Quote:
Originally Posted by boxcar
Of course it is the same thing otherwise you would not always appeal to peer reviewed studies. The whole purpose behind "peer reviews" is to get the opinions of experts in the submitter's given field. And by definition, an "expert" is one with special skill or knowledge that represents mastery of a particular subject. And it's this mastery which makes their opinion authoritative. It's what makes the peer reviewers authorities in their field. Therefore by submitting a work to be peer reviewed, the scientist is seeking the collective opinion of his work by authorities in his own field.
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Consider the etymology of the words
expert and
authority.
- The word expert derives from the words experience and experiment.
- The word authority derives from the Latin word auctoritas which means invention, advice, opinion, influence, command.
The two words are by no means synonymous. Peer reviewers are not authorities in their fields, they are experts.
Aristotle believed that bodies would fall at a rate proportional to their mass. Because he was an
authority no one questioned this for centuries (almost 2000 years). The along came Galileo who performed experiments which proved that Aristotle was full of shit. Galileo was not an authority but he was an
expert.
It is no accident that we refer to cops and judges as "the authorities". They do not persuade, they
command.
The question now is whether Dr. Ross is an authority or an expert. His Wikipedia page says he is and astrophysicist which sounds like he is an expert. However, it also says that he is a Christian apologist and old earth creationist. That sound like he’s an authority, but I’ll withhold judgment for the moment.
I can’t help but wonder who writes his paycheck. Some university perhaps? Apparently not. His Wikipedia page also says “He is known for establishing his own ministry in 1986, called
Reasons to Believe (the link you posted) that
promotes progressive and day-age forms of old Earth creationism.”
"Promotes" means he has an agenda.
His ministry is where his paycheck comes from, giving him absolutely no reason to submit any of his stuff for peer review. He's an authority.
