Headline News, Science Views II (1993) / Chapter Skim
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10 THE SCIENTIFIC ENTERPRISE
10 THE SCIENTIFIC ENTERPRISE
Pages 201-226
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From page 203... ...
But some scientists working on the case were not permitted to publish findings, visit damaged beaches, or consult with scientists hired by the opposing parties. · Medical researchers documented that a link existed between a toxic chemical leak and a family's cancer and neurological disorders.
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From page 204... ...
They view courts as poor forums in which to pursue scientific truth because of the adversarial nature of trials and the technical complexity of the issues. For their part, attorneys and judges often resent scientific aloofness.
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From page 205... ...
Trials that cause publicly funded scientific research to be covered up, sealed settlements that prevent environmental and public health officials from gaining access to information, and litigation that blocks scientists from consulting and performing research all point to a need for reform. Open science and fair trials both are essential in a complex industrial society.
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From page 206... ...
Most courts find the evidence admissible, but others conclude the opposite. Both sides in a case provide technical experts to argue for or against DNA forensic evidence, leaving judges and juries wondering whom to believe.
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From page 207... ...
On the contrary, DNA forensic evidence is a powerful too} for criminal investigation and one that should continue to be used even as standards are strengthened. Similarly, there is no reason for courts to throw out prior cases in which DNA evidence was admitted unless there is specific information that a laboratory error or other mistake was made in a given case.
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From page 208... ...
Similarly, no vaccines exist to protect people against many diseases, ranging from Rocky Mountain spotted fever to AIDS. Drugs and vaccines like these are badly needed, but one reason they have not been developed is the chilling effect of product liability laws.
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From page 209... ...
A 1990 study by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences identified liability laws as a major hurdle to providing consumers with more contraceptive options. And the high legal costs associated with liability have been one factor leading companies to boost drug prices.
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From page 210... ...
Some courts have begun seeking independent expert assistance in sorting out the scientific questions that underlie such cases. Product liability laws clearly are necessary.
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From page 211... ...
A research team at the University of North Carolina Medical School is using rats to learn about hypothyroidism. Researchers at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston are doing animal studies of other thyroid conditions.
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From page 212... ...
Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, these advocates deny that animal research has improved human and animal health. As a committee of scientists that ~ chaired for the National Academy of Sciences and Institute of Medicine concluded recently, however, animal research remains an irreplaceable cornerstone of efforts to improve human health.
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From page 213... ...
But animal rights advocates, who go much farther and argue that scientists should abandon these experiments entirely, owe an explanation to terminally ill children and millions of other Americans waiting for biomedical advances. They should go to the bedsides of these patients and tell them why they are less important than the animals.
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From page 214... ...
~ led a committee formed by the National Institutes of Health to investigate a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School who fabricated data in nine published papers. The research fellow, John Darsee, was observed fabricating data by a technician.
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From page 215... ...
Otherwise, both the accuser and the accused remain vulnerable to hostile acts by co-workers, the institution, the news media and government officials. Fraud is an especially serious problem, but it is not the only issue involving professional conduct among scientists that needs to be addressed.
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From page 216... ...
. Opportunity to have work critiqued by numerous federal agencies and news media.
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From page 217... ...
The same is true for running a government. We need the best scientific and engineering talent available to help repair the environment; provide clean, affordable energy; ensure pure food and drugs; maintain airline safety; research and control diseases; and develop hardware for national security and space exploration.
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From page 218... ...
And unlike government positions that draw from the legal profession, these scientific and engineering equivalents do little to enhance one's career. The National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering and Institute of Medicine recently joined to sponsor a panel chaired by Kenneth Dam, a vice president of IBM.
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From page 219... ...
The National Research Council and other institutions have called for this kind of informal science education. With budgets tight, however, many natural history museums now wonder how to maintain their traditional activities while launching public education initiatives.
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From page 220... ...
Many natural history museums also are replacing older exhibits with splashy new galleries on topical themes, such as global warming. Museums are developing these exhibits with extensive input from the science, education, exhibits,
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From page 221... ...
Marcus Price The electronic din from cellular telephones, garage door openers, remote baby monitors and other devices that use radio- waves is making it increasingly difficult for scientists like myself to hear the sounds of the universe. We risk losing the signals from exploding galaxies or even from alien life forms signals that reach Earth after traveling vast distances.
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From page 222... ...
Techniques developed by radio astronomers also are being applied in a wide range of useful technologies, such as devices that detect breast cancer, spot forest fires, guide spacecraft or monitor global environmental changes. We scientists enjoy cellular telephones, too, and no one suggests that society should stop using new radio communication devices.
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From page 223... ...
These frequencies should be guarded from commercial applications in the same way that national parks are protected. The other need is to improve the engineering quality of consumer devices so that their radio waves remain only within designated frequencies.
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From page 224... ...
The primary source of support for basic biomedical researchers is the National Institutes of Health. Several years ago, NIH began awarding grants for longer time periods.
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From page 225... ...
A recent conference held by the National Academy of Sciences and the Prostitute of Medicine attracted Nobel Prize winners and other leading scientists, all of whom expressed deep concern about what this trend means for the future of biomedical research. My situation was eased recently when the American Cancer Society provided me with limited funding for two to three years, so ~ do not write out of personal desperation.
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From page 226... ...
226 HEADLINE NEWS, SCIENCE VIEWS For many talented members of my generation, however, it also is a personal investment that may now go unfulfilled. October 7, 1990 Katherine Wilson is an assistant professor of cell biology at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.
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