We need to understand what ‘scientific fact’ means

I, TOO, read with interest Bruce Munro’s article on conspiracy ideation, but unlike Don Sinclair, I drew a different conclusion (Letters, 3.11.20).

In simple terms, Homo sapiens have evolved from bacteria, fish, crocodiles, monkeys. Our brain is a mix and makedo, not a design. Our thinking is imperfect.

Science offers us the best view of reality, because the scientific method demands evidence, corrects for bias and error, estimates uncertainty, requires verification by others, and can change with new evidence. Science advances.

When evaluating information, we need to ask ourselves: What is the balance of informed opinion? If there is a longstanding nearunanimous consensus of experts judging the evidence then we have a scientific ‘‘fact’’.

If you believe the global community of scientists is conspiring to defraud us, you don’t understand how science works and how difficult it is to get a large number of people to agree on anything.

Scientists may cooperate, but they also compete to be the first in history, and win the fame and money that goes with that. A Nobel Prize, even.

St Clair piles

Dennis Horne

Howick

THE piles at St Clair Beach are disappearing very quickly now which is so sad as they have been an iconic feature of the beach, and of Dunedin.

Nearly every visitor to our city visits the St Clair Esplanade during their stay, and many residents of our fine city visit this area regularly.

Because of this, those piles have been photographed almost as often as the Dunedin Railway Station.

Surely it wouldn’t take much for our council to ram a few new piles in there, or is it going to be necessary for the people of this city to do the job the council should have been on to some time ago?

N. Lester

St Clair ..................................

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