Creating Scientific Controversies

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Creating Scientific Controversies

Author : David Harker
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 54,8 Mb
Release : 2015-10-01
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781316409312

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Creating Scientific Controversies by David Harker Pdf

For decades, cigarette companies helped to promote the impression that there was no scientific consensus concerning the safety of their product. The appearance of controversy, however, was misleading, designed to confuse the public and to protect industry interests. Created scientific controversies emerge when expert communities are in broad agreement but the public perception is one of profound scientific uncertainty and doubt. In the first book-length analysis of the concept of a created scientific controversy, David Harker explores issues including climate change, Creation science, the anti-vaccine movement and genetically modified crops. Drawing on work in cognitive psychology, social epistemology, critical thinking and philosophy of science, he shows readers how to better understand, evaluate, and respond to the appearance of scientific controversy. His book will be a valuable resource for students of philosophy of science, environmental and health sciences, and social and natural sciences.

The Fight Against Doubt

Author : Inmaculada de Melo-Martín,Kristen Intemann
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 240 pages
File Size : 55,7 Mb
Release : 2018-07-02
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780190869243

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The Fight Against Doubt by Inmaculada de Melo-Martín,Kristen Intemann Pdf

The lack of public support for climate change policies and refusals to vaccinate children are just two alarming illustrations of the impacts of dissent about scientific claims. Dissent can lead to confusion, false beliefs, and widespread public doubt about highly justified scientific evidence. Even more dangerously, it has begun to corrode the very authority of scientific consensus and knowledge. Deployed aggressively and to political ends, some dissent can intimidate scientists, stymie research, and lead both the public and policymakers to oppose important public policies firmly rooted in science. To criticize dissent is, however, a fraught exercise. Skepticism and fearless debate are key to the scientific process, making it both vital and incredibly difficult to characterize and identify dissent that is problematic in its approach and consequences. Indeed, as de Melo-Martín and Intemann show, the criteria commonly proposed as means of identifying inappropriate dissent are flawed and the strategies generally recommended to tackle such dissent are not only ineffective but could even make the situation worse. The Fight Against Doubt proposes that progress on this front can best be achieved by enhancing the trustworthiness of the scientific community and by being more realistic about the limits of science when it comes to policymaking. It shows that a richer understanding of the context in which science operates is needed to disarm problematic dissent and those who deploy it. This, the authors argue, is the best way forward, rather than diagnosing the many instances of wrong-headed dissent.

Creating Scientific Controversies

Author : David Harker
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 271 pages
File Size : 55,9 Mb
Release : 2015-10
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781107069619

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Creating Scientific Controversies by David Harker Pdf

This is the first book-length introductory study of the concept of a created scientific controversy, providing a comprehensive and wide-ranging analysis for students of philosophy of science, environmental and health sciences, and social and natural sciences.

Controversies Within the Scientific Revolution

Author : Marcelo Dascal,Victor D. Boantza
Publisher : John Benjamins Publishing
Page : 295 pages
File Size : 53,5 Mb
Release : 2011-11-30
Category : Science
ISBN : 9789027282545

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Controversies Within the Scientific Revolution by Marcelo Dascal,Victor D. Boantza Pdf

From the beginning of the Scientific Revolution around the late sixteenth century to its final crystallization in the early eighteenth century, hardly an observational result, an experimental technique, a theory, a mathematical proof, a methodological principle, or the award of recognition and reputation remained unquestioned for long. The essays collected in this book examine the rich texture of debates that comprised the Scientific Revolution from which the modern conception of science emerged. Were controversies marginal episodes, restricted to certain fields, or were they the rule in the majority of scientific domains? To what extent did scientific controversies share a typical pattern, which distinguished them from debates in other fields? Answers to these historical and philosophical questions are sought through a close attention to specific controversies within and across the changing scientific disciplines as well as across the borders of the natural and the human sciences, philosophy, theology, and technology.

