Science means "knowledge."
Consensus means "feeling together."
Quote:
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Michael Crichton, M.D. wrote:
"Historically, the claim of consensus has been the first refuge of scoundrels; it is a way to avoid debate by claiming that the matter is already settled. ... Consensus is the business of politics. Science, on the contrary, requires only one investigator who happens to be right, which means that he or she has results that are verifiable by reference to the real world. In science consensus is irrelevant. ... If it's consensus, it isn't science. If it's science, it isn't consensus. Period. "
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It does no one any good to claim consensus unless the issue is merely political. I assume the issue is NOT merely political so a different standard might be advisable.
