Do you want that outcome? A lot of people seem to. But when they're lying in a hospital bed dying of something we could have treated if we'd been able to research it properly, I bet they won't.

But if that were all or even most of what the practice of science is, nothing else would ever get done.

Scientists could spend all our time trying to prove each other wrong, of course. Every once in a while we do, both because it improves our knowledge, and yes, because that's one of the best ways to get a paper published in a major journal.

Not because someone's paying me not to, or because I'm afraid of the answers I'd get, or any of that nonsense, but simply because there's no point.

*Very* rarely I think they did it wrong, and I will of course bring that up to my clients. But even then, it will be about specific cases relevant to the mutation, drug, and tumor type at hand—not about the idea that relations between genetics, cancer, and the treatment thereof *exist*.

I don't question whether chemotherapy in general is worth doing for cancer patients, or whether genes in general influence drug metabolism in general, because I don't have to. Other people have already done that work, and if I want I can go back and read how they did it.

In my line of work, for example, I often question whether a particular mutation in a particular gene increases responsivess to a particular drug in a particular type of cancer.

Much more commonly—I mean, like 99% or more of the time—scientists are building on each other's work. Shoulders of giants and all that, without Newton's sarcasm.

Questioning *nature* is how you do science, trying to figure out something new about the way the world works. Sometimes, yes, that involves questioning existing science, but not very often.

Still mostly Facebook, but I check Bluesky messages semi-regularly too.

The manosphere’s idea of masculinity has all the flaws of the “traditional” masculinity they claim to want to revive, but none of its virtues, however questionable those virtues may be. No redeeming value at all.

And he sees a target painted on it!

Why do you feel that way, Blaze?

"We can't be sexist / racist / homophobic / any kind of bigot! That's a mundane problem!" Over and over again.

They need some government experience first. Maybe Piggy can make them Undersecretaries of War or something.