Critics of science regularly suggest that applying empiricism to life serves to deny human beings their true dignity. Very frequently you hear complaints about sociologists, psychologists, and health scientists “treating people like numbers“. Because that’s what we do. We treat you like numbers. You number, you. Take this guy. I think […]
Scientific literacy
Now THIS really *is* in the genes
This is a very cool publicity campaign, using — dare I say it — scientific literacy in an effort to raise awareness about some rare genetic disorders (full disclosure-time: my own family has one of them). Basically, next Friday’s date — 15/11/13 — neatly matches the chromosomal region (15q11-q13) affected by three overlapping disorders: […]
Knowing me, knowing you (Eureka!)
If there is “more than one way of knowing”, then how can you know that that is true? Presumably, if you know that it is true, then I can simply ‘know’ that it is not true. And I can further simply choose to ‘know’ that I am right in a […]
Forthcoming: On value systems, science, and psychology
I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are ideally suited to giving another public lecture at the invitation of a student psychological society. This time it’s at the behest of the Psychology Society at my own university, NUI Galway. Ah, how I enjoy […]
Correlation? Causation? YOU decide! (It’s as good an approach as any…)
So, I’ve concluded that we might as well give up on trying to spread the word about the correlation-causation fallacy. People just don’t seem to be getting it. I do appreciate that there are complexities (after all, causality causes, and is therefore correlated with, correlation, but correlation does not cause […]
Beware the number ‘13’ (Official Government Advice)
Earlier this year, I blogged about how an elected parliamentarian proposed that the Irish government make arrangements to move the country three inches to the left in order to avoid hitting a fairy. Well, nearly. He actually proposed that the government change the format of car registration (i.e., license) plates in […]
Recent Posts
The cries for help are getting louder. And that’s a good sign
“A science that does not allow opposing opinions abolishes knowledge.” Er, kind of
Getting it Right: Addressing Myths about the 2021 NICE Guideline for ME/CFS
Talking to David Tuller about dualism
Where I speak to colleagues in the Swedish parliament…
