I was denied admission to a PhD program because of my perceived political views • Hacker News Board

Re: I was denied admission to a PhD program because of my perceived political views

#311

Post by jolux » Thu, Dec 17, 2015, 3:35 PM UTC

fleitz wrote: post #290

jolux wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You've provided no evidence of anything you've laid out here and you're trying to disprove a theory agreed upon by 99% of scientists with indirect arguments about their source of funding. Why exactly should I believe you? I'd love to hear more about all of these points but find it hard to trust them currently.

I find it very hard to believe that 99% of scientists are credible experts on GW. Consensus is a political term not a scientific one, no one disproves the null consensus. In science we cite experts, papers and a refutable hypothesis, in politics we cite the opinions of non expert masses to questions that have no refutable hypothesis. I feel you on the trust though both sides feel like they are lying through their tee…

Yes however one side has science and evidence and the other side has lobbyists and oil companies. There's a wealth of independent research proving climate change.

The question is not whether or not CO2 has an insulating effect, this is intuitively obvious with even a basic understanding of chemistry and physics. The question is whether we're emitting enough of it to cause environmental problems diverse from those naturally occurring. Additionally, the effects would not be as obvious in something like a terrarium because the greenhouse effect works with glass as well. That's why it's called the greenhouse effect.

Re: I was denied admission to a PhD program because of my perceived political views

#312

Post by jolux » Thu, Dec 17, 2015, 3:39 PM UTC

defen wrote: post #208

jolux wrote: post #151

"Why would they? There's been lots of noise lately about how conservatives don't respect science or the intellectual sphere. Why would they? They know we're politically biased." This is where it took a turn for me. I'm basically in agreement with everything else, and it's personally eye opening to gain a greater understanding of these kinds of biases, but when you take a few bad apples in the social sciences (literal…

> They dislike point blank denial of facts such as that of human-caused climate change perpetuated mostly by conservative think tanks and consumed by an undereducated population of people who legitimately don't know better. The left disregards science when it suits their politics as well, e.g. IQ - https://twitter.com/sapinker/status/645301814955388930 Regarding the opposites-list - just because someone doesn't consi…

It's absolutely a relative question, which is why it's not asking for an objective answer. It's asking for self perception, which may also be problematic but is different from what you're implying. If you cite a single tweet claiming IQ is replicable (admittedly from a reputable source) you're only showing one side of the story while claiming "the left" rails against IQ without science behind it. Well, there is science behind it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mismeasure_of_Man

Re: I was denied admission to a PhD program because of my perceived political views

#313

Post by jolux » Thu, Dec 17, 2015, 3:43 PM UTC

jldugger wrote: post #211

jolux wrote: post #151

"Why would they? There's been lots of noise lately about how conservatives don't respect science or the intellectual sphere. Why would they? They know we're politically biased." This is where it took a turn for me. I'm basically in agreement with everything else, and it's personally eye opening to gain a greater understanding of these kinds of biases, but when you take a few bad apples in the social sciences (literal…

> The problem is really that we live in a culture that does not value education very highly, nor does it enable good forms of it for the majority of our nation. > Pardon me if a few of those don't seem obviously better to more than just liberals than their alternatives. I know a lot of conservatives who would be exceptionally proud to call themselves inventive, sophisticated, deep thinkers with passions in art and li…

You're inferring a lot of information based on stereotypes and also misunderstanding the OP. It's not talking about "sophisticated" art, it's asking whether you consider yourself to be sophisticated in art, i.e. you appreciate what makes good art good and enjoy experiencing art.

I don't think of myself as an ingenious, deep thinker just as I don't think of myself as an eater of burgers. I engage in deep thinking and discuss deep thinking with my colleagues and sure it defines me sometimes but other times I'll screw something obvious up and realize that I'm really just a fucking idiot. Everyone is in some way and anyone telling you otherwise is hiding something.

Re: I was denied admission to a PhD program because of my perceived political views

#314

Post by jolux » Thu, Dec 17, 2015, 3:44 PM UTC

midwest1 wrote: post #212

jolux wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You've provided no evidence of anything you've laid out here and you're trying to disprove a theory agreed upon by 99% of scientists with indirect arguments about their source of funding. Why exactly should I believe you? I'd love to hear more about all of these points but find it hard to trust them currently.

I believe the number is somewhat less than 99 percent. If you are referring to the Cook study, the study borders on fraudulent, to be kind. Hard to type using my phone, I have a couple of posts from 70 days or so ago explaining my problem with that study. No one really knows how big that consensus is, or what the consensus even is. Too much noise in the way.

http://www.skepticalscience.com/97-percent-consensus-robust....

Re: I was denied admission to a PhD program because of my perceived political views

#315

Post by tangled_zans » Thu, Dec 17, 2015, 4:20 PM UTC

garrettgrimsley wrote: post #282

tangled_zans wrote: post #278

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What outrage? Simply teaching you some respect, as well as some factual accuracy.

>Simply teaching you some respect, as well as some factual accuracy. The author of the parent comment has established that they made a mistake. Maybe you weren't outraged before but now there is some readily apparent hostility.

Yes, that was indeed the case.

