Posted by
EFuller on Thursday, February 22, 2007 7:55:58 PM
They do. Surprised?
We all know that politicians lie – and those we oppose lie more!
Journalists lie. Of course, they are far more sophisticated about it. Rarely do they state the lie, they just "report" it.
Which brings us to scientists. Like all people, they often tell the truth but also have an amazing capacity to lie. In addition, they often have powerful motivations to lie.
Motivations to Lie
Scientists lie for personal gain. They may do so to receiving recognition, claim a patent or secure research funds. Plagiarism and doctoring research results are often methods used.
Scientists also lie to protect and promote their views. Like all humans, they hate being proved wrong. They have invested lives and careers into certain ideas.
Famous Examples
We see both motivations within the following examples of lies.
Piltdown Man, "discovered" in 1912, was presented for 40 years as the fossil of an early human ancestor. It was really the fragments of an orangutan jaw bone and of a human skull.
Hwang Woo Suk, a stem cell researcher, falsified data and reported cloning human embryos in 2005. This scandal also revealed how the scientific publishing system does little to prevent reporting fraudulent work.
In the 1860s, Ernst Haeckel drew the stages of embryonic development of several animals to support Darwinian evolution. He faked the drawings to make them appear more similar than they are, and excluded stages of development that were more dissimilar. Though repeatedly exposed, the drawings have continued to be used to support Darwinism.
In the 1950s Alfred Kinsey interviewed sex offenders, rapists, prostitutes and pedophiles and passed it off as a cross section of Americans. He also excluded data that didn’t support his views. His Kinsey Reports revolutionized American views of sexuality – all from doctored research. Yet he is still used as an authority by those sympathetic to his conclusions.
Bottom Line
First, never accept scientific results or recommendations without critical examination. Scientists often have strong motivation to reach certain conclusions. We see this in the gold rush of embryonic stem cell research. Investments, patents, research grants and more are at stake. Scientists downplay the technical issues and promise miracles. They also dismiss the ethical issues with little thought.
Second, beware when one set of scientists shuts off debate with other scientists. We see this with global warming and Intelligent Design. Rather than debate the issue, one side often seeks to silence the other, as in the recent suggestion to decertify meteorologists who deny human-caused global warming.
Remember, scientists are people. Lying is always a possibility.