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When science and a preconceived outlook collide, then the conclusions 
reached are always in question. This can even be true in  such "hard 
fields" as physics and some of chemistry where all variables of an 
experiment can be controlled.

In the "softer" sciences - the control of all variables is not possible 
and all studies are experiments. In statistical experiments there are 
technical issues that have to be addressed to insure the experiments are 
valid. There are issues concerning sample size, the randomness of the 
sample, the design of the experiment and the exact hypothesis to be tested.

Once the experiment has been run then one can determine only one thing - 
the hypothesis can be rejected to a certain degree of statistical 
confidence or it cannot. Many times the problems with science comes from 
trying to put into lay terms exactly what was done and what it means. 
This problems caused confusion in physics for years as people tried to 
"explain" quantum theory. This also seems to me to be the problem with 
most soft sciences when imprecise words are used to try to covey the 
precisions of the conclusions of well designed and well executed 
experiments.

Science is about a well defined process and percision, not about 
handwaving. However, many times the conclusions of a study with  some 
handwaving and conclusion jumping becomes more like religion than science.

BTW many of the first launches at Vandenberg AFB in the late 50's to 
early 60's went into the Pacific Ocean instead of space because some of 
the design engineers drew false conclusions from experimental data.

Truman

> Science is good, but one has to read it very carefully before 
> extrapolating
> or acting on the results of an experiment. If you gave me enough Moose
> Drool, I could tell you a number of campfire stories of how I jumped to
> conclusions and caused financial losses to my employer during my 
> indenture
> as an industrial scientist.
>
> Ed & Wendy Hauser
> 2994 Mittower Road
> Victor, MT 59875
>
> (406) 642-9640
>
> ranch@xxxxxxxxxxx



--

"The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement. The opposite 
of a profound truth may well be another profound truth."    Niels Bohr 
-- Nobel Laureate, Physics




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