The Geek Manifesto Quotes

“Suppose we find that the more often people consult astrologers or psychics, the longer they live,’ she might begin. ‘Why might that be true?’27 Her students start to suggest ideas. Most know that astrologers and psychics can’t actually predict the future, but perhaps they might make people feel better about themselves, with benefits for their health. Maybe healthier people, or people who have already lived long lives, are more likely to believe in the paranormal. After a while, someone will eventually come up with the most probable explanation: women go to psychics and astrologers more often than men, and also live longer.”
― Mark Henderson, The Geek Manifesto: Why science matters

“It’s not unethical to do experiments in education. It is unethical not to.’ – Sir Mark Walport, Director of the Wellcome Trust”
― Mark Henderson, The Geek Manifesto: Why science matters

“In their choice of stories, and the way they cover them, the media create a parody of science,’ Goldacre argues.19 ‘On this template, science is portrayed as groundless, incomprehensible, didactic truth statements from scientists, who themselves are socially powerful, arbitrary, unelected authority figures. They are detached from reality; they do work that is either wacky or dangerous – but either way, everything in science is going to change soon – and, most ridiculously, “hard to understand”. Having created this parody, the commentariat then attack it, as if they were genuinely critiquing what science is all about.”
― Mark Henderson, The Geek Manifesto: Why science matters

“Cargo-cult science: During and after the Second World War, several pre-industrial tribes in Papua New Guinea observed American soldiers clearing” “rainforest to build airstrips at their bases. This activity was inevitably followed by the arrival of planes carrying valuable cargo, such as medicine, food and clothing. After the Americans had left, some tribes sought to summon planes and their goods by building imitation airstrips of their own. These ‘cargo cults’ understood the value of the American technology, but misunderstood the true nature of how it worked.”
― Mark Henderson, The Geek Manifesto: Why Science Matters

“Bogus impartiality (mathematician discovers that 2 + 2 = 4; spokesperson for Duodecimal Liberation Front insists that 2 + 2 = 5; presenter sums up that “2 + 2 = something like 4.5 but the debate goes on”) can, perversely, lead to bias in its own right, for it gives disproportionate weight to minority views – and some of the minorities involved are expert in taking advantage of the platform offered.”
― Mark Henderson, The Geek Manifesto: Why Science Matters

“Politicians know that if they fail to engage with the gay community, and fail to develop coherent positions on the issues that concern them, they risk punishment at the ballot box. If we can do that for science, we will have made an outstanding start.”
― Mark Henderson, The Geek Manifesto: Why science matters