Ask HN: What are your favorite examples of science driving good policy?

#1

Post by qqqqquinnnnn » Thu, Jan 26, 2023, 1:25 AM UTC

History is littered with examples of science being used to cause enormous harm - eugenics, phrenology, lobotomies, MKUltra, The four pests campaign, lysenkoism, introduction of cane toads into Australia, etc, etc, etc.

What are the best counterexamples? The unsung victories that go beyond taking lead out of paint and gasoline, and the closing of the ozone hole?

Re: Ask HN: What are your favorite examples of science driving good policy?

#2

Post by version_five » Thu, Jan 26, 2023, 1:40 AM UTC

Technocracy generally doesn't work, nor does science as religion. Science should inform not dictate. And in areas relevant to policy it's never black and white anyway, so just becomes a proxy for some underlying political debate. I don't know that there's such think as a good policy based on "science" saying something.

Maybe some areas of aviation, like definitions of twilight? Surveying laws? It would be banal stuff like that

Re: Ask HN: What are your favorite examples of science driving good policy?

#3

Post by qqqqquinnnnn » Thu, Jan 26, 2023, 2:12 AM UTC

version_five wrote: post #2

Technocracy generally doesn't work, nor does science as religion. Science should inform not dictate. And in areas relevant to policy it's never black and white anyway, so just becomes a proxy for some underlying political debate. I don't know that there's such think as a good policy based on "science" saying something. Maybe some areas of aviation, like definitions of twilight? Surveying laws? It would be banal stuff…

Folks elsewhere have mentioned things like EPA regulation of chemicals - hard to argue that even though it could be better that there haven't been many great things that have happened directly as a result of that act. See the Cuyahoga river: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/cuyahoga-river-caught...

Re: Ask HN: What are your favorite examples of science driving good policy?

#4

Post by MonkeyMalarky » Thu, Jan 26, 2023, 3:15 AM UTC

Are phrenology and lysenkoism examples of science? Both had theories and beliefs but both failed to follow up with the hypothesize, test and refine parts of the science loop.

Re: Ask HN: What are your favorite examples of science driving good policy?

#5

Post by qqqqquinnnnn » Thu, Jan 26, 2023, 5:43 AM UTC

MonkeyMalarky wrote: post #4

Are phrenology and lysenkoism examples of science? Both had theories and beliefs but both failed to follow up with the hypothesize, test and refine parts of the science loop.

I think sometimes ideas that are couched in scientific sounding language get picked up culturally for a while before the rest of the process catches up