Scientists and Secularism
The Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society and Culture of Trinity College, Connecticut conducted a survey of the worldviews and opinions of Indian scientists last year. 1130 scientists, all of them holding doctorate degrees, from 130 universities and research institutes were surveyed. The saddening result: those who should have been in the lead of developing and defending scientific temper in our country are themselves in the thrall of superstition and prejudice.
We reproduce below two of the most shocking graphs from the report of the study:
Among other results of the survey: only 66% of the respondents thought that biological evolution was a definite fact; 41% approved of scientists visiting temples before launching satellites; 23% felt that scientific organizations should never confront religious practices that go against scientific theory.
The full report is attached with this article.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| SecularismReport.pdf | 1.9 MB |
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Comments
well friends, if for
well friends,
if for homeopathy, the question on 'any' efficacy really DOES NOT exclude the placebo response, i think we need to qualify the 'shock' expressed .
thanks
The reason why placebos are
The reason why placebos are give to the control group in medical trials is because efficacy is usually understood to mean therapeutic effect greater than that of a placebo.
Otherwise, even prayer may have a placebo effect. But, in the usual interpretation, that would be not enough evidence to claim that "prayers heal".
scientists and secularism
the survey results are a clear pointer to the horrible hold of the tradition and the irrational educational system on the minds of even the scientifists; and it exposes their double standards they adopt in their day-to-day life when they interact with their compatriots, i.e.,they are pure scientists in their labs and other work places and are quite unscientific in their private and public affairs.
pl. consider in this context the noble attempt on the patrt of the Kerala Government at creating a space for development of scientific temper among the school children.