Slide 1

How Language, Observation, and Politics Dont Really Allow It The (Noble) Myth of Objectivity:

Slide 2

Science Writing (from the article) Conventional Clear Concise Accurate Formal Objective Cautious Avoids Direct Quotes Illustrated with Figures

Slide 3

Science Writing (from the article) Conventional Clear Concise Accurate Formal Objective Cautious Avoids Direct Quotes Illustrated with Figures

Slide 4

Definitions (which, Irony Alert, we know are somewhat subjective)

Slide 5

The Myth Aim of Objectivity Not betray personal investment in a topic Not show any emotive response to experiment or results Sadly, all mice used in the experiment died. Not prejudice the reader/public towards a certain interpretation or course of action Avoid making a claim that cannot be supported by evidence Maintain the illusion that we can gain direct, pure knowledge of the world Cause that illusion is a shiny object of comforting hope

Slide 6

The Myth of Objectivity Personal investment is implied by the very nature of someone choosing to study something And is partially set by larger contexts Language is full of emotional connotations that will always betray the emotions involved Confirmation Bias Though facts themselves may not be ethical/unethical, why seek them if not to debate/legislate ethical action?

Slide 7

Personal Investment/Contexts Science is not too different from the University, if we go back to Edmundson. And, of course, a lot of Science takes place in Universities.

Slide 8

Stem Cell Research Stem Cells: raw building block cells that can be guided to create new cells, offering potential for repairing tissue damage, test the safety of new drugs, and potentially cure diabetes, Alzheimer's, cancer, etc. Problem: Potentially most useful stem cells come from 3-5 day old human embryos and can be seen as destroying a potential human life to save another.

Slide 9

Keysar, et al 2012: People Make Different Choices in Different Languages Recently, a dangerous new disease has been going around. Without medicine, 600,000 people will die from it. In order to save these people, two types of medicine are being made. If you choose Medicine A, 200,000 people will be saved. If you choose Medicine B, there is a 33.3% chance that 600,000 people will be saved and a 66.6% chance that no one will be saved

Slide 10

Gendered Language, Expectations, and Connotation Ombudsman - a person charged with investigating complaints levied towards an administrative organization or public authority "We are determined to deliver superior medical treatment tailored to each individual patient. We are committed to providing top quality health care that is sympathetic to the needs of our patients."

Slide 11

Finding Meaning Jacobs-Rosenbaum Levin Thorne Hayes Ohman Jacobs is a reference to Jacob's ladder, traditionally allegorized as a figure for the Christian ascent to heaven. In this poem, however, the means of ascent is not a ladder but a tree, a rose tree or rosenbaum. This is a reference to the Virgin Mary who was often characterized as a rose without thorns. It at once poses the question, "How is it that a man can climb to heaven by means of a rose tree?" and directed the reader to the inevitable answer: by the fruit of that tree, the fruit of Mary's womb, Jesus. The word "thorne," can only be an allusion to the crown of thorns, a symbol of the trial suffered by Jesus and of the price he paid to save us all. Its only a short step from this insight to the recognition of Levin as a double reference, first to the tribe of Levi, of whose priestly function Christ was the fulfillment, and second to the unleavened bread carried by the children of Israel on their exodus from Egypt, the place of sin, and in response to the call of Moses, perhaps the most familiar of the old testament types of Christ. The final word of could be "omen," especially since so much of the poem is concerned with foreshadowing and prophecy; and it could, of course, be simply "amen.

Slide 12

Finding Meaning (no matter what) Jacobs-Rosenbaum Levin Thorne Hayes Ohman Jacobs is a reference to Jacob's ladder, traditionally allegorized as a figure for the Christian ascent to heaven. In this poem, however, the means of ascent is not a ladder but a tree, a rose tree or rosenbaum. This is a reference to the Virgin Mary who was often characterized as a rose without thorns. It at once poses the question, "How is it that a man can climb to heaven by means of a rose tree?" and directed the reader to the inevitable answer: by the fruit of that tree, the fruit of Mary's womb, Jesus. The word "thorne," can only be an allusion to the crown of thorns, a symbol of the trial suffered by Jesus and of the price he paid to save us all. Its only a short step from this insight to the recognition of Levin as a double reference, first to the tribe of Levi, of whose priestly function Christ was the fulfillment, and second to the unleavened bread carried by the children of Israel on their exodus from Egypt, the place of sin, and in response to the call of Moses, perhaps the most familiar of the old testament types of Christ. The final word of could be "omen," especially since so much of the poem is concerned with foreshadowing and prophecy; and it could, of course, be simply "amen.

Slide 13

Expectation and Perception Bruner and Postman (1949) I cant make the suit out, whatever it is. It didnt even look like a card that time. I dont know what color it is now or whether its a spade or a heart. Im not even sure now what a spade looks like. My God!

Slide 14

Confirmation Bias The tendency to overlook information (in daily life or even in an experiment) that doesnt fit our already formed worldview or would contradict the results we want.

Slide 15

Confirmation Bias Today a young man on acid realized that all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration, that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively, there is no such thing as death, life is only a dream, and we are the imagination of ourselves. Heres Tom with the Weather. -- Bill Hicks

Slide 16

Confirmation Bias Jacques Benveniste studied homeopathy (an alternative medicine system where a substance that would cause disease in some is thought to be the cure in others) Histimine- a substance in the body that is released during allergic reactions (essentially the chemical reason your eyes water and itch or your sinuses become congested) Water has memory!!!... Or not

Slide 17

Theories versus Laws Law: An empirical generalization; a statement of a biological principle that appears to be without exception at the time it is made, and has become consolidated by repeated successful testing (Lincoln et al., 1990) Theory: A scientifically accepted general principle supported by a substantial body of evidence offered to provide an explanation of observed facts and as a basis for future discussion or investigation (Lincoln et al., 1990)

Slide 18

A Controversial Statement Once the experiments are done and the data are out there, scientists may argue forcefully for the appropriateness of their conclusions and for the policies they believe should follow (Kennedy, 2008) Reagan, Abortion, and Major (1997)