[gjsman-1000]

Meh, blind trust is equally dangerous, if not more dangerous. Blind trust in Hitler caused the Holocaust. Blind mistrust merely causes denial that it happened.

Why should I trust a scientist? Because they have a few fancy letters next to their name? There’s no scientific evidence, according to themselves, that they are any less likely to be sociopaths, psychopaths, immoral, or irresponsible than the average population.

[pasc1878]

However if they something about the science they specialise in they are much more likely to know more that you, scientists not in their field let alone the general public.

yes they will lie as much as anyone else but when they do not if you take the expected value of what a scientist says in their speciality it is much more likely to be correct.

[wolverine876]

> Why should I trust a scientist? Because they have a few fancy letters next to their name?

That's not why people place trust in some scientists. Can you think of other reasons? How do you evaluate anyone's trustworthiness, unless you know them or research them personally (something we don't have time for)? Otherwise, you are stuck with blind mistrust, as you say.

> Blind trust in Hitler caused the Holocaust.

Blind loyalty, perhaps, and following the crowd and avoiding conflict, and amorality.