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Corrupted Science
by John Grant
The subtitle of this book is "Fraud, ideology, and politics in science," which pretty much sums it up. It's a compilation of the worst in my field.
This is possibly the most depressing book I've read in several years. Like most of my colleagues, I tend to be fairly idealistic about the scientific community. From my earliest days, I was taught that scientists were seekers of the facts, that all they wanted to do was understand how the world around us works. I've always wanted that to be true, and I still think it is for most of us. But there are many for whom science is just another path to self-aggrandizement or the promotion of their cherished ideas, whether the data support them or not. Grim reading, indeed. I'm going to keep it on my bookshelf. If nothing else, it will serve as a reminder that we are merely human and subject to the same frailties as everyone else.
by John Grant
The subtitle of this book is "Fraud, ideology, and politics in science," which pretty much sums it up. It's a compilation of the worst in my field.
This is possibly the most depressing book I've read in several years. Like most of my colleagues, I tend to be fairly idealistic about the scientific community. From my earliest days, I was taught that scientists were seekers of the facts, that all they wanted to do was understand how the world around us works. I've always wanted that to be true, and I still think it is for most of us. But there are many for whom science is just another path to self-aggrandizement or the promotion of their cherished ideas, whether the data support them or not. Grim reading, indeed. I'm going to keep it on my bookshelf. If nothing else, it will serve as a reminder that we are merely human and subject to the same frailties as everyone else.
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Date: 13 March 2008 04:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 15 March 2008 08:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 13 March 2008 05:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 15 March 2008 08:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 13 March 2008 09:59 pm (UTC)Oh! I find others have got here before me . . .
Across at http://realthog.livejournal.com/31715.html I've been thanking you for the mention of the book. Thanks again here!
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Date: 16 March 2008 04:51 am (UTC)