Scientists sequence Black Death bacteria DNA, admit they were wrong

Researchers have sequenced the DNA of plague bacteria from the bodies of English victims of the Black Death. The bits of DNA they obtained looked surprisingly modern, leaving the question of why the disease was so deadly uanswered.

<a href='http://meincmagazine.com/science/news/2011/08/scientists-sequence-black-death-bacteria-dna-admit-they-were-wrong.ars'>Read the whole story</a>

 

[Porter Doran]

How about that? Scientist makes new discovery, has to revise a past assumption. No problem, in fact a pleasant surprise.

So will we hear from all the religious nutjobs denouncing the findings and either saying the Black Plague didn't happen, or that The Devil™ is messing with the results and really it was wicked people who God™ smote?

People don't have to believe "God smites" the wicked with illness (an assumption that religion was fighting at least 3000 years ago, by the way) to be critics of science. It's childish of science fans like you to say "my way or the highway" -- why not be critical of science as well as everything else? That would only be reasonable.

(And, for the record, I myself am not very impressed with this magical "Science is always right because it's always wrong!" as per the first paragraph of your comment. Neither am I Christian.)

 

[Porter Doran]

Ah, science. This brought to mind a great quote:

In science it often happens that scientists say, "You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken," and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion.
-Carl Sagan, keynote address at CSICOP conference (1987)

I liked the quote until the last line. While not as prevalent as its occurence in science, it is hardly rare for theologians to change their minds when faced with persuasive counter-argument.

Yeah, and, ironically, discovering that "prayer doesn't heal plague" (to quote a previous poster) is a matter for theological inquiry much more (or at least much more directly) than it is a matter for medical inquiry.

Yet it's science fans that generally will leap on such claims, which, if they do, clearly makes them (to my mind) much more like religion-haters than science fans.

Another ironic thought: There is a difference between religion and theology, as the first is largely cultural rather than a discipline; and there is a difference between a science fan and science.