Quote:
Originally Posted by bojan
I think that most of the confusions about almost anything, not just black holes, is created by non-adequate presentations of the scientific facts and theories...
The attempts to explain those things in simplistic terms, inevitably means that only some parts of essential information is passed to the non-suspecting reader who does not necessarily have the adequate math skills to fully understand the issue. This is a potential problem for anyone today, regardless of the level of education, who is not employed full time in a particular scientific field.
What is more dangerous though, the partial understanding of scientific issues sometimes creates the "second" generation of presenters who simplify things even more, creating totally wrong impressions about those things in public which is then beyond repair.
Popularization of science is a very hard, serious and responsible job.... and mostly neglected by the media who in general are not interested in scientific truth, but in just a quick buck to be made and that serves no body's interest in the long run.
The best example of those consequences are all those recently blooming ID theories. And people who accept them are not to blame because they are simply not adequately trained/educated in scientific methods.
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I agree.
I am unfortunately without an education in science and incompetent in math.
So I read a little and form a view... informed but not really informed because the "facts" I get are via a journalist or a web site host trying to make something very complex understandable for folk like me.
Add to that a tendency for media to make things exciting to a reader it is no way to get at the real science.
I do read every scientific report I can find on things that interest me... I like reading stuff in the NED data base and the like. It is hard going but not unlike reading a law report... and flicking to the end is tempting when reading either.
Still I will have a go.
I thank you all for the respect you give my enquiries, all could simply say you need so much more before you can dabble in these areas, and I appreciate the opportunity to hear views of people more educated than myself.
Thanks again
alex