[Paleopsych] Jaak--is the lab an antique tool?

[Steve]

Although there are situations where
the traditional lab is appropriate, I think you
are correct in saying it doesn't work in
others, although there still is a need to
get some information that is harder than
opinions and beliefs..

There are other problems in "science."

For one, trying to reduce situations to
a single variable has some validity but
many situations have multiple variables
and we need better ways to evaluate
complexity.

I also have the impression that traditional
science tends to concentrate on the
center of the distribution. The outliers can 
be just as interesting and possibly more
important.

I think we have a huge problem with
"mercenary science, " in which something
that looks like the scientific method is
used to prove all sorts of things.  Tests
of new "medications" are one area where
this is prominent, and we often see this
in presentations to Congressional hearings
or juries.

Steve Hovland
www.stevehovland.net