The Myth of the Noble Scientist

Daecon said:
So of course while scientists are morally corrupt, the ghost hunters, bigfoot hunters, and alien hunters are completely noble and virtuous, right?
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Ghost hunters don't charge for their investigations. So it's doubtful they are corrupt in the sense of wanting to make lots of money and achieve fame and prestige in some peer-reviewed journal.
 
Magical Realist said:
"Though many Americans are lacking in their own knowledge of basic science, a majority have a high opinion of scientists and are eager to hear about new discoveries, according to a new report.

More than 90 percent of Americans say scientists are "helping to solve challenging problems" and are "dedicated people who work for the good of humanity," the report shows."===http://www.livescience.com/43399-american-opinion-of-scientists.html
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None of those preclude them being normal people.
 
DaveC426913 said:
We don't need a preponderance of evidence to make broad, sweeping claims about 'the world'. We just need a few personal experiences. Right?
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Firsthand experiences and observations of those in the field are adequate. You haven't provided any of that. Why do you lie so much?
 
DaveC426913 said:
They would be adequate to state 'this is what I have experienced'; they are not adequate to state 'this is what the world is like'.
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Sure they are. Everybody who has worked or is working in a given field is adequate to say what that field is like. Which is precisely what I provided here.
 
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Magical Realist said:
Ghost hunters don't charge for their investigations. So it's doubtful they are corrupt in the sense of wanting to make lots of money and achieve fame and prestige in some peer-reviewed journal.
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You sure about that?

The Society for Paranormal Investigation charge $45 for an hour, for just an investigation, which can involve just talking to them on the phone or sending them a photograph.

And I am not even touching on the stores they have, such as the "Ghost Hunter Store" who make up little gadgets and put in some cheap LED lights and sell them for quite a bit, or things like religious items that are really just pieces of cloth to apparently protect from bad spirits.

No one has said that all scientists are noble. So in effect, you are writing about a myth of a myth.
 
Bells said:
You sure about that?

The Society for Paranormal Investigation charge $45 for an hour, for just an investigation, which can involve just talking to them on the phone or sending them a photograph.

And I am not even touching on the stores they have, such as the "Ghost Hunter Store" who make up little gadgets and put in some cheap LED lights and sell them for quite a bit, or things like religious items that are really just pieces of cloth to apparently protect from bad spirits.

No one has said that all scientists are noble. So in effect, you are writing about a myth of a myth.
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"It seems most ghost hunters don’t charge for their services. Maine Ghost Hunters says, “…there are absolutely no fees attached to the ghost hunting services we provide.” However, donations or travel expenses usually are accepted. For example, Long Island Paranormal Investigators says:

LIPI does accept donations to help cover the costs of an investigation including travel and equipment. Any amount is appreciated but not required for an investigation.

The Society for Paranormal Investigation does charge for phone consultation and analyzing photos. The fee is $45 per hour with a minimum of $9.75. They request travel expenses to investigate active hauntings outside the areas where their organization has branches (Dallas/Fort Worth, Washington D.C., Seattle, and New Orleans), but otherwise do not have a fee for investigations."===http://www.thepennyhoarder.com/professional-ghost-hunter/

As for ghost hunting equipment, ofcourse there are stores that sell that. You can even buy it on Amazon. Businesses that provide merchandise SHOULD sell their products. We are a capitalistic society afterall.

Here's a ghosthunting store I get emails from all the time and have purchased a few items from:

http://www.ghoststop.com/
 
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Magical Realist said:
Sure they are. Everybody who has worked or is working in a given field is adequate to say this what that field is like. Which is precisely what I provided here.
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Except when I pointed out that it's your personal view, your response was:
it's really a comment on what the world is like.
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And again, you'll notice that I simply address the issue itself, rather than resorting to name-calling or accusations about your character.
 
DaveC426913 said:
Except when I pointed out that it's your personal view, your response was:


And again, you'll notice that I simply address the issue itself, rather than resorting to name-calling or accusations about your character.
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LOL! Changing the goalposts I see. What happened to your argument about the anecdotes not being any good? You giving up on that?
 
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DaveC426913 said:
Original, unmoved goalposts. See posts 7, 8. Anecdotes aren't enough to support your broad claim; only enough to support your personal view.
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The anecdotes support their own view with which I happen to agree and have logically argued for. You have no point left to make here. Why don't you quit your petty bitching and move on?
 
IMO the principle problem with modern science is that most major scientific discoveries are made in large, publicly funded institutions. They become bureaucratic basket cases with no means of being disposed of - ie, they don't go bankrupt, like a private company would, if caught acting similarly.
 
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