On 12/1/2012 12:25 PM, Roger Clough wrote:
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http://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/essays-and-commentaries/the-sad-state-of-modern-science
November 29, 2012 at 9:27 AM
The sad state of modern science
<http://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/essays-and-commentaries/the-sad-state-of-modern-science>
Two stories today illustrate the levels of corruption that now
percolate through many fields of science, helped by a willing and
sometimes ignorant press.
First, a final report
<http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2012/11/final-report-stapel-affair-point.html?ref=hp>
has been issued in the investigation
<http://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/diederik-stapel-the-psychologist-who-had-fabricated-his-results-in-numerous-published-papers-and-has-since-resigned-is-now-under-investigation-by-dutch-prosecutors>
into the fraudulent research of social psychologist Diederik Stapel.
Sadly, it appears the report condemns the entire field:
[The investigators] paint an image of a “sloppy” research culture
in which some scientists don’t understand the essentials of
statistics, journal-selected article reviewers encourage
researchers to leave unwelcome data out of their papers, and even
the most prestigious journals print results that are obviously too
good to be true.
Worse, three different universities participated in Stapel’s fraud,
and never noticed. At least 25 of Stapel’s papers have now been retracted.
Then there is this article
<http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2012/11/european-agencys-final-verdict-o.html?ref=hp>
about an investigation into the lack of scientific merit of a paper
that claimed that genetically modified maize caused tumors in rats.
Apparently, according to European scientific authorities, the paper
had no merit and did not meet the basics of scientific research. Nor
was this investigation the first to come to this conclusion.
First, that the paper got published in a peer reviewed journal in the
first place says a great deal about that journal’s standards. Second,
when first published the paper had been condemned immediately but a
number of scientists. yet it apparently received tons of adoring press
coverage, probably because it provided evidence for the politically
correct position that genetically modified agriculture is bad. Both
facts suggest that this is another case, similar to that of the
climate field, where scientists allowed politics to badly influence
their judgement.
All in all, not a good day for science and its reputation.
* Comments (8)
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[Roger Clough], [[email protected]] <mailto:[email protected]]>
12/1/2012
"Forever is a long time, especially near the end." -Woody Allen
The Truth has become subverted for "the politically correct". :_(
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Onward!
Stephen
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