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If the outcome of research is altered from what it was, then
fruitful research on that topic stops right there. New research
builds on what came before. If what came before wasn't valid, then
additional research cannot extend it. Governments can stop funding
research they don't like, or spin the politics around research that
undercuts their basic platform, but they can alter the actual result
of research just once. It will work for awhile, but the scientific
community will not be fooled by it, and will shortly reveal the
scam, or reproduce the work and publish the proper results
independently.<br>
<br>
FutureMan<br>
<br>
<br>
On 8/28/2011 4:30 AM, Stefano Vaj wrote:
<blockquote
cite="mid:CAPoR7a6jgoPuFO_eRrfDwrwwhq7VnZkm946qRZchhgZDMmA4Gw@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">
<div class="gmail_quote">On 26 August 2011 22:23, Kelly Anderson <span
dir="ltr"><<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:kellycoinguy@gmail.com">kellycoinguy@gmail.com</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
.8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
Exactly. So, if the government in China can change the outcome
of<br>
research done there, why would we assume that our government
doesn't<br>
do the same here? I believe that it does, specifically by
choosing who<br>
gets grants and who doesn't.<br>
</blockquote>
<div class="im"><br>
This exactly what makes me wary of the too-quick enthusiasm of
transhumanists à la IEET for global governance mechanisms. <br>
<br>
Because, ultimately, given societies may adopt one aesthetics
or philosophy over another one, but as far as technoscience is
concerned, competition amongst them is a powerful control
mechanism in selecting the most effective paradigms (or at
least make the least ones go extinct).<br>
<br>
But in a single Brave New World, or in the attempts to
transform ONU in the seed of any such thing? No sirrah.<br>
<br>
</div>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt
0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);
padding-left: 1ex;">
Culture and zeitgeist has just as much impact on the skewing
of<br>
scientific results (at least the ones that get published in
peer<br>
reviewed publications) as totalitarian regimes.<br>
</blockquote>
<div><br>
Absolutely. At the end of the day, it is the cultural norm
(and the vested interests it serves) that counts. Legal
("totalitarian") repression is a just a possible byproduct,
which often is not even necessary, enforcement being directly
entrusted to social mechanisms.<br>
</div>
<br>
</div>
-- <br>
Stefano Vaj<br>
<br>
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<br>
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