When you ask an expert you don't figure it out for
yourself. You rely on someone else's interpretation of
the data. What do we loose?
The other day, a neighbor went to the big box home
repair store and asked an expert how to get rid of
moles. The next day, after he used the poison, there
were three dead squirrels in his yard (the neighbor,
not the expert). The squirrels are critical for the
health of the trees on his property and are an
important part of the both our lots ecosystem.
Courts rely on expert witnesses. In our arrogance
we believe we understand the interpretation of the
expert witness, but we lack the experience and
knowledge it took to get to that interpretation.
Therefor the expert witness makes the decision.
We don't have the time or desire to do the research.
The people that do the research themselves are heroes.
They are far and few between. We rely on institutions
to educate our young, yet the information age has the
capability of providing broader and more direct
information.
