On Mon, 10 Nov 2003 19:20:33 +0000, GuidoXVI wrote:

"The cult of scientism"? Did you think that little gem
of pseudo-english up on your own, or did your dog upset a
Scrabble game?

Oh, my goodness, it actually is a word:

Main Entry: sci·en·tism
Pronunciation: 'sI-&n-"ti-z&m
Function: noun
Date: 1877
1 : methods and attitudes typical of or attributed to
the natural scientist
2 : an exaggerated trust in the efficacy of the methods
of natural science applied to all areas of
investigation (as in philosophy, the social
sciences , and the humanities)

[from Merriam-Webster online dictionary]

Apparently, it was used at one time as a
description for a real scientist, then perverted to
mean something else. A lovely Orwellian turnabout.