I was tempted into writing this entry upon reading a piece by Mr. de Sousa , especially the sentence

"What is needed now is to bring the debate to the public, dig it out of shady blogs and impenetrable scientific journals."

By way of background, I am a once and sometime physicist. I have plowed through my share of impenetrable journals. So I do feel a certain sympathy for the sentiments expressed by Mr. De Sousa.

That said:

Everyday, I am presented with questions that I cannot fully answer. If these questions are sufficiently important, I educate myself sufficently to form an opinion. If time and circumstance preclude sufficient education, I defer to the opinion of those I consider trustworthy in the matter at hand.

This is dangerous.

If I have not the expertise to form a decision, I naturally tend to agree with a purported expert whose opinion furthers my other interests.

Therefore: If the matter is sufficiently important, I bend priorities and arrange circumstance in order to educate myself.

promoted by afew