Corruption of scientific fact?
October 25, 2010 8:07 PM Subscribe
Any ideas on where I can find a list or a book detailing corporate corruption of scientific fact for their gain?
I am a thesis student, and my project very generally pertains to questioning authority, especially when that authority is attempting to sell us product. I am interested in corporations corrupting, fragmenting or rephrasing scientific fact in an effort to sell a product or lifestyle. I'm keeping this sort of general and vague on purpose, in the hopes that I can cast a wider net. For instance, there is plenty of information out in the world about how cigarette companies were able to spin health information for years into something seemingly less threatening, but what about products that were initially sold for health benefits? I am interested in anything in the last 100 years or so, and not just in the western world. I know that this is totally random and bizarre, but I'm lost on where to turn- my school librarians have been less than helpful. I appreciate any suggestions!
I am a thesis student, and my project very generally pertains to questioning authority, especially when that authority is attempting to sell us product. I am interested in corporations corrupting, fragmenting or rephrasing scientific fact in an effort to sell a product or lifestyle. I'm keeping this sort of general and vague on purpose, in the hopes that I can cast a wider net. For instance, there is plenty of information out in the world about how cigarette companies were able to spin health information for years into something seemingly less threatening, but what about products that were initially sold for health benefits? I am interested in anything in the last 100 years or so, and not just in the western world. I know that this is totally random and bizarre, but I'm lost on where to turn- my school librarians have been less than helpful. I appreciate any suggestions!
Merchants of Doubt by Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway
posted by lukemeister at 8:26 PM on October 25, 2010
posted by lukemeister at 8:26 PM on October 25, 2010
Response by poster: Oh, those are great. And they helped me to find the correct keywords to search for similar titles. I am still open to suggestion, though! Thanks!
posted by emilyclaire at 8:48 PM on October 25, 2010
posted by emilyclaire at 8:48 PM on October 25, 2010
Trust Us, We're Experts: How Industry Manipulates Science and Gambles With Your Future by John Stauber and Sheldon Rampton seems like it would suit your needs.
posted by SisterHavana at 9:07 PM on October 25, 2010
posted by SisterHavana at 9:07 PM on October 25, 2010
Marion Nestle is good for looking into national level food politics. Her book Food Politics really looks into how nutrition information (stuff that we think is scientific) gets created, passed down, revised etc. all by people who are not scientists. I'm not sure if this is the book where she looks into how the idiot "food pyramid" came to be [as well as the idiot four food groups that it replaced] but it's great reading.
posted by jessamyn at 9:11 PM on October 25, 2010
posted by jessamyn at 9:11 PM on October 25, 2010
War On Science is framed as an investigation of the influence of politics on science, but politics and corporations are obviously intertwined to such a degree that the book should be useful.
posted by stuart_s at 9:30 PM on October 25, 2010
posted by stuart_s at 9:30 PM on October 25, 2010
Doubt Is Their Product: How Industry's Assault on Science Threatens Your Health. The linked Amazon page also shows a bunch of similar books in the "people who bought this book" list.
Ben Goldacre's Bad Science site contains lots of information on attempts by industry and/or quacks to pervert or obscure scientific findings, primarily in the pharmaceutical/healthcare industry. There is a list of article tags on the left of the main page that will help you find relevant stuff. I would suggest "regulating research" and "climate change" as good tags to start with. He has also published a book of the same name.
posted by Jakey at 1:57 AM on October 26, 2010
Ben Goldacre's Bad Science site contains lots of information on attempts by industry and/or quacks to pervert or obscure scientific findings, primarily in the pharmaceutical/healthcare industry. There is a list of article tags on the left of the main page that will help you find relevant stuff. I would suggest "regulating research" and "climate change" as good tags to start with. He has also published a book of the same name.
posted by Jakey at 1:57 AM on October 26, 2010
By all means, read the piece on John Ioannidis in the current Atlantic.
posted by megatherium at 4:13 AM on October 26, 2010
posted by megatherium at 4:13 AM on October 26, 2010
seconding Doubt Is Their Product; just read it, and it's worth it for the copious references alone.
posted by scruss at 4:56 AM on October 26, 2010
posted by scruss at 4:56 AM on October 26, 2010
You might check in with Union of Concerned Scientists. One of their big campaigns now is scientific integrity.
posted by salvia at 6:12 AM on October 26, 2010
posted by salvia at 6:12 AM on October 26, 2010
If you want to read a nice overview of the whole ecosystem of deception i.e. companies, governments, media and how our perceptions are altered you may want to read Flat Earth News
posted by london302 at 6:42 AM on October 26, 2010
posted by london302 at 6:42 AM on October 26, 2010
Response by poster: Dearest MetaFilter,
I love you. Thanks to all! I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.
-Emily
posted by emilyclaire at 9:19 AM on October 26, 2010 [1 favorite]
I love you. Thanks to all! I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.
-Emily
posted by emilyclaire at 9:19 AM on October 26, 2010 [1 favorite]
megatherium & emilyclaire,
There's a MeFi thread on the article about Ioannidis. I also found this NPR/Pro Publica story on the pharmaceutical industry hiring doctors to advertise their products fascinating (and appalling).
posted by lukemeister at 8:01 PM on October 26, 2010
There's a MeFi thread on the article about Ioannidis. I also found this NPR/Pro Publica story on the pharmaceutical industry hiring doctors to advertise their products fascinating (and appalling).
posted by lukemeister at 8:01 PM on October 26, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by zachlipton at 8:19 PM on October 25, 2010