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UNDERSTANDING_UNDERSTOOD

                                                   October 2, 2018

Galef flashes a graph she calls
"the graph of despair" from some         GALEF
of Dan Kahan's data.

The vertical axis is belief in global
warming, the horizontal axis is                  The full horizontal label
scientific intelligence, and two curves          is "ordinary scientific
are plotted, one for liberals and one for        intelligence".
conservatives-- as you might expect,
there's a gap between these two, with more        The question then, would be
liberals who believe in global warming,           why scientific intelligence
and fewer conservatives-- the trouble             doesn't bring the conservative
though is that the curves diverge with            line up toward the liberal
greater scientific intelligence.                  line.

This is-- or can be taken as-- a disturbing
sign that with greater understanding, one
aquires a greater ability to rationalize
pre-existing beliefs.

There's another way this
particular data could be                      There's other data like this
taken:                                        that Kahan has talked about--
                                              for example, better educated
  If we take it as a given that global        conservatives may be able to
  warming is real-- and that's hardly a       show they understand evolution,
  bad assumption at this point-- then         but still refuse to say they
  the vertical axis is Truth.  Then           believe in it.
  given that science is the pursuit of
  truth, we know there's something                       IDEOLOGY_VS_IDJIT
  wrong with Kahan's attempt at coming
  up with a parameter for scientific          But even worse: Kahan can show
  intelligence.                               that people misinterpret numerical
                                              data in favor of prior beliefs...
  Aruably the people he says                  and this effect is actually more
  "understand" the theory are just            pronounced in people with higher
  regurgitating a reasonably accurate         math skills.
  summary-- but that is at best the
  beginning of understanding.                      That one is harder to
                                                   explain away with the
  If you're not actually presuaded by              maneuver I'm proposing
  the weight of whatever portion of                here.
  the evidence you're familiar with,
  is the bare fact of the weight of                      WE_SMART
  scientific consensus doesn't make a                    
  dent in your "belief", then arguably                   
  you don't really "understand":                         
  there's something fundamental about                    
  science and the process of science           Indeed Galef comments Kahan
  that you don't follow.                       has a different measure
                                               "scientific curiosity" that
  So perhaps whatever Kahan is plotting,       at least shows a less
  it isn't "scientific understanding".         extreme difference.


     This line of thinking is
     hardly original with me,
     but whenever anyone gets
     anywhere near it, Kahan
     goes off into a snit about    See, if you think your
     how we Just Don't Get         side really is right,
     It... I would venture to      you're supposed to be
     say that half of the          polite and not say so,
     people who are reluctant      because otherwise you're
     to criticize his              going to look like one
     conclusions have been         of those close-minded      Good intellectuals
     cowed by this act.            people unable to           must engage in
                                   question your own side.    ritual displays
                                                              of self-doubt.

                                                         FLIP_TEST
  Another point Kahan likes to make is that
  the fact that the liberal curve is up
  closer to Truth is not necesarily a sign of
  epistemic virtue on their part-- it could
  be many of them are getting it right for
  the wrong reasons...

  There, I'm afraid Kahan may be all too right.



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