From today's "Guardian" :
"It is unfortunate that Richard Dawkins, who is retiring from the Oxford chair in science communication, often, perhaps inadvertently, gave the impression he did not consider of value any information not derived by the use of the procedure, universal in the sciences, of checking ideas by further observations or experiments (We can't hide in our labs, November 25). In fact, most important human decisions, such as those that involve ethical or political considerations, eg whether or not to go to war, have to be made without this help and are not susceptible to scientific analysis. Science is privileged in that the experimental method enables the generation of evidence in favour or disfavour of a particular idea. Where this possibility is not available, we only have the more uncertain recourse to the use of our human imagination. This was largely true for science itself before the experimental method was adopted in the 17th century".
~Professor Norman Sheppard, FRS
I'm torn between the desire to say "hear, hear" and the urge to rip the good Professor's brain out as a punishment for publishing banalities.
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