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[Trekkin]

That's at least my understanding of it anyway.  Considering that one cannot place a government into a controlled and repeatable trial, it is hard to hold to the same degrees of confidence that other sciences hold themselves to.  It's a lot more "fuzzy" and less confident as a result.

Well, it's observational science; it's not less confident, just operating under a different statistical framework. Astronomy's the same way.

Incidentally, you could put a government under a controlled and repeatable trial. My IRB just won't let me list mercenaries as senior/key personnel.

[Max™]

But what if it's political science?

Them things what means them words don't sposed ta be t'gether, and my point about consensus is that it is sold to the public as if it were proof which nobody should feel comfortable with unless Popper like beat up your grandmother or something.

[wierd]

That's at least my understanding of it anyway.  Considering that one cannot place a government into a controlled and repeatable trial, it is hard to hold to the same degrees of confidence that other sciences hold themselves to.  It's a lot more "fuzzy" and less confident as a result.

Well, it's observational science; it's not less confident, just operating under a different statistical framework. Astronomy's the same way.

Incidentally, you could put a government under a controlled and repeatable trial. My IRB just won't let me list mercenaries as senior/key personnel.

LOL!!  Boy, you would sure have a hard time recruiting both ends of the experiement!   I can see the want ads now!

"Political scientist seeks participants in a social engineering experiment involving brutal dictatorships and social uprisings.  If you are either a ruthless gun for hire with questionable morals, or an easily brainwashed useful idiot suitable for induction into a simulated resistance movement, contact Evil Sciences Inc. at this address and phone number. Financial compensation available to next of kin upon termination of experiment."

[Dunamisdeos]

Absolute Monarchy: An easily parsed solution to your governmental needs.

*catchy jingle*

[Trekkin]

LOL!!  Boy, you would sure have a hard time recruiting both ends of the experiement! 

See, I had envisioned only recruiting the side with the armaments, but whatever floats your gunboats.

Funny story, though: I actually have looked up the ethical guidelines on this, albeit from a population genomics standpoint. Apparently when they tell you that changes are required if your proposed experiments are likely to raise objections from local governments, they mean changes to the experiments.

Admittedly they don't explicitly say that the installation of technocratic puppet states isn't a valid form of outreach, but it's fairly clear from context.

[Lord Shonus]

The issue, is that of people not understanding the process going on here, hearing the words "scientific debate", and thinking it is a debate of wits, and not a debate of merits and process validity. It is not "How can I sway everyone to BELIEVE me!?", and instead "have we eliminated EVERY conceivable source of error, or means of falsification in this result?", To which peers of the researcher gets suggestions on additional sources of error or means of falsification, to really and truly nail down the result as a real signal, and not either an experimental error, or a consequence of random chance within the error margin allowed by experimental error. 

I've seen this a lot, often from people who are looking for an easy loophole that will allow something they want to be possible. Many of them are, unsurprisingly, LessWrongers.

[Il Palazzo]

To be fair, "no amount of theory matters in the face of a single contradictory experiment" is one of the more perseverant lies-to-children we teach in grade school science classes

I blame Feynman.

[Trekkin]

Well, mathematics beyond logic. If you're trying to do philosophy without logic... I'll let someone else fill in the joke.

You get a speaking slot at CPAC?

[wierd]

You get a regular slot on Sean Hannity?

[Rolan7]

You get that everything is water?

[MrRoboto75]

You get that everything is water?

Philosophy is just water trying to understand water.

[wierd]

If water flows to fill any container, what is it doing when it is itself the container? (deep koan parody, inspired by bruce lee quotation)

[sluissa]

If water flows to fill any container, what is it doing when it is itself the container? (deep koan parody, inspired by bruce lee quotation)

Missing a good opportunity to be alcohol instead.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_bar

[Folly]

Certain activities at the Mueller office have led to speculation that the conclusion to his investigation is imminent.

[JoshuaFH]

Man I can't wait for the Netflix original drama that recounts all this in intimate detail.