Quote Of The Month
DumbJon on Culture Wars:
"Confidence in scientific advice is collapsing for some reason. We're just lucky that there are no big issues requiring scientific input in this country right now.
Meanwhile, back in the real world, normal people are starting to wonder if there's some kind of connection between the bias in Academia and the terrible quality of its output.
Consider our nation's (apparent) modeler in chief, Neil Ferguson. Looking at his track record, I'm not sure he could predict an uptick in the death rate for members of the avian community in December. More to the point though, his track record is not just bad, it's consistently bad. Basically, he's doing science, but not the sort you can use to predict things or where you need to update your theories if reality keeps letting you down.
You know, that type of science."
Well who cares, he is after all one of the boys and as long as the big bucks keep rolling in all is fine.
ReplyDeleteExcellent. Jon might not post as often as he once used to, but I'll take quality over quantity every time.
ReplyDeleteUniversities find it difficult to recruit staff who are right all the time, because people like that can make a fortune in some businesses. Having people who are right some of the time doesn't get you anywhere. But, finding someone who is wrong all the time is a great asset, because you ask their advice, then do the complete opposite. In order to get the best out of such people you have to over-promote them, so that they get lulled into a sense of their own importance. They usually aren't very aware of real life, so they don't know that they have been cultivated as a completely useless gormless idiot (CUGI).
ReplyDeleteTe problem for society as a whole is that sometimes they get taken seriously. The former Polytechnics (I worked in one) were pissing themselves to get hold of Professors from (successful) 'real' universities, and often sought out and appointed these CUGIs as Vice Chancellors, and then got shafted. At first, the real Universities were terrified that their pet CUGIs might get out, because of the damage they could cause, but experience showed that releasing the right CUGI could shaft a rising rival. After all, the Polytechnics were better at Engineering, and the CUGIs screwed that up, because they saw the future of Higher Education in Dance, Wimmins' Studies, and other tosspottery.
"...but I'll take quality over quantity every time."
ReplyDeleteMe too!
"But, finding someone who is wrong all the time is a great asset, because you ask their advice, then do the complete opposite. "
Ah, but....stopped clock, and all that?