tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post4391684772791358990..comments2023-09-27T07:44:19.769-04:00Comments on Sabine Hossenfelder: Backreaction: Not all publicity is good publicity, not even in science. Sabine Hossenfelderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151209308084588985noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-39495730339464031202017-07-02T19:27:03.791-04:002017-07-02T19:27:03.791-04:00This is why you have (maybe not so ignorant) membe...This is why you have (maybe not so ignorant) members of the public say things like "follow the money". See the following links: tinyurl.com/adacoi ADA conflict of interests, tinyurl.com/forbessmartch AHAs Smart Choices logo, & who can forget the tinyurl.com/ybqd4bq4" AHA's heart check logo on boxes of Froot-Loops. Theses are just a few examples of how corporate money has Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03522577807160827389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-51235745496523374382017-07-02T19:26:02.704-04:002017-07-02T19:26:02.704-04:00Yes, I think this is why we are seeing such a back...Yes, I think this is why we are seeing such a backlash against journalism itself (ALA "Fake News"), which some people (45) have used to further their particular political bent (fascism). This is the price that journalist are now paying for years of hyped headlines. If you constantly scream & shout that the sky is falling, people start to ignore/hate you. This is what has happened inAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03522577807160827389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-81176747060443280862017-05-02T02:49:38.303-04:002017-05-02T02:49:38.303-04:00Alvin,
I am surprised that you believe I've w...Alvin,<br /><br />I am surprised that you believe I've worked on LQG. How is this? This is a genuine question. It's happened several times to me before that people think I have something to do with LQG, even though it's trivial to find out I never worked in the field. Not that this is specific to LQG - people also think I'm a string theorist if they don't like string theory Sabine Hossenfelderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06151209308084588985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-49714005246253756972017-05-01T03:29:44.964-04:002017-05-01T03:29:44.964-04:00Sabine,
I am surprised by your statement that loo...Sabine,<br /><br />I am surprised by your statement that loop quantum gravity is an even bigger disappointment than string theory. Given the relatively small size of the LQG community compared to the string theorists', there's been a lot of progress from the original work of Ashtekar reformulating GR in his eponymous variables to work of Rovelli, Smolin and others on quantization of Alvinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15503703865089993115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-34631809080597020232017-05-01T01:38:36.116-04:002017-05-01T01:38:36.116-04:00When the notorious OPERA FTL neutrino story was re...When the notorious OPERA FTL neutrino story was reported <a href="http://wavewatching.net/2011/10/12/when-popular-science-is-neither-science-nor-popular/" rel="nofollow">it prompted me to take a break from my usual subject quantum computing</a>, because it was so egregiously ridiculous. <br /><br />Unfortunately, I don't see a cure for the terrible pop science writing other than what you Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14479459346584756683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-72724839569140111082017-04-29T13:41:02.021-04:002017-04-29T13:41:02.021-04:00Good post Sabine. I've had my head down recent...Good post Sabine. I've had my head down recently doing some writing which has involved a lot of digging into physics papers and the chronological history of hypotheses. And I utterly empathize with what you're saying. In fact I'd venture to suggest the situation is much much worse than people appreciate. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-36110725234688742017-04-29T13:07:48.325-04:002017-04-29T13:07:48.325-04:00Sabine,
the original topic was research that was ...Sabine,<br /><br />the original topic was research that was hyped, then believed to be correct by the public, only to later be rejected.<br /><br />But there's also research that is actually successful, but wrongly believed by the public to have been hyped and then rejected. How high do you estimate the danger of the latter, and do you think journalism and/or education cam fix this? (A lot ofAmbi Valenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03488247852564879628noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-32806571679893980002017-04-29T05:11:14.592-04:002017-04-29T05:11:14.592-04:00@DocG
Depending on the "literature" you...@DocG<br /><br />Depending on the "literature" you've read, yes maybe numbers don't add up. If you've looked instead at peer reviewed articles by climate scientists, (which have been available since the '70s) there's really no question as to what is happening. There are three things to know.<br /><br />First, the Earth is going through an unprecedented fast rate of Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-56702911327727413492017-04-29T03:28:00.919-04:002017-04-29T03:28:00.919-04:00@Dennis Pennis
"If science writers hype, it i...@Dennis Pennis<br />"If science writers hype, it is because they are invited to."<br /><br />Journalists have their own standards to live up too. One is to never write a story without checking with independend sources.<br /><br />A newspaper writes that my children are the smartest and most beautiful children that ever lived, because I said so. <br /><br />Who will be to blame when Rob van Son (Not a physicist, just an amateur)https://www.blogger.com/profile/12611755507524401026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-35690272429520315842017-04-28T20:11:27.884-04:002017-04-28T20:11:27.884-04:00The reason people should not accept the narrative ...The reason people should not accept the narrative that effectively places science journalism in the hot seat, is that the people that peddle it nearly always ark out of the scientil, fic community. There's never much in the way of evidence. <br /><br />On the face of things, the arrow of evidence is in the opposite direction. It is the scientists that hype their research. Journalists are Dennis Pennishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17141887710957876926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-28014333138562254722017-04-28T13:13:48.335-04:002017-04-28T13:13:48.335-04:00@DocG
It would help if you actually said what you...@DocG<br /><br />It would help if you actually said what you dislike about climate science. Is it whether the data is correct (i.e. temps going up, ice going down)? Or whether humans are a cause? Or is it whether or not climate change would be dangerous?Ambi Valenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03488247852564879628noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-37383801878476391752017-04-28T13:08:37.994-04:002017-04-28T13:08:37.994-04:00M_Malenfant wrote: "[...] I see a concerning ...M_Malenfant wrote: "[...] I see a concerning gap between the scientific research frontier and what can be communicated (or taught) to a broader public. [...]"<br /><br />I think if you replace 'can be communicated' to 'is communicated', you can see an even larger problem. Take both theories of relativity: The math is very exact, and very well in agreement with Ambi Valenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03488247852564879628noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-73606369086208500982017-04-28T11:53:22.717-04:002017-04-28T11:53:22.717-04:00"Could be, but those who accept or deny one t...<i>"Could be, but those who accept or deny one tend to do it for all three of them together."</i><br /><br />Denying evolution and anthropogenic global warming often go hand-in-hand, both being religiously motivated. As for stem-cell research, the situation is more complex. In the USA, atheists tend to favour it no matter (almost) what the goal is, perhaps because religious nuts thinkPhillip Helbighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12067585245603436809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-47611670351080040872017-04-28T11:42:25.847-04:002017-04-28T11:42:25.847-04:00I have to believe medical research has been hurt b...I have to believe medical research has been hurt by the endless cycle of hype, disappointment, disillusionment. Cancer has been cured every year since the 60s; how excited can the public be about funding the latest 'promising' study? <br />jim_hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10618326446656475641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-15024778401898150872017-04-28T11:36:30.262-04:002017-04-28T11:36:30.262-04:00A good article worth further considerations.
