http://www.scienceguardian.com/blog/plunder-at-the-top.htm Reviewing scientific paradigms and other general beliefs in the light of the scientific and professional literature Thu, 05 Jan 2012 05:57:56 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://www.scienceguardian.com/blog/plunder-at-the-top.htm/comment-page-1#comment-4753 hhbauer Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:30:50 +0000 http://www.scienceguardian.com/blog/plunder-at-the-top.htm#comment-4753 Indeed money is a major culprit; in particular, too many "scientists" chasing grants, patents, etc. It isn't only HIV/AIDS. I was astonished to learn that the same circumstances can be found in theoretical physics, in string theory. Read Part IV of Lee Smolin's "The Trouble with Physics". The string theorists not only control grants, appointments, publication, they also--as in HIV/AIDS--denigrate, snicker at, those who are not on the bandwagon; and they blithely talk of all sorts of things as proven that are anything but proven. Before reading the book, I had thought there might be some vague similarities, but I was quite taken aback to find that one could substitute "HIV/AIDS" for "string" in Smolin's discussion and find it frighteningly applicable. Indeed money is a major culprit; in particular, too many “scientists” chasing grants, patents, etc. It isn’t only HIV/AIDS. I was astonished to learn that the same circumstances can be found in theoretical physics, in string theory. Read Part IV of Lee Smolin’s “The Trouble with Physics”. The string theorists not only control grants, appointments, publication, they also–as in HIV/AIDS–denigrate, snicker at, those who are not on the bandwagon; and they blithely talk of all sorts of things as proven that are anything but proven. Before reading the book, I had thought there might be some vague similarities, but I was quite taken aback to find that one could substitute “HIV/AIDS” for “string” in Smolin’s discussion and find it frighteningly applicable.

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