Comments on: Scientists as Parrots http://www.overcomingbias.com/2007/05/scientists_as_p.html Overcoming Bias is economist Robin Hanson’s blog, on honesty, signaling, disagreement, forecasting, and the far future. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 02:20:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Robin Hanson http://www.overcomingbias.com/2007/05/scientists_as_p.html#comment-419062 Robin Hanson Tue, 29 May 2007 23:40:08 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2007/05/scientists-as-parrots.html#comment-419062 Nick's summary seems completely accurate to me. Nick’s summary seems completely accurate to me.

]]> By: Nick Bostrom http://www.overcomingbias.com/2007/05/scientists_as_p.html#comment-419061 Nick Bostrom Tue, 29 May 2007 23:34:10 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2007/05/scientists-as-parrots.html#comment-419061 What I also heard was that the scientists we had invited felt that they already found it difficult to get funding for work in this area, independently of how it was labeled. Some of them hoped that we might create a community or in some other way help build support for the kind of work they want to do. It seemed that some thought that explaining the larger goal would help them get more funding, while others worried that doing that would instead make it more difficult for them. I understand that a parallel debate is going on among biogerontologists. I should note that the objective for the workshop was not to promote the area or help the scientists get more funding, but to better understand the state of the art, the rate of progress, and the remaining difficulties, as a basis for making better projections about how long it might take before WBE becomes possible (if ever) and how such a technology might develop. We deliberately did not discuss the desirability of this research or its wider implications - setting aside those issues for a future occasion. (For those who might be interested in the content of the workshop, we are hoping to produce a whitepaper eventually; we will also try to make available powerpoints from the workshop and some other materials.) What I also heard was that the scientists we had invited felt that they already found it difficult to get funding for work in this area, independently of how it was labeled. Some of them hoped that we might create a community or in some other way help build support for the kind of work they want to do. It seemed that some thought that explaining the larger goal would help them get more funding, while others worried that doing that would instead make it more difficult for them. I understand that a parallel debate is going on among biogerontologists.

I should note that the objective for the workshop was not to promote the area or help the scientists get more funding, but to better understand the state of the art, the rate of progress, and the remaining difficulties, as a basis for making better projections about how long it might take before WBE becomes possible (if ever) and how such a technology might develop. We deliberately did not discuss the desirability of this research or its wider implications – setting aside those issues for a future occasion. (For those who might be interested in the content of the workshop, we are hoping to produce a whitepaper eventually; we will also try to make available powerpoints from the workshop and some other materials.)

]]> By: Constant http://www.overcomingbias.com/2007/05/scientists_as_p.html#comment-419060 Constant Mon, 28 May 2007 15:45:50 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2007/05/scientists-as-parrots.html#comment-419060 But once we have independently verified that scientists do this sort of thing, it is important for us to put one and one together and apply this insight. But once we have independently verified that scientists do this sort of thing, it is important for us to put one and one together and apply this insight.

]]> By: Robin Hanson http://www.overcomingbias.com/2007/05/scientists_as_p.html#comment-419059 Robin Hanson Mon, 28 May 2007 12:53:13 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2007/05/scientists-as-parrots.html#comment-419059 Stuart, agreed. Constant, yes, and I think it is important for each of us to note whether we more directly see such things happen, rather that have to take the word of advocates with agendas. Stuart, agreed.

Constant, yes, and I think it is important for each of us to note whether we more directly see such things happen, rather that have to take the word of advocates with agendas.

]]> By: Stuart Armstrong http://www.overcomingbias.com/2007/05/scientists_as_p.html#comment-419058 Stuart Armstrong Mon, 28 May 2007 10:46:30 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2007/05/scientists-as-parrots.html#comment-419058 Prediction markets should reveal if funding bodies have shallow unthinking prejudice towards the feasibility of various research. But they wouldn't help if the funding bodies are prejudiced because of value disagreements; because they feel that "this isn't the type of research that will benefit humanity". Prediction markets should reveal if funding bodies have shallow unthinking prejudice towards the feasibility of various research.

But they wouldn’t help if the funding bodies are prejudiced because of value disagreements; because they feel that “this isn’t the type of research that will benefit humanity”.

]]> By: Constant http://www.overcomingbias.com/2007/05/scientists_as_p.html#comment-419057 Constant Sun, 27 May 2007 21:48:19 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2007/05/scientists-as-parrots.html#comment-419057 Global Warming skeptic Richard Lindzen has said similar things in the context of the science of global warming. Global Warming skeptic Richard Lindzen has said similar things in the context of the science of global warming.

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