As yo...A good article worth further considerations.<br />As you already point out, the probably critical point is, that scientists themselves do little to avoid hypes or even push hype stories themselves. <br />Sometimes when reading a strange or seemingly misleadingly hyped story I try to look up the original press release to find out, what's really behind the story. Not rarely the overhype can M_Malenfanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09809944942172355661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-91686485438931357712017-04-28T10:15:48.056-04:002017-04-28T10:15:48.056-04:00Excellent essay, Bee. Thank you.
But if anything ...Excellent essay, Bee. Thank you.<br /><br />But if anything fills the bill as far as over-hype is concerned, it's all the drama over "climate change," no? That's how I see it, anyhow. And no, I'm NOT an ultra-conservative who has a problem with "big government." In fact I'm very close to being a Sanders socialist. <br /><br />I've studied the c.c. DocGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17359004200002936544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-10938164822314615882017-04-27T08:22:16.794-04:002017-04-27T08:22:16.794-04:00@Philip
"Really three quite different example...@Philip<br />"Really three quite different examples."<br /><br />Could be, but those who accept or deny one tend to do it for all three of them together.Rob van Son (Not a physicist, just an amateur)https://www.blogger.com/profile/12611755507524401026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-35190050270114583922017-04-27T06:53:46.215-04:002017-04-27T06:53:46.215-04:00"Passionate disagreements about climate chang...<i>"Passionate disagreements about climate change, stem cell research and evolution raise concerns that science has become a new battlefield in the culture wars."</i><br /><br />Really three quite different examples. Climate change: no serious scientist doubts that human-caused global warming is a fact and is a problem. (Most who deny it are the types who have a "God said it; I Phillip Helbighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12067585245603436809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-38658842881585396952017-04-27T05:36:07.017-04:002017-04-27T05:36:07.017-04:00B.
A Nature editorial points out the political, pa...B.<br />A Nature editorial points out the political, partisan, divisions in scientific interests that will also influence journalism:<br />https://www.nature.com/news/how-to-judge-a-book-by-its-network-1.21771<br /><br />It is based on this study:<br />https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-017-0079<br /><br />"Passionate disagreements about climate change, stem cell research and evolution Rob van Son (Not a physicist, just an amateur)https://www.blogger.com/profile/12611755507524401026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-39228449436235223762017-04-27T02:59:46.028-04:002017-04-27T02:59:46.028-04:00Best faster-than-light OPERA paper: https://arxiv....Best faster-than-light OPERA paper: https://arxiv.org/abs/1110.2832<br /><br />Dig that abstract!<br />Phillip Helbighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12067585245603436809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-119298751183917662017-04-27T02:54:05.199-04:002017-04-27T02:54:05.199-04:00The central issue is that there are no bottom limi...The central issue is that there are no bottom limits a weak ego won't stoop to try and prop itself up.<br /><br />Mind you, I just had to say that 'cause it’s just so awesome to see my name printed in the comments!<br /><br /><br />keep up the great writing,<br />s.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-31686498517936621952017-04-27T02:18:14.738-04:002017-04-27T02:18:14.738-04:00Dear Sabine, you're good at writing and you...Dear Sabine, you're good at writing and you're a good physicist. Can we PLEASE for once have a positive post, an enthusiastic one? Do you ever smile? Please stop bitching, stop rants, take a deep breath and relax. Life is beautiful! Thanks for all your work!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-83767851864836388212017-04-27T02:14:07.776-04:002017-04-27T02:14:07.776-04:00Unknown,
Yes, as I suggested here, journalism wou...Unknown,<br /><br />Yes, <a href="http://backreaction.blogspot.com/2017/02/fake-news-werent-hard-to-predict-but.html" rel="nofollow">as I suggested here</a>, journalism would benefit from better quality control, not unlike scientific publishing, eg by simply stating whether or not fact-checking has taken place and whether or not the writer belongs to one or the other association. Having said thatSabine Hossenfelderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06151209308084588985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-17768371144563797112017-04-27T02:06:37.259-04:002017-04-27T02:06:37.259-04:00John,
Well, aren't journalists supposed to be...John,<br /><br />Well, aren't journalists supposed to be critics? In any case, while it's clear that sloppy science writing isn't helping, I think much of the blame for this goes to scientists themselves. Sabine Hossenfelderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06151209308084588985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-18183364043906659452017-04-27T02:04:49.353-04:002017-04-27T02:04:49.353-04:00Matt,
Oops, thanks, I've fixed that.Matt,<br /><br />Oops, thanks, I've fixed that. Sabine Hossenfelderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06151209308084588985noreply@blogger.com