2025-11-29 16:34 UTC
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Based just on anecdotal evidence: it seems surprisingly common for scientists to be told by funders, managers, or policy people that mentioning #uncertainty or limitations “complicates” the message or weakens its impact [1]. (Days ago, yet another colleague shared a story on this, with other scientists nodding along, recalling similar moments happened to them)
But here's the thing: without uncertainty and "steady doubt", #science "zombifies" back into the default historical #hubris mindset
Replies (1)
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@dderigo@hostux.social 2025-11-29 17:06
2/ This attitude reminds the first, perhaps most obvious, of the four "coping strategies" on #uncertainty in the #SciencePolicyInterface, as discussed by @Jeroen_van_der_Sluijs@mstdn.science [2] "Monster-exorcists want to expel the monster. Uncertainty simply does not fit within symbolical order where #science is seen as the producer of authoritative objective #knowledge" [2] Variant: "keeping the uncertainties in knowledge claims deliberately under the table because they do not fit a political agenda" [2]