When Science Goes Wrong

When Science Goes Wrong

Author: Simon LeVay

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 308

ISBN-13: 9780452289321

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A revealing study of scientific failure provides twelve shocking stories drawn from a range of scientific fields, ranging from a surprise hurricane that makes violent landfall despite forecasters claims that it does not exist, to a team of scientists that ignores signs of an imminent eruption to hike into a supposedly dormant volcanic crater. Original.


When Science Goes Wrong

When Science Goes Wrong

Author: Consolmagno, Guy, SJ

Publisher: Paulist Press

Published:

Total Pages: 185

ISBN-13: 0809188252

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The science/faith discussion is often hindered by a fundamental misunderstanding of the role and function of science. This misunderstand was made most evident, with tragic consequences, during the recent pandemic. The ways that science has gone wrong, and the underlying causes of how it goes wrong, will be illustrated here with a series of historical essays describing ideas about the universe, planet Earth, and the evolution of life that were all based on ideas that were reasonable…but ultimately wrong. Some are amusing in retrospect; others are tragic. Theology, philosophy, or even mathematics may lay claim to eternal truths, but in science our very cosmologies change. Just as the major religions have adapted in the face of changing cultural cosmologies, so too has science adapted in the face of challenging new observations and new ideas. Religions and science are strengthened by experiencing a shift in our assumptions; that’s where we find out what’s essential, and what is cultural baggage. Ultimately, the point of our science is not to come up with the “right answer.” Both as scientists and as human beings, we know that sometimes we learn the most by encountering ideas that challenge us. When we say, “I know that can’t be right; so, where did it go wrong?” we gain a greater insight into what we do believe, and what it really means.


Pandora's Lab

Pandora's Lab

Author: Paul A. Offit

Publisher: National Geographic Books

Published: 2017

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 1426217986

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Exploring the most fascinating and significant scientific missteps, the author presents seven cautionary lessons to separate good science from bad.


Failing in the Field

Failing in the Field

Author: Dean Karlan

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2018-12-18

Total Pages: 174

ISBN-13: 0691183139

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A revealing look at the common causes of failures in randomized control experiments during field reseach—and how to avoid them All across the social sciences, from development economics to political science, researchers are going into the field to collect data and learn about the world. Successful randomized controlled trials have brought about enormous gains, but less is learned when projects fail. In Failing in the Field, Dean Karlan and Jacob Appel examine the taboo subject of failure in field research so that researchers might avoid the same pitfalls in future work. Drawing on the experiences of top social scientists working in developing countries, this book describes five common categories of failures, reviews six case studies in detail, and concludes with reflections on best (and worst) practices for designing and running field projects, with an emphasis on randomized controlled trials. Failing in the Field is an invaluable “how-not-to” guide to conducting fieldwork and running randomized controlled trials in development settings.


Bad Science

Bad Science

Author: Ben Goldacre

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Published: 2010-10-12

Total Pages: 337

ISBN-13: 1429967099

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Have you ever wondered how one day the media can assert that alcohol is bad for us and the next unashamedly run a story touting the benefits of daily alcohol consumption? Or how a drug that is pulled off the market for causing heart attacks ever got approved in the first place? How can average readers, who aren't medical doctors or Ph.D.s in biochemistry, tell what they should be paying attention to and what's, well, just more bullshit? Ben Goldacre has made a point of exposing quack doctors and nutritionists, bogus credentialing programs, and biased scientific studies. He has also taken the media to task for its willingness to throw facts and proof out the window. But he's not here just to tell you what's wrong. Goldacre is here to teach you how to evaluate placebo effects, double-blind studies, and sample sizes, so that you can recognize bad science when you see it. You're about to feel a whole lot better.


Icons of Evolution

Icons of Evolution

Author: Jonathan Wells

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2002-01-01

Total Pages: 251

ISBN-13: 159698533X

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Everything you were taught about evolution is wrong.


Reproducibility and Replicability in Science

Reproducibility and Replicability in Science

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2019-10-20

Total Pages: 257

ISBN-13: 0309486165

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One of the pathways by which the scientific community confirms the validity of a new scientific discovery is by repeating the research that produced it. When a scientific effort fails to independently confirm the computations or results of a previous study, some fear that it may be a symptom of a lack of rigor in science, while others argue that such an observed inconsistency can be an important precursor to new discovery. Concerns about reproducibility and replicability have been expressed in both scientific and popular media. As these concerns came to light, Congress requested that the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine conduct a study to assess the extent of issues related to reproducibility and replicability and to offer recommendations for improving rigor and transparency in scientific research. Reproducibility and Replicability in Science defines reproducibility and replicability and examines the factors that may lead to non-reproducibility and non-replicability in research. Unlike the typical expectation of reproducibility between two computations, expectations about replicability are more nuanced, and in some cases a lack of replicability can aid the process of scientific discovery. This report provides recommendations to researchers, academic institutions, journals, and funders on steps they can take to improve reproducibility and replicability in science.


Failure

Failure

Author: Stuart Firestein

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 305

ISBN-13: 019939010X

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In his sequel to Ignorance (Oxford University Press, 2012), Stuart Firestein shows us that the scientific enterprise is riddled with mistakes and errors - and that this is a good thing! Failure: Why Science Is So Successful delves into the origins of scientific research as a process that relies upon trial and error, one which inevitably results in a hefty dose of failure.


The Science of Breakable Things

The Science of Breakable Things

Author: Tae Keller

Publisher: Yearling

Published: 2019-05-21

Total Pages: 321

ISBN-13: 1524715697

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Natalie's uplifting story of using the scientific process to "save" her mother from depression is what Booklist calls "a winning story full of heart and action." Eggs are breakable. Hope is not. When Natalie's science teacher suggests that she enter an egg drop competition, Natalie thinks that this might be the perfect solution to all of her problems. There's prize money, and if she and her friends wins, then she can fly her botanist mother to see the miraculous Cobalt Blue Orchids--flowers that survive against impossible odds. Natalie's mother has been suffering from depression, and Natalie is sure that the flowers' magic will inspire her mom to love life again. Which means it's time for Natalie's friends to step up and show her that talking about a problem is like taking a plant out of a dark cupboard and giving it light. With their help, Natalie begins an uplifting journey to discover the science of hope, love, and miracles. A vibrant, loving debut about the coming-of-age moment when kids realize that parents are people, too. Think THE FOURTEENTH GOLDFISH meets THE THING ABOUT JELLYFISH. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR * KIRKUS REVIEWS * THE CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY * "Natalie's Korean heritage is sensitively explored, as is the central issue of depression." --Publishers Weekly "A compassionate glimpse of mental illness accessible to a broad audience." --Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW "Holy moly!!! This book made me feel." --Colby Sharp, editor of The Creativity Project, teacher, and cofounder of Nerdy Book Club


Science Goes to War

Science Goes to War

Author: Ernest Volkman

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2002-04-11

Total Pages: 298

ISBN-13:

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From cannonballs to smart bombs, science has long played an essential role in warfare, and the victors often have superior technology to thank for their triumph. This book explores the ways in which science has affected military history.