The "idiot" scientists

[Deleted]

As someone who reads a lot of science related articles and watches science shows and videos, I noticed that they usually use a lot of obscure formulas and fancy words to prove their point and also how most people dismiss all ideas when the person who comes up with them cant formulate them and just uses small words and illustrative descriptions. But does that mean they are automatically wrong?

For example, I guess you all know the third law of thermodynamics, that the universe always strives towards entropy. Well I googled about why life doesnt. Life gets more complex over time as opposed to more efficient (bacteria being far more efficient than large life forms). And guess what, a bunch of greek letter and numbers. Articles both proving its false and its true. Always those obscure formulas with greek letters and numbers. So it got me thinking. Our brains dont work using these formulas. We come up with abstract ideas and often the formulas come later. Say you wanted to move your leg. Do you think about how many voltages you feed into your muscles, the angles? Precise calculations maybe? No, you just move it and you walk.

Sooo, should we dismiss the ideas of people who arent educated enough or cba to put then into formulas off the bat? Or maybe there can be some truth in it if the logic holds otherwise?

[Espe]

As someone who reads a lot of science related articles and watches science shows and videos, I noticed that they usually use a lot of obscure formulas and fancy words to prove their point and also how most people dismiss all ideas when the person who comes up with them cant formulate them and just uses small words and illustrative descriptions. But does that mean they are automatically wrong?

For example, I guess you all know the third law of thermodynamics, that the universe always strives towards entropy. Well I googled about why life doesnt. Life gets more complex over time as opposed to more efficient (bacteria being far more efficient than large life forms). And guess what, a bunch of greek letter and numbers. Articles both proving its false and its true. Always those obscure formulas with greek letters and numbers. So it got me thinking. Our brains dont work using these formulas. We come up with abstract ideas and often the formulas come later. Say you wanted to move your leg. Do you think about how many voltages you feed into your muscles, the angles? Precise calculations maybe? No, you just move it and you walk.

Sooo, should we dismiss the ideas of people who arent educated enough or cba to put then into formulas off the bat? Or maybe there can be some truth in it if the logic holds otherwise?

Man is the measure, of all things; of things that are that they are and of things that are not, that they are not. - Protagoras

We formed language and decided the meaning, but we needed ways of expressing and sharing complex ideas. If you have found a better method for achieving the same results by reinventing the wheel without standing on the shoulders of giants, please share it and in doing so enrich humanity as a whole (at least until the next pie in the sky dreamer comes along and shits all over you.)

[Deleted]

In general, if people are trying to use fancy words to get their point across despite knowing the majority of their target audience doesn't have a clue what they are talking about...they are full of shit.

[Kuntantee]

The second law of thermodynamics, not third.

As for your concerns, you don't know how science works it seems. An idea is just an idea unless it is shown to be useful in some way empirically or formally. There is no room for philosophy in science.

[Deleted]

The second law of thermodynamics, not third.

SEEE!! Actually I dont know. But this is what I meant. Just human errors, obscurity. Our brains arent designed to be very mathy I think but errors and not using the big words doesnt mean youre automatically completely wrong, does it?

[Blueobelisk]

So basically you want rocket scientists to do all the calculations but not express them in a universal way that other people can understand.

Why don't we just get rid of feet/inches/meters too. If someone wants to know what size something is, just demonstrate the size with your hands.

[haxartus]

If you think these formulas are "obscure", then you are trying to read a poem before knowing the alphabet.

[Kuntantee]

SEEE!! Actually I dont know. But this is what I meant. Just human errors, obscurity. Our brains arent designed to be very mathy I think but errors and not using the big words doesnt mean youre automatically completely wrong, does it?

I am not sure where you are getting the notion that when you use mathy expressions or scientific lingo, you are automatically completely right.

[Fencers]

Sooo, should we dismiss the ideas of people who arent educated enough or cba to put then into formulas off the bat? Or maybe there can be some truth in it if the logic holds otherwise?

