Wordplay - scientism

from Tom Swanson's science cartoons

scientism Pronunciation: /ˈsʌɪəntɪz(ə)m/

Definition of scientism

noun

[mass noun] rare

thought or expression regarded as characteristic of scientists.

excessive belief in the power of scientific knowledge and techniques.

One of the great myths of the modern age is scientism, a belief or assumption that the scientific method is applicable to everything. Yet ironically enough, scientism itself isn’t a scientific belief in that it can’t be proved experimentally.

Okay, that’s obvious enough and overt scientism isn’t all that common, but what about covert scientism? Even more intriguing, what about areas of study which are traditionally regarded as science, but where the scientific method doesn’t work particularly well? Why doesn’t it work particularly well – why is it incomplete?

What’s missing?

There are plenty of examples of subjects which seem to lie on the borderline between science and non-science. Economics, psychology, sociology – are they sciences or not? Or are they businesses? Does it matter anyway? Maybe it doesn’t.

What about climate science? Do we know whether or not the climate will give up its secrets to the scientific method? So far it hasn’t, but what if it never does? How will we ever know? The climate hasn’t responded very well so far, but maybe the science is young. Or maybe science just doesn’t work on something as complex as climate.

What’s missing?

What if a natural phenomenon such as climate is too complex for the scientific method? Well to uncover the answer to that question, first we’d surely have to admit we’d failed. But when and how? Scientists very rarely admit failure because science is supposed to be all about try, try again.

But isn’t try, try again just a little too convenient – for scientists? In fact - don't some scientists build careers on try, try again? 

 So how then are we supposed to assess scientific failure? How are we supposed to know we’ve failed? Usually it’s when a better theory comes along, but what if one never does? For how long does try, try again go on?

Until the funding runs out may be the honest answer. Until then, never admit defeat, think of another angle, get some more funding for a bigger computer. But climate scientists can’t do experiments on the climate, so they never get to do proper science where they might actually test a theory with an experiment. How convenient is that? Especially for those with a long-term career in mind.

Bad science can be a sound career choice. Feyerabend was right – scientists are opportunists.