Given the increasingly abundant proliferation of conferences, courses, seminars and all kinds of activities that different currents pseudoscientific being developed within the framework of English and Latin American universities, a trend that crystallized in the recent creation of a Homeopathy Research Chair at the University of Zaragoza, the undersigned (scientists, teachers, students and citizens in general) we are in the need to state the following:
The collaboration between the University and the Company, as well as with other agencies and social partners is rewarding, productive and should be considered as one of the priorities of the university policy. The agreements and contracts for the transfer of research results to private enterprise can pose significant source of funding for public universities, which, properly developed, allowing greater productivity and optimizing scientific applications such activity. However, we believe it is justifiable that the University find ways of financing at any price, let alone if this perverted philosophy and fundamental purposes.
Public University, like any other government agency must be to serve the public, maintaining constant contact with the society of which it forms part, through constant communication that allows the line between academic and social needs . To meet these objectives, the University must be a champion in terms of innovation and exploring new avenues for knowledge. The University should never be a statue, but a constant motion animation.
can not understand the research mission and social commitment of the University without the overlap with his role in the formation of free citizens, able to face the world with a critical mind that they can escape from the chains of irrationality, superstition and ignorance. This teaching function, completely integral to the university, goes beyond the classroom, to represent the University as a reference to knowledge and rationality to the whole society.
In this sense, the University plays an important role to the progress in contemporary society are taking certain currents unscientific and anti-rational, which can be a significant retreat to obscurantism and superstition, which is located at the opposite pole of the university's objectives. We are concerned, as academics and as citizens, to well into the twenty-first century increasingly proliferate more therapies closer to magic than medicine, often covered by public medical institutions and companies, we are concerned that heads of government consult astrologers, that bracelets officially declared fraudulent magic are carried by health ministers and are the best selling gift last Christmas, that more and more citizens who firmly believe that vaccines are toxic and harmful to health, to increase the number of patients who leave embrace alternative medical treatment for esoteric, we worry very seriously that much of the population back to rely more on traditional healers in scientific medicine.
We are concerned that the University can become a market that accommodate any irrational alternative to scientific knowledge. Just a misunderstood open-mindedness can justify teach Alchemy in the Faculty of Chemistry, Physics ufology in the flood or in History. Offer to the pseudo-university forum on an equal footing with the rational knowledge does not translate into any cultural enrichment, but a university validation of superstition and quackery. We can hardly educate our children about the lack of empirical bases astrological prediction if you will find on-campus graduate courses in astrology. Reza
a top science that reason should not accept something as true just because many people say so or because important people sign it, and it is always necessary to stop and question any statement on whether or not true. This forces act much more slowly, carefully weighing the options, to proceed carefully with any type of proposal. And this is one of the things that we strongly believe should be taught in universities.
Therefore, we are concerned that the University of room for acupuncture courses, lectures on creationism, astrology and seminars on chairs in homeopathy. We are particularly concerned, if not addressed as a critical debate and rational analysis, but with a budget of functionality and scientific validation of not only lack, but are in front critical opposition to the university.
In the case of homeopathy, but apply equally to the rest of pseudoscience, has not been proven scientifically and its rationale (which contradicts our knowledge of elementary chemistry and medicine), or its effectiveness beyond a placebo . Decades ago, extensive studies were used to search for a possible based on homeopathic principles, which have not changed significantly in two hundred years, base ever found. We
is extremely ironic that while European governments withdraw funds and state support to practice homeopathic Chairs are in place in Spain in public universities. The guarantee that this implies, places homeopathy, astrology and spiritualism under the category of academic disciplines, especially when we are not solely to a research activity on an ambiguous event, but to an institutionalization aimed at training and dissemination of these principles.
believe finally, that while further justified and funds to any factor that could be investigated, the special economic situation makes the investment of effort and resources in such a thoroughly discredited disciplines act of pure waste of resources that could be used in areas of research and teaching far more priority.
People from different strata and groups of society endorse this manifesto we wish to draw attention to this important aspect of the whole population and especially to academic and governmental authorities, hoping that the reason I imposed on superstition and obscurantism.
HERE YOU CAN SIGN THE MANIFESTO
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