John Hewitt wrote:
>
> SDV, below, gives a rather long list of things that scientists have lied
> about.
>
> I would certainly not dissent from the accusation that scientists lie.
[snip]

Surely there is nothing *particularly* shameful about this (i.e.,
*more* shameful than lawyers or teachers of doctors or managers or
[whoevers] lying), for

    to do science is to be human

And we know that humans have many reasons to lie, not *all* of
which are even necessarily "wrong"!  (Would it be wrong if Heisenberg
in fact lied about the prospects of nuclear fission during the
Nazi era?).

Of course, in proportion as private and public *trust* is
bestowed upon scientists, then their lies (and all their other
behavior: from their scrupulousness in keeping lab notes, to
their treatment of their lab techs, to their social and
material "engineering" accomplishments, etc.) need to be
judged just like the actions and inactions of all other
persons in positions of power, i.e., of *stewardship* (and what
other *justification* can there be for power?).

+\brad mccormick

--
  Let your light so shine before men,
              that they may see your good works.... (Matt 5:16)

  Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (1 Thes 5:21)

<![%THINK;[SGML+APL]]> Brad McCormick, Ed.D. / [log in to unmask]
  914.238.0788 / 27 Poillon Rd, Chappaqua NY 10514-3403 USA
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