• commie@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    3 months ago

    So what’s a better study or metastudy?

    personally, i believe that attempts to quantify any complex system into discrete metrics is likely to have blind spots and misunderstand the system as a whole. i think that if you are concerned about the environmental impacts of agriculture, the correct approach is to evaluate each operation on its own and try to optimize it for inputs and outputs.

    • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org
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      3 months ago

      You can probably see how actual statistics are useful for policy or public discussion, though, right?

      We aren’t going to fix any big picture problem by leaving it up to the businesses pedaling whichever product. Like, you wouldn’t apply that to an oil well, would you?

      • commie@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        3 months ago

        I can see how politicians and bureaucrats would prefer statistics, but I don’t believe that’s a good source for public policy myself, no.

        • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org
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          3 months ago

          And priests prefer faith. How do you think it should work?

          If you’re against science as a concept maybe I shouldn’t even bother.

            • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org
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              3 months ago

              I don’t particularly have a comment on this specific piece of research (which is why I asked for a good alternative). What does science mean to you exactly?

              • commie@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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                3 months ago

                this is literally the final for a 400-level philosophy course. i’m not going to be writing a 5-page essay here. i can characterize my own beliefs as an approximation of other’s though. i tend toward karl popper and other critical rationalists.

                i think this question is too much to ask outside of a purely academic environment, and honestly don’t want to deal with it here. is there another question you think you could ask that would actually be answerable in a succinct way and tell you what you want to know about my perspective?

                • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org
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                  3 months ago

                  It is a big question. For myself, somewhere in those five pages, it has to relate to things that are measurable. If you’re against measurement, you’re against science.

                  • commie@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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                    3 months ago

                    It is a big question. For myself, somewhere in those five pages, it has to relate to things that are measurable. If you’re against measurement, you’re against science.

                    oh, of course, yes. testability. disprovability. this is the crux of critical rationalist critiques.

      • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org
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        3 months ago

        Thanks? I didn’t think there was any dying yet. I wasn’t even arguing there, professionals are often happy to point you to their preferred sources.