>>Quite a few of the material about researchs that I have read, showed the
>>team having a preconceived idea of what happened and then they proceeded
>>to go out and gather the evidence for their hypothesis to make it a thesis
>>or theory.
>>In some cases the evidence proved their ideas wrong and they
>>look so dissapointed. In others, it didn't really match 100% their ideas
>>and they tried to find a 'fit'. And lastly, when the evidence matched
>>their hypothesis, they were ecstatic. Emotions normal to all of these
>>situations, I think.
>
>Scientists (or at least geologists) are no different than other people
>when it comes to emotions and egos. We have them and they influence what
>we do. And just like in other unnamed professions, I seriously doubt
>that I do my best work on Mondays :-)! Yet science as a whole progresses
>despite the emotion that individuals might attach to their ideas.
>Because scientists are keenly aware of the impact of personal attachment
>to ideas, we present those ideas for peer review (which is an extremely
>frightening and humbling experience for most of us!).
I would like to add to what Steven says here about peer review. I manage a
group of geoscientists who make structural and stratigraphic maps of where
oil and gas might be. Each person does have his or her bias about their
area. But that does not prevent them from changing their bias with
additional information or peer review. My job as supervisor is largely
involved in the peer-review process. I have to examine their maps and the
data to see if they make sense. Most of the people don't like the
questioning that I give their concepts or ideas, but they all agree that
after the exam they know that they are better able to face the grilling my
bosses will give their work. And even I get reviewed. Do I like it when my
boss tells me that a map I had reviewed and accepted has a problem? Of
course not. It is, as Steve says, "humbling". But it is part and parcel of
the life of a scientist. When you present an idea that is a little
different and you are met with hoots of derision, you have a choice, submit
or prove them wrong. Often I have seen the error of my ways and submitted
to the collective wisdom and often I have gathered more data, proved my
point and made them submit to my concepts. The latter is more fun of course.
glenn
Adam, Apes, and Anthropology: Finding the Soul of Fossil Man
and
Foundation, Fall and Flood
http://www.isource.net/~grmorton/dmd.htm