Examining science on the fringes: vital, but generally wrong

[n2doc]

Fringe ideas often get a poor reception from mainstream scientists, but can still appeal to the public and influence policy debates. Some recent examples of papers that delve into the fringes of science provide a nice example of why not all fringe ideas are created equal.

By John Timmer | Last updated November 9, 2009 7:23 PM CT

The history of science is replete with examples, from plate tectonics to prions, of heretical ideas that received a poor reception from the scientific establishment when they were first proposed. The apparent resistance to new ideas has earned scientists a fair bit of criticism. But some recent publications have indicated both that it is possible for fringe ideas to get a hearing from mainstream science, and that their proponents may end up wishing they didn't.

Fringe ideas that go against mainstream scientific thought are effectively a constant in most areas of science, and there are a number of examples where the ideas have moved from the fringes to the mainstream. The classic example here is Alfred Wegener, who is celebrated for his development of the ideas we now know as plate tectonics, a phenomenally successful scientific theory. At the time, however, his ideas were ridiculed. "Reaction to Wegener's theory was almost uniformly hostile, and often exceptionally harsh and scathing," as the Berkeley site notes.

Many have used that as a cautionary tale, a warning that the conservatism of the scientific community might interfere with achieving its goal of understanding the natural world. But, as we noted, fringe ideas, often dozens of them for every successful area of science, are a constant. Inevitably, the majority of them will necessarily wind up being not only wrong, but uselessly so. This forces the scientific community into a balancing act; in the words of Richard Feynman, scientists have to "Keep an open mind, but not so open that your brain falls out."

more:

http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2009/11/examining-science-on-the-fringes-vital-but-generally-wrong.ars

[JonQ]

1. Problem is most people don't want to sit through a boring lecture

explaining that there is no strong correlation between x and y.

They want to be dazzled by fantastic claims. And by the time real scientists have disproved them they have already been ingrained in so called "common knowledge".

Just look at autism/vaccines and "frankenfoods".

One good slogan trumps a 100 well written scientific papers when it comes to public opinion.

[TZ]

2. Yes indeed.

I can't tell you how many times I've heard about prominent scientists invited to speak to lay people and warned to not be "too boring".....