Is it at all possible for people to write and talk about science without using the word belief? One does not "believe" in Newton's law of universal gravitation, or Mendelian genetics, or quantum mechanics. These are general descriptions of actual physical phenomena, open to any person's understanding. While not "true" in any philosophical sense, they are good for getting on with as descriptions of the way the universe seems to operate, at least as we understand it thus far. Belief, in any manner fashion or form, doesn't enter the picture.
I am so tired of people talking about "believing in" evolution, with climate change now added like an aperitif of stupid. One neither believes nor doesn't believe in the science behind the theory of global warming. One can read any of the hundreds of scientific papers and monographs on the subject, consider the methodology, the inherent limitations, and conclusions involved, and accept or not accept it. If anyone says, "I believe in evolution," that person isn't talking about a scientific theory of which I am aware. Or, perhaps, they are dumb enough to think one can "believe" the sun is a big ball of hydrogen without any reference to whether or not it actually is a big ball of hydrogen.
Isn't it possible to talk about science in a way that is clear? Pretty please with sugar on top?
Virtual Tin Cup
