As with journalism, I think the problem is due to some scientists forgetting their real profession and trying to become advocates, especially when they tried to use their scientific authority to support causes or ideas completely unrelated to their area of expertise. One thinks of the "Union of Concerned Scientists" or the "Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists," which had clear political agendas dressed up in a white lab coat.
This isn't to say that scientists shouldn't have political opinions -- they're citizens -- but when they give in to the urge to fudge the data to make a point, they've started on a very slippery slope.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2008-10-14 01:58 pm (UTC)This isn't to say that scientists shouldn't have political opinions -- they're citizens -- but when they give in to the urge to fudge the data to make a point, they've started on a very slippery slope.