Lies, Damned Lies, and Science

Author : Sherry Seethaler
Publisher : FT Press
Page : 228 pages
File Size : 48,9 Mb
Release : 2009-01-13
Category : Education
ISBN : 9780137008872

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Lies, Damned Lies, and Science by Sherry Seethaler Pdf

“Comprehensive, readable, and replete with current, useful examples, this book provides a much-needed explanation of how to be a critical consumer of the scientific claims we encounter in our everyday lives.” —April Cordero Maskiewicz, Department of Biology, Point Loma Nazarene University “Seethaler’s book helps the reader look inside the workings of science and gain a deeper understanding of the pathway that is followed by a scientific finding—from its beginnings in a research lab to its appearance on the nightly news.” —Jim Slotta, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto “How I wish science was taught this way! Seethaler builds skills for critical thinking and evaluation. The book is rich with examples that not only illustrate her points beautifully, they also make it very interesting and fun to read.” —Julia R. Brown, Director, Targacept, Inc. Don’t Get Hoodwinked! Make Sense of Health and Science News...and Make Smarter Decisions! Every day, there’s a new scientific or health controversy. And every day, it seems as if there’s a new study that contradicts what you heard yesterday. What’s really going on? Who’s telling the truth? Who’s faking it? What do scientists actually know–and what don’t they know? This book will help you cut through the confusion and make sense of it all–even if you’ve never taken a science class! Leading science educator and journalist Dr. Sherry Seethaler reveals how science and health research really work...how to put scientific claims in context and understand the real tradeoffs involved...tell quality research from junk science...discover when someone’s deliberately trying to fool you...and find more information you can trust! Nobody knows what new controversy will erupt tomorrow. But one thing’s for certain: With this book, you’ll know how to figure out the real deal–and make smarter decisions for yourself and your family! Watch the news, and you’ll be overwhelmed by snippets of badly presented science: information that’s incomplete, confusing, contradictory, out-of-context, wrong, or flat-out dishonest. Defend yourself! Dr. Sherry Seethaler gives you a powerful arsenal of tools for making sense of science. You’ll learn how to think more sensibly about everything from mad cow disease to global warming—and how to make better science-related decisions in both your personal life and as a citizen. You’ll begin by understanding how science really works and progresses, and why scientists sometimes disagree. Seethaler helps you assess the possible biases of those who make scientific claims in the media, and place scientific issues in appropriate context, so you can intelligently assess tradeoffs. You’ll learn how to determine whether a new study is really meaningful; uncover the difference between cause and coincidence; figure out which statistics mean something, and which don’t. Seethaler reveals the tricks self-interested players use to mislead and confuse you, and points you to sources of information you can actually rely upon. Her many examples range from genetic engineering of crops to drug treatments for depression...but the techniques she teaches you will be invaluable in understanding any scientific controversy, in any area of science or health. ^ Potions, plots, and personalities: How science progresses, and why scientists sometimes disagree ^ Is it “cause” or merely coincidence? How to tell compelling evidence from a “good story” ^ There are always tradeoffs: How to put science and health claims in context, and understand their real implications ^ All the tricks experts use to fool you, exposed! How to recognize lies, “truthiness,” or pseudo-expertise

Communicating Science Effectively

Author : National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Committee on the Science of Science Communication: A Research Agenda
Publisher : National Academies Press
Page : 153 pages
File Size : 41,9 Mb
Release : 2017-03-08
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780309451055

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Communicating Science Effectively by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Committee on the Science of Science Communication: A Research Agenda Pdf

Science and technology are embedded in virtually every aspect of modern life. As a result, people face an increasing need to integrate information from science with their personal values and other considerations as they make important life decisions about medical care, the safety of foods, what to do about climate change, and many other issues. Communicating science effectively, however, is a complex task and an acquired skill. Moreover, the approaches to communicating science that will be most effective for specific audiences and circumstances are not obvious. Fortunately, there is an expanding science base from diverse disciplines that can support science communicators in making these determinations. Communicating Science Effectively offers a research agenda for science communicators and researchers seeking to apply this research and fill gaps in knowledge about how to communicate effectively about science, focusing in particular on issues that are contentious in the public sphere. To inform this research agenda, this publication identifies important influences â€" psychological, economic, political, social, cultural, and media-related â€" on how science related to such issues is understood, perceived, and used.

