Scientific Errors, Atrocities and Blunders

Abstract

Challenging the monolithic authority of science falls under the province of science education. To understand the interactions of science, technology and society and the nature of science, as prescribed by standards documents emanating from science education organizations around the world (see chapter 1), students need to appreciate the authority they grant. As described earlier in this section, the evaluation of authority and power requires moral skills. Therefore, to satisfy the aims of science education, science educators must address moral issues and attend to the developing morality of their students. One method to accomplish these goals is discussing historical instances when the power of science was over-used or abused, cases in which the authority of science should have been challenged. In an effort to highlight appropriate examples, three areas of bad science are identified from the 19th and 20th centuries that crack the pillars of established science and its institutional authority. They are Cultural Prejudice Based on Scientific Errors, Unethical Science by Business and Government, and Unwitting Errors. Specific cases are selected because of the magnitude of their impact on the collective morality of our lives in terms of how we view culture, accept power, authority and governance, and are impacted by the interdependence of science and society. The cases have also been selected because of their pedagogical potential in developing critical reasoning skills, stimulating discussion, and inspiring critical inquiry. In each case a description of the salient features surrounding the event is presented, followed by a discussion of the basic error committed and the fallacious reasoning involved (which we operationalize for the purposes of this chapter as "bad science"). The social impact such errors in reasoning have, and have had, on our personal, social or political beliefs are also examined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved). (chapter)