How I lost trust in scientists

Summary

The speaker candidly expresses distrust in science and scientists, citing pseudoscience in physics foundations as an example. They argue that while climate change is real and human-caused, climate scientists may underestimate the severity due to fear of being labeled 'alarmist.' The speaker urges viewers to trust data, math, and logic rather than individuals, emphasizing the importance of critical thinking in scientific discourse.

Takeaways

• 🤔 The speaker expresses distrust in science and scientists, acknowledging the potential for being labeled a 'science denier'.
• 📚 The speaker has previously criticized research in the foundations of physics, considering much of it to be pseudoscience.
• 🧐 The speaker argues that the scientific method needs to evolve to better distinguish between genuine science and pseudoscience.
• 🔍 The speaker suggests that the pursuit of self-interest, particularly financial, can lead scientists to exaggerate the importance of their research.
• 🌐 The speaker initially worried that climate change might be a hoax due to observed issues in the field of physics.
• 🌡️ After researching, the speaker concludes that climate change is real and human-caused, dismissing common denier arguments as outdated.
• 🌍 The speaker acknowledges that climate models have limitations but suggests they may underestimate the severity of warming.
• 😨 Climate scientists are portrayed as being cautious in their public statements due to fear of backlash and misrepresentation.
• 🤨 The speaker advises not to trust scientists blindly but to trust in data, mathematics, and logical arguments.
• 📈 The speaker implies that social reinforcement within the scientific community can lead to an overemphasis on the importance of research.
• 💡 The speaker introduces a new knowledge-sharing platform called 'quiz with it', highlighting its features and community aspects.

Q & A

What is the speaker's stance on science and scientists?

The speaker expresses distrust towards science and scientists, identifying as a 'science denier' and criticizing certain areas of scientific research as pseudoscience.

Why does the speaker deny the benefits of coffee as a joke?

The speaker uses the denial of coffee's benefits as a humorous way to introduce their more serious skepticism about the scientific community.

What is the speaker's main criticism of research in the foundations of physics?

The speaker criticizes the foundations of physics for being filled with pseudoscience, such as mathematical fiction, Multiverses, and tales about the origin of the universe that lack empirical evidence.

What historical example does the speaker provide to illustrate the evolution of pseudoscience?

The speaker uses the example of early studies on extra sensory perception (ESP), which were once considered proper science but later deemed pseudoscience due to lack of evidence.

How does the speaker describe the mistake made by physicists regarding falsifiability?

The speaker argues that physicists mistakenly believe that if something is written in mathematics and is falsifiable, it is scientific, when in fact, if something is scientific, it should be falsifiable.

What does the speaker suggest has happened in the natural evolution of sciences that led to the current state of physics?

The speaker suggests that parts of physics have drifted into pseudoscience due to the lack of consequences for such drifts, unlike in the case of ESP studies, which were eventually discarded.

Why did the speaker initially worry that climate change might be a hoax?

The speaker worried that climate change might be a hoax because they saw similarities between the pseudoscience in physics and the potential for climate science to be similarly flawed.

What does the speaker believe about the trustworthiness of scientists according to a study by the US-American National Academies of Sciences?

The speaker refers to a study indicating that while 80% of people polled trust scientists, 20% doubt scientists' motives, particularly regarding financial interests.

How does the speaker describe the impact of self-interest on the scientific community?

The speaker suggests that the pursuit of self-interest, mainly financial stability, drives some scientists to inflate the relevance of their research, which can lead to biases and social reinforcement within the community.

What is the speaker's conclusion about climate change after their research?

The speaker concludes that climate change is real and caused by human activities, dismissing common denier arguments as outdated and stating that climate models may underestimate the pace of warming.

What advice does the speaker give regarding trust in scientific findings?

The speaker advises to trust data, mathematics, and logic rather than individuals, as these are less likely to be wrong and are more objective measures of scientific validity.

What is the speaker's personal project mentioned at the end of the script?

The speaker mentions a project called 'quiz with it', a knowledge sharing platform that allows users to create quizzes and courses linked to various types of content.