[lutusp]

> Engineers are often accustomed to knowing more about science than the average person. It can be very easy for them, with the best of intentions, to convince themselves and others that they know more than they really do.

I agree, but that's true of scientists also, many of whom have a very narrow specialty in modern times and may not be qualified to speak outside their field of expertise. Example Nobel Prizewinner William Shockley and his now-infamous lectures on the topic of race:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shockley#Statements_abo...

BTW I agree with you that one can make too much of a person's degree, especially when compared to actually understanding the topic to be discussed.

[likpok]

There was some discussion a while ago about the tendency of Nobel prizewinners to go off into crazyland (see Linus Pauling, others [1]). I recall hearing some speculation that this was (somewhat) inherent to getting a prize. I think the willful ignorance of established thought (to make the great discovery) plus the feedback loop of the prize made Nobel winners uniquely confident in their more off-the-wall theories.

[1]: http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Nobel_disease