Science writer: Scientists' astounding success rate with research problems they have been called upon to solve causes the public to believe falsely that science can solve any problem. ββ βββββ βββ ββββββββ ββββββββββ βββ ββββββ ββββ ββ βββββ βββ βββββββββ ββββββββ ββ ββββββββββ βββββββββββ ββββ βββ ββββββββ βββ βββββββ ββββββββ ββ βββββββββββ ββ ββββββββ ββββββββ βββββ βββββββββββ ββ ββββββββββββ ββββββ ββ ββββββββββ ββ ββββ β βββ ββ ββ ββββ ββββββββββ βββββββββ βββββββββ ββββββββββ βββ ββββββ βββββ βββββ ββ βββββ ββββββββ ββββ βββ βββ βββββββ ββ ββββ ββββββββββββ
Scientists appear to have a very high success rate at solving problems theyβre called upon to solve, and this creates the false impression that scientists can solve any problem. But the apparently very high success rate is a result of scientistsβ ability to pick the problems they solve or to formulate the problems theyβre asked to solve in a way that makes a scientific solution possible. In other words, the kinds of problems theyβre tackling are an unrepresentative sample of problems overall.
The high problem-solving success rate of scientists wouldnβt be as high if they tried to solve the entire set of problems.
The public overestimates the ability of scientists to solve problems.
The science writer's statements, if βββββ ββββ ββββββββ βββββββ βββββ βββ ββ βββ ββββββββββ
If a problem βββ ββ ββββββββββ ββ ββββ β βββ ββ ββ ββββ β ββββββββββ ββββββββ βββββββββ ββββββββββ ββββ βββββββ ββ ββββββ ββββ ββ βββββ ββββ ββββββββ
Any problem a βββββββββ βββ βββββ βββ ββ ββββββββββ ββ ββββ β βββ ββ ββ ββββ β ββββββββββ ββββββββ βββββββββ
Scientists would probably ββββ β βββββ βββββββ ββββ ββββ ββββββββ ββββββββ ββ βββββ βββββββ βββ βββββββββ ββββ ββββββββ ββββ ββββ βββββββ
Most of the ββββββββ ββββββββββ βββ ββββββ ββββ ββ βββββ βββ ββββββββ ββββ βββββββββββ βββ ββββββββ βββββββ ββββ βββββββ βββ βββββ βββββββββββ βββ ββββββββββ ββββ ββββββ ββ ββββββ
The only reason βββ βββ ββββββββββ βββββββ ββββ ββ βββββββ ββ ββββ βββ ββββββββ ββββββββββ βββ ββββββ ββββ ββ βββββ βββ βββββββ ββββββββ ββ βββ ββββββββββ βββββββββββ