[meteorite-list] Family Claims MeteoriteFellInTheirCourtyardinIndia

From: batkol <batkol_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2007 19:29:22 -0500
Message-ID: <002801c7dae5$83677570$cc68d9a6_at_DJV2WH71>

sorry that chart didn't come through right. here's the link, it's easier
http://www.religioustolerance.org/ev_publi.htm it shows the percentage by
groups of Americans that believes in creationism. if the general public
could tell what makes an expert credible, someone else would be president.
take care
susan

----- Original Message -----
From: "Chris Peterson" <clp at alumni.caltech.edu>
To: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2007 6:50 PM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Family Claims
MeteoriteFellInTheirCourtyardinIndia


> Hi Svend-
>
> I think it relates to cultural differences, which are real if somewhat
> politically incorrect to acknowledge. Russia has a long history of
> accepting pseudoscience inside its mainstream scientific and educational
> communities- something that continues to this day. Research into
> paranormal phenomena, bizarre medical theories, astrology, and the like is
> carried out by workers at universities to this day. This carries on a
> tradition dating back to Lysenko, arguably Velikovsky (who left Russia but
> was the product of a Russian education), and much of the Russian research
> into Tunguska. Many scientists in Russia recognize that this is a huge
> problem facing their science system as a whole- that not only is the
> public unable to distinguish between science and pseudoscience, but
> neither can many formal educational institutions.
>
> My own extensive experience with Indian scientists suggests that many seem
> to have rather odd ideas that are not consistent with science, although
> that does not in general prevent them from carrying out high quality
> scientific work. I've also seen a lack of recognition in the public for
> the concept of scientific specialties- so that anybody branded a
> "scientist", regardless of field, may be taken as an expert in any
> scientific matter. I expect something like that is what happens with these
> exceedingly poor meteor/meteorite reports we see coming out of India.
>
> Of course, such things happen in all countries, but seem to be more common
> in some than in others.
>
> While I strongly doubt that anywhere near half the U.S. population
> believes in a young Earth, it is certainly too many. But the quality of
> science in the U.S. is very high- the best in the world IMO. Pseudoscience
> or simply bad science is not tolerated in the scientific community.
> Furthermore, even amongst the general public, there seems to be an
> understanding of what makes an expert credible, and unscientific beliefs
> are largely kept separate from scientific beliefs. While the lack of
> scientific knowledge (and credulity and skepticism in general) is woefully
> poor in the U.S., the situation appears to me quite different from what is
> seen in Russia or India. As an example of how cultural differences can
> affect pseudoscientific beliefs, you can look to Creation
> Science/Intelligent Design in the U.S. (which is universally viewed as
> pseudoscience in the scientific community, but not by a significant
> percentage of the public), or homeopathy in much of Europe, which is not
> only accepted as valid by a large part of the public, but receives state
> funds for research and for public health. But these things have much
> narrower scope than what is seen in some countries.
>
> I wouldn't say that I "look down on India or Russia", simply that I
> recognize a reality in their scientific systems and scientific philosophy.
> It means I may scrutinize a paper coming from Russia closer than I would
> one coming from the U.S. My earlier comment about "not a single scientist"
> in India was (I hope) obviously hyperbole, but I do think that way too
> many scientists there are quick to give absurdly incorrect information,
> and way too many journalists are quick to print it... far more of either
> than we find in the U.S. or western Europe.
>
> Anyway, enough said. Agree or disagree... it isn't my intent to start a
> big argument. I think we can all agree that certain areas of the world
> produce particularly poor meteor/meteorite reports (and sometimes, a
> complete lack of follow-up), regardless of the underlying reason.
>
> Chris
>
> *****************************************
> Chris L Peterson
> Cloudbait Observatory
> http://www.cloudbait.com
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <info at niger-meteorite-recon.de>
> To: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
> Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2007 9:35 AM
> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Family Claims Meteorite
> FellInTheirCourtyardinIndia
>
>
>> Chris wrote:
>>
>> " I think there are certain countries that are much more
>> likely to embrace bad science or pseudoscience (India and Russia come
>> immediately to mind)."
>>
>> You mean like countries where creationist theme parks attract the crowds
>> and where nearly half the population believes the earth is less than
>> 10000 years old?
>>
>> I say there is no reason to look down on India or Russia in this regard.
>>
>> Svend
>
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Received on Thu 09 Aug 2007 08:29:22 PM PDT