Hilarious science policy debate

[bascule]

http://media.libsyn.com/media/sciencefriday/scifri-2006061623.mp3

 

Tom Bethell, author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Science, debates Chris Mooney, author of The Republican War on Science.

 

I can't believe how many blatant falsehoods Bethell manages to bilge throughout this piece. I may be a bit biased having worked in climate science/global warming research, but I can assure you that those who dissent from the majority opinion absolutely do not see their funding pulled simply because they dissent. I used to work for such an individual. He served on a number of influential committees including the National Research Council. His opinion was very much appreciated. In a rather critical bit of peer review he did on the Hansen et al 2005 for Science, Hansen welcomed the criticism, and in fact scorned one of the Science judges who was clearly an underinformed global warming alarmist. This debate exists, and it is cordial, at least among the bigger names. It certainly has not been politicized in the way Bethell claims, at least as far as my first hand experience has shown. I'm guessing whatever people he claims had their funding cut, if they even exist, got slaughtered in the peer review process. He claims competition doesn't exist in an environment with government funding. Clearly he's never had to write a grant. It really sounds like he wants an end to the government funding of science, and for applied science to step up to replace it.

 

Anyway, I'd be infuriated more by this guy if it weren't for Chris Mooney's calm, common sense replies to his lies and elaborate misconceptions.

 

(Ed: Whoops, meant to post this in Politics)

[silkworm]

The Politically Incorrect Guide to Science is a misnomer, since politics is the only reason why the science he promotes gets listened to. Not only is his book poorly titled, I'm not sure he's even read his own book.

 

Mooney did very well, but he was perhaps a bit too nice.