Re: Soviet Science
what I was taught in graduate school is that there is no certainty possible. What you CAN achieve is professionally respectable procedures for selection and evaluation of evidence, in support of a hypothesis.
For instance, we cannot KNOW the population of France in 1150. We can make an educated guess, explain what evidence we think will support that guess, and then collect and evaluate it in such a way that peers will review it and say "yes he did not make serious mistakes in what to look for and how to consider it". The highest goal of our profession would be, to have our peers say "there is no disagreement possible except with the original guess, for if we disagree with that guess it is time to find evidence that will support that contrary guess".
Now of course they will come along and say "Yes I agree with you the population of France was X, but a better test is canal traffic and taxation." Or "The Population of France was Y, and the evidence is more grain and less sheep for trade wool". You don't want somebody saying "I rechecked your math, and I come up with Y not X" cause that means you suck.
And then the whole profession benefits, because Adam says the population of France was X and look at the amount of mills; and Bob says Belgium by the same measure had a population of N; but Charles says Adam was wrong and the population of France was Y; and Doug contrasts the calculations of Adam and Charles; and Ed applies the Charles way to Belgium and re-evaluates Bob; and Frank reconsiders Ed in light of Doug; and Gilbert applies the Marxist critique of Adam; and Helen rips Charles for his chauvinistic ignorance of female economy in the Middle Ages; and by then Ichabod can write a history of the history of the population of France and make some nice zingers at his old profs. All this makes it easy-peasy for Jake, Kelly and Lou to get graduate degrees which means they can teach Mike, Ned, Ollie and Paul how to guess at the population of France in the correct manner, having taught them a false simplistic way at the BA level.
But Soviet science says "The Party likes Guess #15" and then God help whoever seeks to challenge the Party. To challenge the Party is to overthrow the state!
And this is what I see coming with global warming and homosexual history and other "science"
Egghead: Let us suppose that industrial pollution drives climate, and explore all the evidence in support of that hypothesis
Me: Bearing in mind it might not drive climate, and the evidence may demonstrate that fact if we remain open to it.
Egghead: <taking out notebook> why should one wish to suppose that, Comrade?
I mean I don't forget I'm talking to Queequog and Raoul and Steve here, who only know from Ned Ollie and Paul how to guess the Kelly way.
Steve Jobs has ruined this joke.