There have certainly been things that science has been unwilling to touch.  Most of it has been in the field of psychology.  Until the last thirty or forty years, you would be hard pressed to find a psychologist willing to talk about humans as "just animals."  The debate over human choice is a big one.  I have also noticed that very few scientists have been willing to do studies on the frequency and severity of sexual dysfunction in women raised in conservative Christian homes.

The thing is, the most controversial scientific subjects are avoided because of two things.  First, most scientists are unwilling to risk their own necks proposing something really earth shattering, only to have it refuted a year later.  It's not that they aren't doing the science.  It's that they're waiting for a better social climate and more corroborating studies.  This is difficult, of course, because not many scientists are thrilled about doing such controversial studies.  So, whereas in some scientific endeavors, results are thrown to the media the moment they have reasonable certainty, social scientists are often extra careful to make sure they have a rock solid case before releasing their data.  So, it's not that science isn't touching the issue, exactly.  It's that it isn't studying it with the same enthusiasm as other subjects.

Second, science does revolve around funding.  If you can't get a grant to do a study, you can't do the study.  When the people writing the grants have their own political, religious, or economic agendas, things can get put on the back burner for a long time.  Again, it's not that scientists aren't interested.  It's that they can't get the resources to study it.

Now, let's examine this in light of claims of the paranormal.  What scientist in his right mind wouldn't want to be the one to publish the first scientific study proving ESP or telekinesis?  In the first place, he'd be guaranteed a Nobel Prize.  In the second place, he'd be really, really, really rich within a matter of days.  In the third place, his name would be synonymous with Darwin, Edison, Galileo, and Copernicus, and he'd be included in every science book for the next five hundred years, at least.

While we're on the subject, why would any grant writer not want to fund such an experiment?  Because he might lose money?  Are you kidding?  I read something in a journal a couple of years ago where some professor got almost a million dollars to study whether or not there was an effect on the fetus when the mother lives in a very polluted area as opposed to a very unpolluted area.  Duh.  Nearly a million dollars down the tubes just to be able to put the name of a study on somebody's environmental recommendations to some government agency.

The thing is, every one of the paranormal claims I'm familiar with, if true, would revolutionize science, and would give people enough things to figure out so that they'd get full funding for the next hundred years without even having to ask.  The last objection I'm aware of is that egotistical "old school" scientists don't want their reputations tarnished by being proven wrong.  That is simply ludicrous.  It's a big damn world, and there's no such thing as a scientist whose influence is so strong that he can prevent research across the whole world, just to protect his reputation.  Furthermore, the idea of a secret cadre of scientists who keep new technology suppressed, or who prevent people from learning "the truth" is preposterous.  Again, it's a HUGE world, and to suggest that every scientist in every related field is somehow involved in such a conspiracy is... well... schizophrenic sounding.  To suggest that a secret society could keep EVERYONE from learning something so revolutionary is equally preposterous.  As we have noted in many discussions about Rook's credentials, autodidacts are all over the place, and if they're doing science correctly, there's no reason they can't reach the correct conclusions.  Such a conspiracy would be doomed to failure.

I would suggest that many of the Woo-Woos believe their own stories, and they truly believe that there's a huge conspiracy.  It's my own belief that many of them suffer the same kind of self-reinforcing delusions as theists.  If it doesn't fit their theory, it's part of the conspiracy.  (Compare this to "if it doesn't fit the bible, it's a lie of the devil.)

I know that this is gravedigging of a thread, but I might have recently seen something which would need an opinion from you guys. (and girls)
The work of Wilhelm Reich was focused on a new form of energy he discovered, related to human emotions and vitality, as he claimed. He called it orgone. As for my information, it is an energy of the higher of four etheric levels. Reich invented, among other things, an accumulator for storing and releasing this energy. He planned to use his invention for various purposes, like cancer treatment, transportation and affecting of weather.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8843766085651223714
Why don't we have these things today? The problem with ground-breaking scientific inventions is, that when someone becomes really, really rich, someone else loses everything.
In this case, because of Reich's claims, the opponent was Food and Drug Administration, not science. FDA never allowed him to reproduce his experiments under his control, so he couldn't prove his claims, and he died in prison. His work and inventions were destroyed in a manner of medieval book and witch burning. It was an ancient Egyptian punishment to erase the heretic's name from all writings. Reich's references were being erased as well. I doubt this has anything to do with justice or science.

I hope that the skeptics doesn't claim that such a thing is impossible in our beautiful world of incorruptible justice. There are still people who can gladly lie, cheat or kill for much less money than the scientific industry has. There's no reason why the business financing the science should be free from corruption and crime, unlike any other business. I see corruption often, this country is famous for it, it's no conspiracy, it's less or more public, because the public can only complain for a while and then go back to pub. (this is why it's called "public" ) For example, my government acts directly against the will of majority quite openly, like the USA base and radar for rocket base in Poland. It's terrible, but it's abundant.
Our local group personally knew two people, who could be called Scientists, and who's lives were easily destroyed because of their work. Their stories are known to me, and I can say, this could happen to anyone, it's the way how our unfortunate society works. Just a predacious business, I can see it every day at work
The point is in the film: Scientific matters...can only be clarified by prolonged, faithful, bona fide observations in friendly exchange of opinion, never by litigation... Oh, how many local passionate defenders of science should make that their mantra!

Furthermore, I have seen with my own senses (and with people around me) that many of so-called paranormal claims are actually a simple, natural facts, reproducible by common people. I also have seen how the scientific community did not manage to prove ANY of them, which is IMHO a bit suspicious. My mind struggles to reconcile these great opposites, I can hardly imagine how is it possible, but it certainly is. It must be several causes acting together, some more, some less. I must wonder how to overcome this mind-boggling dissent. So what I'd like to achieve one day, is to bridge this chasm. Maybe the times of economic crisis will shake the positions of market owners and the official science will be finally allowed to investigate these claims freely for the first time. Or maybe a growing public opinion and demand will be the force of change.

So whom did I offend with my stupidity this time? I just want someone to see this enormous global dissent and sit back in awe. If we should question everything, one can not avoid offending someone. I've got to write while I have the courage. How many community esteem points will this cost me this time? Thanks for attention dear friends, see you again after a brief moment of sleep and another 14 hours of being at work.