Refreshing George Davey-Smith @mendel_random

Interesting Life Scientific from Jim Al Khalili interviewing George Davey-Smith today.

Refreshing scientist. In epidemiology – causes and effects of disease in populations – driven originally by the “natural, common sense” of the topic. A minefield of statistics and correlations, naturally, and the individual psychology of group effects. Refreshing not just because of the value of natural sense, but a clear understanding of epistemological effects vs presumed ontology – at root the all-too-easily-dismissed anthropic problem – as well as the recognition of distinct individual and group effects.

A keeper for further follow-up. (Must also join up with recent “Cognitive science isn’t epistemology, and moral psychology isn’t ethics.” line from Massimo Pigliucci.)

Time, time, time. So much listening and writing to be done!

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