Scientific Controversies

Author : Hugo Tristram Engelhardt (Jr.),Arthur L. Caplan
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 656 pages
File Size : 54,8 Mb
Release : 1987-04-24
Category : Science
ISBN : 0521275601

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Scientific Controversies by Hugo Tristram Engelhardt (Jr.),Arthur L. Caplan Pdf

This collection of essays examines the ways in which disputes and controversies about the application of scientific knowledge are resolved. Four concrete examples of public controversy are considered in detail: the efficacy of Laetrile, the classification of homosexuality as a disease, the setting of safety standards in the workplace, and the utility of nuclear energy as a source of power. The essays in this volume show that debates about these cases are not confined to matters of empirical fact. Rather, as is seen with most scientific and technical controversies, they focus on and are structured by complex ethical, economic, and political interests. Drs. Engelhardt and Caplan have brought together a distinguished group of scholars from the sciences and humanities, who sketch a theory of scientific controversy and attempt to provide recommendations about the ways in which both scientists and the public ought to seek more informed resolutions of highly contentious issues in science and technology. Scientific Controversies is offered as a contribution to the better understanding of the roles of both science and nonscientific interests in disputes and controversies pertaining to science and technology.

Controversies in Science and Technology

Author : Daniel Lee Kleinman,Karen A. Cloud-Hansen,Jo Handelsman
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 456 pages
File Size : 51,5 Mb
Release : 2014-08-01
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780199383788

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Controversies in Science and Technology by Daniel Lee Kleinman,Karen A. Cloud-Hansen,Jo Handelsman Pdf

When it comes to any current scientific debate, there are more than two sides to every story. Controversies in Science and Technology, Volume 4 analyzes controversial topics in science and technology-infrastructure, ecosystem management, food security, and plastics and health-from multiple points of view. The editors have compiled thought-provoking essays from a variety of experts from academia and beyond, creating a volume that addresses many of the issues surrounding these scientific debates. Part I of the volume discusses infrastructure, and the real meaning behind the term in today's society. Essays address the central issues that motivate current discussion about infrastructure, including writing on the vulnerability to disasters. Part II, titled "Food Policy," will focus on the challenges of feeding an ever-growing world and the costs of not doing so. Part III features essays on chemicals and environmental health, and works to define "safety" as it relates to today's scientific community. The book's final section examines ecosystem management. In the end, Kleinman, Cloud-Hansen, and Handelsman provide a multifaceted volume that will be appropriate for anyone hoping to understand arguments surrounding several of today's most important scientific controversies.

Biotechnology - the Making of a Global Controversy

Author : M. W. Bauer,G. Gaskell
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 430 pages
File Size : 48,5 Mb
Release : 2002-09-05
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 0521773172

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Biotechnology - the Making of a Global Controversy by M. W. Bauer,G. Gaskell Pdf

Biotechnology is one of the fastest-growing and most controversial areas of scientific innovation and technology. As new developments occur, public debate has become more heated and grave concerns have been expressed about access to genetic information, labelling of genetically modified foods and human and animal cloning. This book presents a unique study of the relationship between new biotechnology and public perception, media coverage and policy formulation. It outlines a new conceptual framework and contains empirical studies on international controversies such as the cloning of Dolly the sheep and GM Soya.

Science Communication

Author : Annette Leßmöllmann,Marcelo Dascal,Thomas Gloning
Publisher : Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
Page : 555 pages
File Size : 47,7 Mb
Release : 2019-12-16
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9783110393217

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Science Communication by Annette Leßmöllmann,Marcelo Dascal,Thomas Gloning Pdf

Science is an essentially cooperative, critical, and dynamic enterprise. Were it not for the continuous creation and improvement of special forms of communication, argumentation, and innovation, all of them suitable for its three key features, scientific knowledge and progress could hardly be achieved. The aim of this volume is to explore the nature of science communication in its several functions, modalities, combinations, and evolution - past, present, and future. One of our objectives is to provide an overview of the richness and variety of elements that take part in performing the complex tasks and fulfilling the functions of science communication. The overall structure and criteria for the choice of topics: 1. The origin and target of a communication episode - its source(s) and addressee(s). 2. The media of communication employed. 3. The thematic field and content types. 4. The distinction between aspects of science communication (e.g., media, texttypes, domains, communicative maxims) and aspects of research on science communication (e.g., the contribution of different research traditions to the understanding of science communication). 5. The history and dynamics of science communication (past, present, and future), both in an empirical perspective (e.g., the development of the research article) and a systematic perspective (e.g., what are basic types and mechanisms of change in science communication).

