Is There Such a Thing as a Universal Expert?


I enjoyed watching the 2000s version of Battlestar Galactica, but it was sometimes a  strain to overlook its flaws. For example, Gaius Baltar is an IT expert, but at one point he gladly takes on the complex biochemical task of coming up with a blood test that distinguishes cylons from humans. Everyone assumes that because he's a smart guy he can just apply his brilliance to this new problem. It's ridiculous, of course, although not more ridiculous than a cylon that no-one else can see, so it's better just to settle back and enjoy the ride.

It's impossible to do the same thing in the real world when billionaires who have made their money underpaying their workers and overpricing their products start seeking redemption by acting as experts on health and society. For example, Bill Gates talks frequently and at length about vaccination, and Mark Zuckerberg pretends to be knowledgeable about freedom of speech and human rights. Both have been finding themselves increasingly out of their depth recently. Another example: physicists working in the area of quantum mechanics often stray into philosophy, with embarrassing results, and not realising they are doing so is no excuse.

The technical term for straying from one's own field of expertise and pontificating in another is "epistemic trespassing", and there is an interesting article in Mind on the topic. Note: this is an academic article, and we don't usually link to professional peer-reviewed journals, but the topic is fascinating and I don't want to underestimate our readers, so judge for yourselves.

Harry

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