• jet@hackertalks.com
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    6 months ago

    None. Flat Earth is characterized by their denial of science. By performing empirical experiments then rejecting the results.

    That is antithetical to the very core of science. So any scientist who is given experimental data that contradicts their theory is, should make new theories.

    There’s nothing fundamentally wrong with saying the Earth is flat, and then thinking about the implications, and then verifying the implications match reality, and then when you get bad data you modify your hypothesis. We need creative and curious minds to challenge the status quo with new measurements data and science. It’s the rejection of empirical data that is the death of science

    • Daft_ish@lemmy.worldOP
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      6 months ago

      I imagine there are many academics that won’t budge from their current beliefs even when confronted with proof.

      • BertramDitore@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        Yup! I don’t understand the downvotes, because this absolutely happens. Especially when technology has progressed to enable us to answer certain questions that we couldn’t in the past. Old curmudgeonly academics can definitely be resistant to accepting that they’ve been wrong, even when confronted with proof. Sometimes the only way for old theories to die is for their proponents to die or retire. It’s a shame, but ego can be a massive problem in some disciplines.

      • SanguinePar@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        Some, sure. And they are indeed acting like flat earthers. I think they’re likely to be the minority though and they’re not acting like scientists if they do that.

        • Daft_ish@lemmy.worldOP
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          6 months ago

          Sorry, it’s just how I phrased the question. Sorry to be a Debbie downer but I was really interested in the answer.

    • jsomae@lemmy.ml
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      6 months ago

      Sounds like you’re saying The Structure of Scientific Revolutions is flawed because those pesky stubborn holdouts weren’t scientists.