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This article is from the Scientific Skepticism FAQ, by Paul Johnson Paul@treetop.demon.co.uk with numerous contributions by
others.
1.10: Are scientists wearing blinkers?
One of the commonest allegations against mainstream science is that
its practitioners only see what they expect to see. Scientists often
refuse to test fringe ideas because "science" tells them that this
will be a waste of time and effort. Hence they miss ideas which could
be very valuable.
This is the "blinkers" argument, by analogy with the leather shields
placed over horses eyes so that they only see the road ahead. It is
often put forward by proponents of new-age beliefs and alternative
health.
It is certainly true that ideas from outside the mainstream of science
can have a hard time getting established. But on the other hand the
opportunity to create a scientific revolution is a very tempting one:
wealth, fame and Nobel prizes tend to follow from such work. So there
will always be one or two scientists who are willing to look at
anything new.
If you have such an idea, remember that the burden of proof is on you.
Posting an explanation of your idea to sci.skeptic is a good start.
Many readers of this group are professional scientists. They will be
willing to provide constructive criticism and pointers to relevant
literature (along with the occasional rasberry). Listen to them.
Then go away, read the articles, improve your theory in the light of
your new knowledge, and then ask again. Starting a scientific
revolution is a long, hard slog. Don't expect it to be easy. If it
was, we would have them every week.
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science, engineering, scientific skepticism, skeptics, Conspiracy Theory