We don't necessarily dismiss them- they often just can not be trusted as valid or (more often) are incomplete.

This is one of the most important humans to ever live: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Faraday

Faraday lacked the education of others that came before and after. We still consider him immensely important- no doubt. But Faraday was wrong about a lot of things- how they worked exactly and why in some cases.

Math is just another language.

[Deleted]

I am not sure where you are getting the notion that when you use mathy expressions or scientific lingo, you are automatically completely right.

No its the opposite. Most people consider you automatically wrong if you dont use it. Thats the real issue.

[Polyxo]

"Excuse me, I have to go walk my inkjet printer"
"You mean dog"
"Whatever"

[Hexian]

I have a feeling this thread is really going to draw out the arm-chair experts.

[Deleted]

We don't necessarily dismiss them- they often just can not be trusted as valid or (more often) are incomplete.

This is one of the most important humans to ever live: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Faraday

Faraday lacked the education of others that came before and after. We still consider him immensely important- no doubt. But Faraday was wrong about a lot of things- how they worked exactly and why in some cases.

Math is just another language.

Not only him, a lot of writers and shows have gotten some things right as well and theyre hardly scientists. Maybe only sci-fi fans at best.

[Spectral]

I guess I'm not sure what you mean. Science does have complex, technical jargon a lot of the time, but there's really no way around that. Fields with legitimate complexity can't really be stripped of their verbiage.

[Crissi]

No its the opposite. Most people consider you automatically wrong if you dont use it. Thats the real issue.

well I wouldnt say someone is automatically wrong, but math is often the language we use to explain how a phenomena occurs. Its ok to describe it in general terms to a general audience, but you better believe you're going to need to explain the details and formula results to a panel of your peers.

Also, some fields are more complex than others.

[Fencers]

Not only him, a lot of writers and shows have gotten some things right as well and theyre hardly scientists. Maybe only sci-fi fans at best.

That's just guessing though. That is not science. Faraday was committed to science- he made discoveries that are SUPER IMPORTANT to humanity.

The importance of Faraday is not a casual thing.

http://www.famousscientists.org/michael-faraday/

[Deleted]

"Excuse me, I have to go walk my inkjet printer"
"You mean dog"
"Whatever"

Or you could turn that around.

"excuse me, I have to go walk my dog"
"whats a dog, I see a canine shaped concentration of organic molecules prepared to relieve its entropy as shown in this graph (bunch of greek letters and numbers)"
"wtf"
"your dog is a lie and youre wrong, sit down"

[Crissi]

Or you could turn that around.

"excuse me, I have to go walk my dog"
"whats a dog, I see a canine shaped concentration of organic molecules prepared to relieve its entropy as shown in this graph (bunch of greek letters and numbers)"
"wtf"
"your dog is a lie and youre wrong, sit down"

Im genuinely curious as to how often that ACTUALLY occurs. Scientists are human, not robots and so while you may find some jerks, most will refer to normal things normally.

[lazypeon100]

SEEE!! Actually I dont know. But this is what I meant. Just human errors, obscurity. Our brains arent designed to be very mathy I think but errors and not using the big words doesnt mean youre automatically completely wrong, does it?

You ignored the rest of his post. Why?

No, it does not make the automatically wrong, but it's useless unless there is a way to show that idea has feet to stand on. This is why we have formulas and what not. They are there so everyone learn and understand universally what is going on.

[Ghâzh]

Sooo, should we dismiss the ideas of people who arent educated enough or cba to put then into formulas off the bat? Or maybe there can be some truth in it if the logic holds otherwise?

Yes we should unless the argument holds on it's on despite the lack of mathematical evidence or facts. Your idea is worth nothing if you lack the education to even comprehend what you're talking about.

And no matter how hard you want to be able to explain things without any calculations, just using "abstract" ideas, it's not going to work with more complex concepts. Usually the more complicated a theory becomes, like quantum mechanics, the more it will divert from conventional physics (e.g. when an object is dropped, it falls down).