BURNING GALILEO

Chapter 3 - Galileo Continued

Galileo continued, "So you want me to blindly believe your scientists, but, what do the other scientists say?"

The Inquisitor replied, "Oh they don't matter, they're kooks."

"What is a 'kook'?" asked Galileo.

"You know, an idiot, a kook, a heretic for you old guys." "Ah!" exclaimed Galileo, "I can relate to that! So tell me about these 'kooks'. Are they also scientists?"

"Yes, but they don't matter. They're not climatologists, so they're not qualified."

"Ah, and your most vocal proponent, is he a climatologist?"

"What do you mean 'most vocal' proponent?"

"Well you were telling me about this 'fabulous genius' earlier, what was his name? Mitchy Kaku?"

"Mitchi-O, Kaku."

"Yes, Mitchio Kaku, and he's a climatologist? " "No, he's a physicist."

"So according to you he's also not qualified."

"Yeah but—"

"—But what? The other scientist you call 'Freeman' is also a physicist, and you call him a 'kook'. So you see how you are just asking me to believe the scientist of your choice? That's what we scientists call 'confirmation bias,' and it is something we are constantly fighting against. Science is not just seeking out the people who agree with you."

The Inquisitor's emotions flared again, "Now listen old man—"

But Galileo continued oblivious to the young man: "No you listen! Don't you see, you are only showing me your own motivated reasoning? You are only showing me your own biases; telling me to listen to one physicist, but not the other, the one that supports your argument of course. Once again my friend, that is not science.

"Science is asking questions, not making assumptions. We have to listen to all of the scientists. Sometimes it's actually very helpful if we cross domains and get another point of view. We must constantly ask ourselves 'what is not on the menu?'"

"I'll tell you what's ON the menu old man, we gotta save the Earth!" The Inquisitor's blue veins bulged from under his white collar.