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Message
The death of expertise
Posted on 5/17/17 at 8:36 am
Posted on 5/17/17 at 8:36 am
LINK
quote:
We’ve swallowed the lie that says if we believe in equal rights we must believe that all opinions have equal merit. Nichols also tells the story of an undergraduate student arguing with a renowned astrophysicist who was on campus to give a lecture about missile defense. After seeing that the famous scientist was not going to change his mind after hearing the arguments from a college sophomore, the student concluded in a harrumph, “Well, your guess is as good as mine.” At which point the astrophysicist quickly interjected, “No, no, no. My guesses are much, much better than yours” There was nothing wrong with the student asking hard questions, or even getting into an argument. The problem was in assuming he had as much to offer on the subject after a few minutes reflection as the scientist did after decades of training and research.
7
Posted on 5/17/17 at 8:39 am to anc
This is how i feel when posters on tigerdroppings debate me.
Posted on 5/17/17 at 9:11 am to McLemore
This was interesting as well.
Nichols cites a survey from a few years ago in which enthusiasm for military intervention in Ukraine was directly proportional to the person’s lack of knowledge about Ukraine. It seems that the dumber we are, the more confident we are in our own intellectual achievements. Nichols relays an incident where someone on Twitter was trying to do research about sarin gas. When the world’s expert on sarin gas offered to help, the original tweeter (a twit we might say) proceeded to angrily lecture that expert for acting like a know-it-all. The expert may not have known all, but in this case he knew exponentially more than some jerk online.
Nichols cites a survey from a few years ago in which enthusiasm for military intervention in Ukraine was directly proportional to the person’s lack of knowledge about Ukraine. It seems that the dumber we are, the more confident we are in our own intellectual achievements. Nichols relays an incident where someone on Twitter was trying to do research about sarin gas. When the world’s expert on sarin gas offered to help, the original tweeter (a twit we might say) proceeded to angrily lecture that expert for acting like a know-it-all. The expert may not have known all, but in this case he knew exponentially more than some jerk online.
Posted on 5/17/17 at 9:16 am to anc
This guy was on Newshour a few weeks ago. I think his hypothesis works when it comes to hard science, but breaks down very rapidly once you get into questions without objective answers.
Posted on 5/17/17 at 9:16 am to anc
quote:
Tom Nichols (Professor at the U.S. Naval War College and a former aide in the Senate) argues that the United States “is now a country obsessed with the worship of its own ignorance” (ix). Of course, there is nothing new about ignorance or indifference. Most people (myself included) know very little about almost everything. What’s new is the positive hostility we seem to have toward admitting our ignorance and listening to experts.
Yep. That's America. Don't be throwing around all them there facts and history and stats and science. Wouldn't want to be considered professorial or uppity. Just go with the good old ways.
Posted on 5/17/17 at 9:34 am to anc
There is a reason I overwhelmingly defer comments on religion, math and science threads. It's basic humility. The things I read on this board that I know are completely false are astounding . And the lack of acknowledgement towards those who are consistently correct, and the lack of embarrassment by those who are completely wrong is telling. This country at times feels to me at times like sophomores with megaphones attempting to give a Master Class to a room of mute experts who are forced to just suffer through it. But that's life in America these days, those whose ideas are failing the most spectacularly, are those with the biggest cultural influence.
Posted on 5/17/17 at 9:39 am to Lsupimp
I decided years ago my position on AGW was that I'm suspicious of the motivations of the people who push it the hardest, and that I suspect under a concern for the environment lies a large reserve of disdain for capitalism.
It's so ridiculous to see guys who got Ds in science at community college railing about how some numbers were faked and that you're obviously a dumbass for believing in global warming.
The one caveat to this subject, however, is that pseudo-science and pseudo-expertise is becoming a big problem as well. A lefty psychologist telling us that transgenderism is legitimate and not a disorder is problematic. Or a guy with a phd in critical race theory and feminist studies trying to shut down any conservative discussion on race/women's rights.
It's so ridiculous to see guys who got Ds in science at community college railing about how some numbers were faked and that you're obviously a dumbass for believing in global warming.
The one caveat to this subject, however, is that pseudo-science and pseudo-expertise is becoming a big problem as well. A lefty psychologist telling us that transgenderism is legitimate and not a disorder is problematic. Or a guy with a phd in critical race theory and feminist studies trying to shut down any conservative discussion on race/women's rights.
Posted on 5/17/17 at 9:41 am to anc
Bought this book a while back but still haven't cracked it open. Been meaning to though.
Posted on 5/17/17 at 9:53 am to Pettifogger
quote:This goes the other way as well. Tons of people with zero knowledge of basic thermodynamics telling you how certain they are AGW is a certainty. It's always amazing to me som meant zealots can't explain how AGW even works. But they are absolutely certain of its existence.
It's so ridiculous to see guys who got Ds in science at community college railing about how some numbers were faked and that you're obviously a dumbass for believing in global warming.
They will claims to be making a "scientific argument". In reality... many are just parroting what they hear from others.
Lack of knowledge and expertise has never prevented people from having an opinion.
Posted on 5/17/17 at 10:30 am to Taxing Authority
A couple years back, a fast food worker in our area got fired for posting something on Facebook about a news story that was just despicable.
Lots of social media fodder followed about whether this fast food place should have fired her, etc. I am a professor of communication and I have some published work on social media - the newspaper contacted me as an "expert." I was hesitant, but I obliged. I was extensively quoted, but it was a quote along the same lines as what you said that resulted in me receiving e-mails from the public telling me how much of an elitist know it all I was.
I meant it in the same way this book means it. A 25 year old fast food worker can have a private opinion, but she would never be contacted for that opinion in a hard news piece. But on social media, she can say something and it goes viral.
Lots of social media fodder followed about whether this fast food place should have fired her, etc. I am a professor of communication and I have some published work on social media - the newspaper contacted me as an "expert." I was hesitant, but I obliged. I was extensively quoted, but it was a quote along the same lines as what you said that resulted in me receiving e-mails from the public telling me how much of an elitist know it all I was.
I meant it in the same way this book means it. A 25 year old fast food worker can have a private opinion, but she would never be contacted for that opinion in a hard news piece. But on social media, she can say something and it goes viral.
This post was edited on 5/17/17 at 10:36 am
Posted on 5/17/17 at 10:46 am to anc
Bought that book a couple weeks ago. Good so far
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