Kesher Talk

Still terrorized by numbers: My TechCentralStation piece from Monday is still generating controversy.

Part of that can be alleviated immediately. I forgot the link to the research in question, so here you go.

But the other part requires reason and logic.

I was just informed that Don Radlauer, the author of the ICT study, is a former head of the Mossad (the Israeli intelligence agency). My first reaction was, "holy crap!" But it does not change my evaluation one bit. Good research is good research, and if you take the time to analyze it you can usually suss out the wheat from the chaff. "Conflict of interest" and "bias" of any researcher is usually either blindingly obvious in their work or not really a factor.

Science and research must be weighed on its merits, unfazed by who produced it or who funded it. If you suspect the researcher of something cagey, fine. Act on that knowledge by scrutinizing the research. But don't throw it aside before you do so.

UPDATE: Radlauer is not the former director of the Mossad. See this message from ICT.

posted by Howard @ 8/01/2002 09:49:42 AM