Surely if I made a factual error on something that you were knowledgeable on - say, NodeJS - and you corrected me, you'd be slightly peeved - or at least see my behavior as odd - if I replied to you claiming that your friendly input was "outrage".

Re: I was denied admission to a PhD program because of my perceived political views

#316

Post by dragonwriter » Thu, Dec 17, 2015, 4:28 PM UTC

Amezarak wrote: post #302

dragonwriter wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Can you explain in what sense American government is not representative? Because it produces outcomes where the distribution of power in government does not follow the distribution in the preferences of the electorate (even the distribution as expressed in voting, which is already distorted by tactical accommodation to the known features of the electoral system.) This is problem stemming largely from the use of sin…

Who are we comparing with? It's difficult for me to see how American government is not necessarily more representative than the usual European/parliamentary government.

Compared with other established democracies. It may not be easy to see superficially, again, if refer you to Lijphart's Patterns of Democracy.

Re: I was denied admission to a PhD program because of my perceived political views

#317

Post by drumdance » Thu, Dec 17, 2015, 4:30 PM UTC

linkregister wrote: post #66

FussyZeus wrote: post #5

As someone who grew up in a strongly red area and with beliefs in that vein, I know EXACTLY the kind of exclusion that the author is talking about to a painful degree. For anyone who wants to experience it, walk into any Reddit discussion and tell everyone you're a devout Christian and watch the pseudo intellectuals exercise their "openness." And yes it's true I'm far from the most religious person there is, and I st…

It's amazing to me that the top-rated comment in this thread broadly generalizes both "coastal intellectuals" and "Middle America" with insulting stereotypes. I'm embarrassed that the upvoters of this comment actually agreed with this comment. One trip to Houston or Minneapolis is enough to verify the presence of a thriving arts and culture scene. The anti-intellectual Middle America trope is not factual. One trip to…

> One trip to Houston or Minneapolis

Uh, okay. How about rural Georgia where I grew up?

Dollars to donuts that Houston and Minneapolis have much higher subscription rates to the New Yorker than zip codes from elsewhere in the state.

Re: I was denied admission to a PhD program because of my perceived political views

#318

Post by linkregister » Thu, Dec 17, 2015, 4:57 PM UTC

FussyZeus wrote: post #204

linkregister wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's amazing to me that the top-rated comment in this thread broadly generalizes both "coastal intellectuals" and "Middle America" with insulting stereotypes. I'm embarrassed that the upvoters of this comment actually agreed with this comment. One trip to Houston or Minneapolis is enough to verify the presence of a thriving arts and culture scene. The anti-intellectual Middle America trope is not factual. One trip to…

> It's amazing to me that the top-rated comment in this thread broadly generalizes both "coastal intellectuals" and "Middle America" with insulting stereotypes. It's amazing to me that you took this (what you've recognized as) hyperbole'd and obviously emotionally filled post and assumed this is how I act in daily life, a point which I didn't feel I needed to make but apparently must do so is that of course I do not…

I explicitly acknowledged that this comment was an outlier from your ordinary train of thought. I referenced your otherwise calm comment history. I don't know where you got the impression I thought this represented you as a person. However, I apologize. I do not intend to offend.

Re: I was denied admission to a PhD program because of my perceived political views

#319

Post by rantanplan » Thu, Dec 17, 2015, 5:04 PM UTC

robotresearcher wrote: post #288

rantanplan wrote: post #238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What the hell are you talking about? Scientists do not believe in parallel universes, dark matter and all the other stuff you mentioned. They hypothesize about them, then they try to formulate theories and then they try to test these theories, by means of experiments. When they do get to perform comprehensive experiments then, depending on the results, finally know what the truth is. Not so much the same as with the…

> finally know what the truth is. Not quite. The current substantiated hypothesis is always provisional until a better idea or contrary evidence turns up. That's not what most people call truth, and certainly not the kind of truth religious people have in mind.

You obviously didn't read about the comprehensive experiments I mentioned.

Sometimes I wonder why I spend time to respond to people. No one reads anything. People just want to disagree to pass the time.

Re: I was denied admission to a PhD program because of my perceived political views

#320

Post by linkregister » Thu, Dec 17, 2015, 5:05 PM UTC

someguydave wrote: post #281

linkregister wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's amazing to me that the top-rated comment in this thread broadly generalizes both "coastal intellectuals" and "Middle America" with insulting stereotypes. I'm embarrassed that the upvoters of this comment actually agreed with this comment. One trip to Houston or Minneapolis is enough to verify the presence of a thriving arts and culture scene. The anti-intellectual Middle America trope is not factual. One trip to…

Having lived around Davidsonville, MD for awhile, I'm pretty certain that the 'pragmatic' folk you referenced feel absolutely trampled by the establishment in the nearby megalopolis. I know a farmer there, he barely scratches out a living - much of the local farmland was bought up by rich lawyers to build large homes. My point being that I think you actually unwittingly identified this 'midwest/coastal divide' in you…

Likewise having lived in the area, I have not identified this feeling of being "trampled". I have identified a local pride and a comfort with a less urban way of life.

But I feel I could not possibly give an example that could satisfy you, since practically every habitable region in the world has experienced a "rich lawyer" or two buy up land in the area. Yet the fact remains that the majority of the region maintains its rural character.