Sterling Terrell

smart ideas from books (mostly)

  • Home
  • About
    • My CV
    • Books
    • Series
  • Newsletter
  • Advertising
  • Tools
You are here: Home / Potpourri / Science Can Be Like This – If You Are Not Careful

Science Can Be Like This – If You Are Not Careful

Science Can Be Like This – If You Are Not Careful

Science can be political and self serving.

See, people have this warped view that science is this huge end-all-be-all.

And don’t get me wrong, science is great.

The formalized trial and error that it codifies (along with economic freedom) have led us to amazing advancements and prosperity.

But when governments only want to fund research that shows a certain thing…

When scientists bend data so get the answer they want…

When science is politicized to get votes…

Good-grief.

When people start saying things like “the science is settled” – I think: “Uh, I don’t think you know how science works.”

I have written about the ethics of this issue before.

This is nothing particular to science, of course – it’s just humans.

Maybe don’t hold it in such a hallowed place?

After I’d been there for a year, V and I sat down for one of our weekly meetings. I had grown to love these chats. V was not like other scientists I knew. He was soft-spoken and cared deeply about people and the clinical mission, and he often confessed to me that he wished he’d been a surgeon himself. Science, I had come to learn, is as political, competitive, and fierce a career as you can find, full of the temptation to find easy paths.

-Paul Kalanithi, When Breath Becomes Air (Amazon)

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: PotpourriTagged With: #Ethics, #Science

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Privacy Policy

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Notifications of all new posts by email.

Connect

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Search

Top Posts

  • The Tricky Lily Pad Riddle (You Probably Can't Solve)
    The Tricky Lily Pad Riddle (You Probably Can't Solve)
  • Wagon Train Morality
    Wagon Train Morality
  • Wonder Park Pi Song (Watch It Stick In Your Head)
    Wonder Park Pi Song (Watch It Stick In Your Head)
  • 8 Great Passages From: The Hiding Place, By: Corrie Ten Boom
    8 Great Passages From: The Hiding Place, By: Corrie Ten Boom
  • And The Angels Were Silent, By: Max Lucado
    And The Angels Were Silent, By: Max Lucado
  • The Rejection Then Retreat Persuasion Technique
    The Rejection Then Retreat Persuasion Technique
  • Mercy, Elevation Worship & Maverick City
    Mercy, Elevation Worship & Maverick City
  • Oblique Humor Is Better Than Anonymity
    Oblique Humor Is Better Than Anonymity
  • The Tragedy Of Gina "Bronco" Bouza (1932-1957)
    The Tragedy Of Gina "Bronco" Bouza (1932-1957)
  • Kindle Copy Error
    Kindle Copy Error

Supporting = Loving

Buy Me a Coffee

Recent Posts

  • Description Of You
  • Is That It Inflates My Bills
  • Random Thoughts – 384
  • Instabooks 372
  • This Squabble May Sound Silly

Copyright © 2023 · Generate Pro On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in