Quote2Note: #Copernicus (via Reed) on the danger of being right when the rest of the world is wrong - or, the “intertia of #tradition”

Copernicus . . . did not publish his book [on the nature of the solar system] until he was on his deathbed. He knew how dangerous it is to be right when the rest of the world is wrong.

Thomas Brackett Reed, in a speech at Waterville, Maine, July 30, 1885

Quote2note: Merton on #faith #institutions #science and healthy #skepticism

Most institutions demand unqualified faith; but the institution of science makes skepticism a virtue. 

    • Robert K. Merton, Social Theory and Social Structure (1962)

Quote2note: On science and facts

 

Science is built up of facts, as a house is built of stones, but an accumulation of facts is no more a science than a heap of stones is a house.

• Henri Poincari, Science and Hypothesis (1905) 

Let's hear it for science, data and statistics

I heard a few exciting phrases in Obama's speech yesterday. One was restoring science to it's proper place as noted in the article at link below. The other was substantiating things that are "subject to data and statistics"

Soothing words to this quantoid.

http://www.sciam.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=we-will-restore-science-to-its-righ-09-01-21

Sent from KMcGrew iPhone (IQMobile). (If message includes an image-double click on it to make larger-if hard to see)