The Oxford Handbook of the Science of Science Communication

Author : Kathleen Hall Jamieson,Dan M. Kahan,Dietram Scheufele
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 513 pages
File Size : 46,6 Mb
Release : 2017
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 9780190497620

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The Oxford Handbook of the Science of Science Communication by Kathleen Hall Jamieson,Dan M. Kahan,Dietram Scheufele Pdf

The proposal to vaccinate adolescent girls against the human papilloma virus ignited political controversy, as did the advent of fracking and a host of other emerging technologies. These disputes attest to the persistent gap between expert and public perceptions. Complicating the communication of sound science and the debates that surround the societal applications of that science is a changing media environment in which misinformation can elicit belief without corrective context and likeminded individuals are prone to seek ideologically comforting information within their own self-constructed media enclaves. Drawing on the expertise of leading science communication scholars from six countries, The Oxford Handbook of the Science of Science Communication not only charts the media landscape - from news and entertainment to blogs and films - but also examines the powers and perils of human biases - from the disposition to seek confirming evidence to the inclination to overweight endpoints in a trend line. In the process, it draws together the best available social science on ways to communicate science while also minimizing the pernicious effects of human bias. The Handbook adds case studies exploring instances in which communication undercut or facilitated the access to scientific evidence. The range of topics addressed is wide, from genetically engineered organisms and nanotechnology to vaccination controversies and climate change. Also unique to this book is a focus on the complexities of involving the public in decision making about the uses of science, the regulations that should govern its application, and the ethical boundaries within which science should operate. The Handbook is an invaluable resource for researchers in the communication fields, particularly in science and health communication, as well as to scholars involved in research on scientific topics susceptible to distortion in partisan debate.

Scientific Controversies

Author : Peter K. Machamer,Peter Machamer,Marcello Pera,Aristeidēs Baltas
Publisher : Oxford University Press on Demand
Page : 289 pages
File Size : 40,6 Mb
Release : 2000
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780195119879

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Scientific Controversies by Peter K. Machamer,Peter Machamer,Marcello Pera,Aristeidēs Baltas Pdf

"The essays consider the nature of scientific controversy, how such controversies are resolved, and whether controversy is in fact necessary to the advancement of scientific knowledge."--BOOK JACKET.

Controversy in Science Museums

Author : Erminia Pedretti,Ana Maria Navas Iannini
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 261 pages
File Size : 42,9 Mb
Release : 2020-04-30
Category : Art
ISBN : 9780429017759

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Controversy in Science Museums by Erminia Pedretti,Ana Maria Navas Iannini Pdf

Controversy in Science Museums focuses on exhibitions that approach sensitive or controversial topics. With a keen sense of past and current practices, Pedretti and Navas Iannini examine and re-imagine how museums and science centres can create exhibitions that embrace criticality and visitor agency. Drawing on international case studies and voices from visitors and museum professionals, as well as theoretical insights about scientific literacy and science communication, the authors explore the textured notion of controversy and the challenges and opportunities practitioners may encounter as they plan for and develop controversial science exhibitions. They assert that science museums can no longer serve as mere repositories for objects or sites for transmitting facts, but that they should also become spaces for conversations that are inclusive, critical, and socially responsible. Controversy in Science Museums provides an invaluable resource for museum professionals who are interested in creating and hosting controversial exhibitions, and for scholars and students working in the fields of museum studies, science communication, and social studies of science. Anyone wishing to engage in an examination and critique of the changing roles of science museums will find this book relevant, timely, and thought provoking.

Merchants of Doubt

Author : Naomi Oreskes,Erik M. Conway
Publisher : A&C Black
Page : 368 pages
File Size : 50,8 Mb
Release : 2011-10-03
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9781408828779

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Merchants of Doubt by Naomi Oreskes,Erik M. Conway Pdf

The U.S. scientific community has long led the world in research on such areas as public health, environmental science, and issues affecting quality of life. These scientists have produced landmark studies on the dangers of DDT, tobacco smoke, acid rain, and global warming. But at the same time, a small yet potent subset of this community leads the world in vehement denial of these dangers. Merchants of Doubt tells the story of how a loose-knit group of high-level scientists and scientific advisers, with deep connections in politics and industry, ran effective campaigns to mislead the public and deny well-established scientific knowledge over four decades. Remarkably, the same individuals surface repeatedly-some of the same figures who have claimed that the science of global warming is "not settled" denied the truth of studies linking smoking to lung cancer, coal smoke to acid rain, and CFCs to the ozone hole. "Doubt is our product," wrote one tobacco executive. These "experts" supplied it. Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway, historians of science, roll back the rug on this dark corner of the American scientific community, showing how ideology and corporate interests, aided by a too-compliant media, have skewed public understanding of some of the most pressing issues of our era.