Scientists have lost their taste for self-policing and quality control.
—The Economist (editorial), 2013
15
The history of science swarms with cases of outright fakery and instances of scientists who
unconsciously distorted their work by seeing it through lenses of passionately held beliefs.
—Martin Gardner, 1981
Historically, the claim of consensus has been the first refuge of scoundrels. […] Whenever
you hear the consensus of scientists agrees on something or other, reach for your wallet,
because you’re being had.
—Michael Crichton, 2003
Science […] commits suicide when it adopts a creed.
—Thomas Henry Huxley, 1885
As an adolescent I aspired to lasting fame, I craved factual certainty, and I thirsted for a
meaningful vision of human life—so I became a scientist. This is like becoming an
archbishop so you can meet girls.
—Matt Cartmill, 1988
In the sciences the authority of thousands of opinions is not worth as much as one tiny
spark of reason in an individual.
—Galileo Galilei, 1612
To be independent of public opinion is the first formal condition or achieving anything
great or rational—whether in life or in science.
—Georg Wilhelm Freidrich Hegel, 1821
One of the great commandments of science is, ‘Mistrust arguments from authority.’
(Scientists, being primates, and thus given to dominance hierarchies, of course do not
always follow this commandment.)
—Carl Sagan, 1996
Skepticism is […] the first step toward truth.
—Denis Diderot, 1746
The path of sound credence is through the thick forest of skepticism.
—George Jean Nathan, 1924
When you know you’re right, you don’t care what others think. You know sooner or later it
will come out in the wash.
—Barbara McClintock, 1983
***
15
In the accompanying detailed article How Science Goes Wrong, this conclusion is supported by a
set of rather appalling facts and numbers.
32
On Science and Technology
—The Economist (editorial), 2013
15
The history of science swarms with cases of outright fakery and instances of scientists who
unconsciously distorted their work by seeing it through lenses of passionately held beliefs.
—Martin Gardner, 1981
Historically, the claim of consensus has been the first refuge of scoundrels. […] Whenever
you hear the consensus of scientists agrees on something or other, reach for your wallet,
because you’re being had.
—Michael Crichton, 2003
Science […] commits suicide when it adopts a creed.
—Thomas Henry Huxley, 1885
As an adolescent I aspired to lasting fame, I craved factual certainty, and I thirsted for a
meaningful vision of human life—so I became a scientist. This is like becoming an
archbishop so you can meet girls.
—Matt Cartmill, 1988
In the sciences the authority of thousands of opinions is not worth as much as one tiny
spark of reason in an individual.
—Galileo Galilei, 1612
To be independent of public opinion is the first formal condition or achieving anything
great or rational—whether in life or in science.
—Georg Wilhelm Freidrich Hegel, 1821
One of the great commandments of science is, ‘Mistrust arguments from authority.’
(Scientists, being primates, and thus given to dominance hierarchies, of course do not
always follow this commandment.)
—Carl Sagan, 1996
Skepticism is […] the first step toward truth.
—Denis Diderot, 1746
The path of sound credence is through the thick forest of skepticism.
—George Jean Nathan, 1924
When you know you’re right, you don’t care what others think. You know sooner or later it
will come out in the wash.
—Barbara McClintock, 1983
***
15
In the accompanying detailed article How Science Goes Wrong, this conclusion is supported by a
set of rather appalling facts and numbers.
32
On Science and Technology