I hope this crossposts properly.
Aug. 31st, 2010 11:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
silverflight8Today, I went on an xkcd forum, looking through all the "public misconceptions of science" thread, and kind of smiled and went "Yep, that's annoying," (I agree with many of them, but really, wishing people who didn't understand evolution would die? Really?) The part where they discussed placebos was really, really funny, just because it involved playing mind games and everyone kept offering suggestions and then going "Oh no that's not gonna work, wait...."
The thing that gets me the most, though, is the misunderstanding of what science is: that you take facts, and you then twist your hypotheses to suit them and not the other way around. And that your hypothesis needs to be falsifiable.
My other point of Extreme Frustration is the inability of scientists to communicate scientific ideas to non-scientists, because the specialized vocabulary and different definitions and the purposely long-worded and jargon-laded writing. (This annoys me so much. Your point is to communicate. Do not use the most difficult, unnecessary words to sound right; use the simplest words and structures, and people will actually know what you're talking about.) Trying to read a paper, even the abstract, feels like the author tried to make themselves sound better. Use technical terms when you need to--and when accuracy is required--but for God's sake please don't throw them in to confuse others. Blrghl.
The thing that gets me the most, though, is the misunderstanding of what science is: that you take facts, and you then twist your hypotheses to suit them and not the other way around. And that your hypothesis needs to be falsifiable.
My other point of Extreme Frustration is the inability of scientists to communicate scientific ideas to non-scientists, because the specialized vocabulary and different definitions and the purposely long-worded and jargon-laded writing. (This annoys me so much. Your point is to communicate. Do not use the most difficult, unnecessary words to sound right; use the simplest words and structures, and people will actually know what you're talking about.) Trying to read a paper, even the abstract, feels like the author tried to make themselves sound better. Use technical terms when you need to--and when accuracy is required--but for God's sake please don't throw them in to confuse others. Blrghl.
