficult to achieve, mainly because there are no groups organised to push for them.

Social movements. Perhaps the greatest challenge to establishment science comes from social movements when they take on issues which lead to a confrontation with scientists and engineers linked to vested interests. The movement against nuclear power took on the pronuclear experts and gave them a hammering. In the course of this debate, claims to objectivity have been challenged, vested interests have been exposed, and research priorities have been questioned. The 'soft energy path' of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources stands as a well-elaborated example of how research priorities could be different [17].

Similarly, some feminists have challenged research into reproductive technology. Gay and AIDS activists have challenged standard protocols for evaluating therapeutic drugs, and established their own, community-oriented methods [18]. Portions of the labour movement -- inspired by the initiatives by workers at Lucas Aerospace -- have challenged production for profit and proposed socially useful production [19]. Social movements continue to be the most effective means by which science in the service of vested interests is challenged.

The limitation of most of this activity is that there is very little challenge to or change in the way science is funded or done. Most of the movements are quite happy to support the use of counterexperts against the establishment experts. In other words, they are happy with science when it supports their side. There is not a lot of interest in questioning the institutional foundation of science.

As others have noted, science is a modern religion. Even the critics couch their criticisms in religious discourse. Arguments against smoking in workplaces are mainly based on health risks to nonsmokers, not on people finding it unpleasant. Environmentalists can mount effective arguments against a project when it threatens a rare species but not just on the grounds that people enjoy things the way they are. Even anarchists may be tempted to argue for self-management because it is more efficient, rather than because it is more satisfying and reduces exploitation and injustice. There is a need to give more priority to 'nonscientific' arguments -- but how?

Promoting self-management. Perhaps the most consistent way to promote anarchist science policy is to treat science just like any other social institution. Anarchists have long criticised dogmatic belief systems, especially religion, capitalism and state socialism. Science needs to be included. In promoting self-management at the workplace, scientific workplaces should be included. In arguing for popular participation in decisions, science policy should be included along with policy on industry, transport, education and health.

A unified strategy? It might seem attractive to put these different approaches together. A unified strategy, though, is currently speculative and possibly counterproductive. There are certainly some potent challenges to establishment science, but most of these grow out of challenges to particular technological developments such as nuclear power or genetic engineering. There is very little questioning of institutional and professional structures. Until more is known about how to move towards self-mananging science, it seems sensible for multiple paths to be tried out. Individuals can do what they can in their own situations while linking with others who are in different situations.

An anarchist finding favour amongst IDiots... How deliciously appropriate.

PS: Here are the threads where Martin is cited as an authority on "scientific dissent"/ scientific anarchy
http://www.iscid.org/boards/ubb-get_...00385-p-2.html
http://www.arn.org/boards/ubb-get_to...-t-000780.html

BioBeing · 07-07-2003, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Mimic orthodox science
As well as the superficial appearance of being orthodox, it may also be useful to carry out research in what is said to be the orthodox manner, for example using double-blind randomized trials.
...
The more able a field is to do research and produce results that looks like conventional science, the more appropriate is the strategy of mimicking science: eventually the mimic will be taken for &endash; and be &endash; the real thing. A disadvantage is that the process of squeezing into the scientific mold may exclude some of the most exciting and provocative aspects of the field.

So, you should do the appropriate control experiments, but be careful, those controls will probably prove that your hypothesis is incorrect.

GunnerJ · 07-07-2003, 02:07 PM

Interesting that nowhere in there is any advice like, "make sure your proposed explanations are testable, falsifiable, and at least as parsimonious as the accepted model," or, "do some bloody research to back up your claims."

Kevbo · 07-07-2003, 04:01 PM

Is this a joke or not? It sounds like really good sarcasm about ID

Principia · 07-08-2003, 06:27 AM

No joke, Kevbo... then again, ID isn't much more than a big joke these days. Just follow the links to ID-land, in my 2nd post on this thread.

PS: I should point out in all fairness that there is no indication Martin is either a creationist or an IDiot. His beef is mainly about origin of AIDs research, corruption of academic research by industry, and what not. But ID has a way of making unsuspecting researchers into pawns in their little game.

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07-07-2003, 02:07 PM	#5
GunnerJ Banned Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: a place where i can list whatever location i want Posts: 4,871	Interesting that nowhere in there is any advice like, "make sure your proposed explanations are testable, falsifiable, and at least as parsimonious as the accepted model," or, "do some bloody research to back up your claims."

07-07-2003, 04:01 PM	#6
Kevbo Regular Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: NY Posts: 212	Is this a joke or not? It sounds like really good sarcasm about ID

07-08-2003, 06:27 AM	#7
Principia Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: anywhere Posts: 1,976	No joke, Kevbo... then again, ID isn't much more than a big joke these days. Just follow the links to ID-land, in my 2nd post on this thread. PS: I should point out in all fairness that there is no indication Martin is either a creationist or an IDiot. His beef is mainly about origin of AIDs research, corruption of academic research by industry, and what not. But ID has a way of making unsuspecting researchers into pawns in their little game.

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