Steven Novella Professions : Neurologist Born : July 29, 1964 Browse All Authors Top 9 quotes by Steven Novella What do you think science is? There is nothing magical about science. It is simply a systematic way for carefully and thoroughly observing nature and using consistent logic to evaluate results. So which part of that exactly do you disagree with? Do you disagree with being thorough? Using careful observation? Being systematic? Or using consistent logic? Steven Novella systematic way thinking Questioning our own motives, and our own process, is critical to a skeptical and scientific outlook. We must realize that the default mode of human psychology is to grab onto comforting beliefs for purely emotional reasons, and then justify those beliefs to ourselves with post-hoc rationalizations. Steven Novella psychology emotional comforting History is strewn with ideas that were intuitive and made sense at the time, but were also hopelessly wrong. Steven Novella intuitive made ideas Science is about the process; it's not about the conclusion. Steven Novella conclusion process Anecdotes generate questions, not answers. Steven Novella anecdotes answers Some claims deserve ridicule, and anything less falsely elevates them. Steven Novella ridicule deserve claims There is no skepticism without science and the scientific method. It's about how we know what we know. Steven Novella skepticism scientific-method method Creationists argue that natural selection is only a negative process, and therefore cannot create anything. Chopra argues that skepticism is only a negative process, and therefore does not lead to knowledge. Both are wrong for the same reasons. They ignore the generation of diversity and new ideas upon which natural selection and skepticism acts. Weeding out the unfit is critical to both - natural selection allows evolution to proceed, and skepticism allows science to advance. Steven Novella diversity weed ideas The work of a science blogger is largely comprised of correcting and criticizing bad science news reporting. Steven Novella injury news pain Similar Authors Ernest Jones neurologist Oliver Sacks neurologist Kari Stefansson neurologist John Hughlings Jackson neurologist Sigmund Freud neurologist All Authors
