Originally Posted by
noglider
Scientific theories cannot be proven but can be disproven. If you don't understand this, your education is incomplete. Read about the
scientific process. It's true that skepticism is useful. It's true that scientists have been wrong. There is no such thing as settled science. In fact, it is a contradiction in terms. The peer review system is not perfect, but it beats all other ways of advancing knowledge. I suggest you learn about it. Scientists argue all the time, but that doesn't mean they are categorically full of bunk.
If you are looking for rationally derived knowledge, you look to science. If you eschew the generally accepted views because they are generally accepted, you are acting anti-rationalist.
At the risk of turning this into yet another sidebar argument in this long lost thread, I'd just say this:
We're agreeing in general. In my experience in a working lifetime of science and engineering, like others I've had the distressing experience of seeing that which was "proven" to be true found to be anything but. And,yes, I understand the peer review process with all of its benefits and all of its warts and politics. So I don't need the lecture, but thanks anyhow.
In this particular case, there are lots of reasons to be skeptical and it is inappropriate to whack those who are being skeptical just because they have skepticism. As you and I have both noted, skepticism is useful and given the state of the current theory on this particular subject, someone ought to be skeptical because there are some gaping holes in the models and the forecasts that are very worthy of being questioned. Especially more so since there are those who are proposing the expenditure of trillions of dollars to correct problems that may or may not be problems at all.
But as before, this is a discussion that does not belong here. The original topic had something to do with riding in cold weather not to litigate the whole topic of climate change. So this is where I exit this thread. It's too far out of control.
J.