#816 Gareth Leng - The Matter of Facts: Skepticism, Persuasion, and Evidence in Science
RECORDED ON APRIL 13th 2023.
Dr. Gareth Leng was one of the founders in 1983 of the British Society for Neuroendocrinology. He was appointed as the Chair of Experimental Physiology at the University of Edinburgh in 1994, after 17 years at what is now the Babraham Institute, Cambridge. He is a former Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Neuroendocrinology, and a former President of the International Neuroendocrine Federation. He is the author of The Matter of Facts: Skepticism, Persuasion, and Evidence in Science.
In this episode, we focus on The Matter of Facts. We talk about what evidence is; structure and norms in science; the “scientific method”; Thomas Kuhn, scientific revolutions, and paradigms. We discuss issues with scientific publication and citation. We discuss if science is value-free, if it is done by individual geniuses, and if we can communicate science through narratives. Finally, we address a question from a patron of the show, regarding why people tend to rely more on authority than evidence, and what we can do about it.
Time Links:
Intro
Evidence
Structure and norms in science
Is there one single “scientific method”?
Thomas Kuhn, scientific revolutions, and paradigms
Issues with scientific publication and citation
The demarcation problem
Is science value-free?
Is science done by individual geniuses?
Can we communicate science through narratives?
Question from a patron – why people rely more on authority than evidence
Follow Dr. Leng’s work!
Follow Dr. Leng’s work:
ResearchGate profile: https://bit.ly/3YbhWJx
The Matter of Facts: https://bit.ly/3kVpphw