It is no secret that science has come under increasingly derisive attacks in recent years. There are those who view science as being inconsistent, untrustworthy, and even unethical. The findings by some researchers revealing that many published experiments cannot be easily repeated—prompting the so-called reproducibility crisis—have further fueled this narrative and led to serious concerns about wasteful spending on bioscience research. Recent media reports about the gene-editing experiments performed on human embryos by rogue Chinese scientist He Jiankui have given rise to fears that science operates with lax ethics. On the flip side, scientists face overwhelming pressure to publish and win grants, creating an atmosphere in which ethical and scientific standards are being squeezed to the breaking point. Although science provides enormous value to society, this message is often drowned out by the negative press, a situation made more critical when solid science is depicted as fake and fake science as real.
This webinar attacks the issue of fake science head-on, examining what can be done to combat bad science and how good science can be encouraged and promoted. The expert panel will discuss solutions to counteract fake science and explore how the scientific community can better communicate truth over falsehood.
Or listen it as a podcast:
Speakers:
Ivan Oransky, M.D. (New York University New York, NY)
Richard Harris, B.Sc. (NPR Washington, DC)
Christopher T. Scott, Ph.D. (Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX)
Barbara Jasny, Ph.D. (Deputy Editor, Emeritus (Ret.), Science Washington, DC)
Sean Sanders, Ph.D. (Moderator, Science/AAAS Washington, DC)
