[Posted January 1, 2008]

Make Up Your Minds

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Heading towards the unknown

The Guardian Jan 1, 2008 - JAMES RANDERSON

Second thoughts on life, the universe and everything by world's best brains

Edge's publisher, John Brockman, asked the intellectual cream what they had changed their mind about and why. "Science is based on evidence. What happens when the data change? How have scientific findings or arguments changed your mind?" said the brief.

A common theme in the responses is that what distinguishes science from other forms of knowledge and from faith is that new ideas can rapidly overturn old ones as new evidence emerges. go to story

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No consensus on what the problem is, let alone the solution

Yesterday it was Global Warming, Now it's Global Cooling A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
As soon as you say "making research," then you are not perfect. Don't say that you are scientist. You are student. Don't say that you are scientist. And you are declaring, "There is no authority, nothing." Why do you speak all this nonsense? Because you are not scientist. You are making research. That's all right. When you complete your research—you come to the conclusion—then call yourself as scientist. Why, as a student, neophyte, you are claiming as "scientist"? Why misleading people? You do not know anything, how things are going on, and you are claiming you are scientist. Our point is, "Don't do this, misleading propaganda. You are not scientist. We protest against this false propaganda. Why you are making.... You do not know anything. You cannot solve any problem, major problem, so why you are claiming scientist? Stop this as a gentleman." " more

Differentiate evidence from opinion

excerpt from conversation with disciples, Los Angeles, December 31, 1973

PRABHUPADA: Scientists are changing their theories, how we can accept? Reasonably? You are changing your theories, how we can accept you are scientist? You are not sure of your position. Philosophers also, they say "I believe." What is the meaning of this philosophy?

HARI-SAURI: They simply give their own opinion about something and present that as being fact, and everyone else has their own.

PRABHUPADA: I have got my own opinion. Or anyone can have his own opinion. Why your opinion should be accepted? I have got also opinion. [The problem with the empirical scientists] ...is that one does not understand that he is imperfect. Or he knows that he is imperfect, still, he wants to push forward his opinion. That is the difficulty. He knows he's imperfect. But he does not think that "I am imperfect. What is the value of my opinion?"

RAMESVARA: If I have a bigger brain than someone else, and if I give my...

PRABHUPADA: Comparatively, you are less crazy. That is another thing.

HARI-SAURI: "My idea may not be perfect, but it's better than yours," that's their idea.

PRABHUPADA: That's all right. That is not your secure position. One child is older than the, another child. That does not mean he is a grown-up.

Imperfect senses, imperfect ideas

excerpt from letter to Svarup Damodar, Bombay, 17 December 1975

Why should we blindly accept imperfect scientists, they are imperfect because they are changing their position in the name of progress. The word progress is used when there is imperfection at the beginning. So this regular changing of standard knowledge in the name of progress proves that they are always imperfect. It is a fact that they are imperfect, because they gather knowledge with imperfect senses.

They do not know the end of advancement

excerpt from Lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.8, Los Angeles, September 14, 1972

Brahmana means knowledge and shudra means no knowledge, that is the difference. One who knows... Just like in this age there are so many scientists, so many philosophers, but they have no perfect knowledge. Therefore they are shudras. One scientist putting forward one theory—after a few years this theory is changed. That means knowledge is not perfect. They take it as advancement in research, but actually the knowledge is imperfect. Otherwise, where is the necessity of research and advancement? Advancement means you are in the lower grade. So all their advancement, the same lower grade. Because it is going on, they do not know what is the end of advancement. Therefore all their knowledge is imperfect; they are all shudras.

Sri Guru and Gauranga