Re: Better places than talk.origins to start.

Arthur V. Chadwick (chadwicka@swac.edu)
Thu, 29 Jan 1998 07:26:50 -0800

At 08:43 PM 1/28/98 -0500, Steven Schimmrich wrote:

>>Obviously all articles posted there are biased (if not they would not be
>>posted there).

> "Obviously"?
>
> Only in the sense that everyone and everything on earth is biased Art.
>Should someone avoid the numerous YEC web sites because they're obviously
biased?
>After all, they would never, ever post something the least bit critical of
YEC.
>

Exactly my point. In order to minimize bias, you should point people to
sites that fairly represent biases other than your own, so that they can
arrive at their own conclusions.

> Of course it presents a specific point of view because that is it's
purpose.
>That doesn't mean the information given there is of poor quality. I've found
>much of the information to be of a high caliber and, as I've said, abundant
>references are usually given to the primary scientific literature. I
suppose the
>primary scientific literature is biased and not worthy of attention either?

If you want to equate "bias" and "unworthy of attention", you have defined
the whole scientific enterprise out of existence. As scientists we attempt
to recognize and minimize bias in our research. Avoiding bias is
philosophically impossible. Bias is not bad (as you seem to be
characterizing it). It is absolutely necessary. I do not use "bias" as a
pejorative.

Art
http://chadwicka.swau.edu