Scientists, it’s said, behave more like lawyers than philosophers. They do not so much test their theories as prosecute their cases, seeking supportive evidence and ignoring data that do not fit—a failing known as confirmation bias. They then accuse their opponents of doing the same thing. This is what makes debates over nature and nurture, dietary fat and climate change so polarized.
—Matt Ridley. March 17-18, 2012. “A Global-Cooling Theory Gets a Second Chance. The Wall Street Journal. C2.
