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A review by yevolem
Science Fictions: Exposing Fraud, Bias, Negligence and Hype in Science by Stuart Ritchie
5.0
Please note that this is an informal review and as such citations will not be provided for statements.
Although this book is about the many problems in science, it is entirely pro-science and strives to improve it through constructive criticism and the reduction of harmful behaviors by individuals and institutions. One of the primary criticisms I've seen of it is that it romanticizes the idea of the science and has too high of expectations for how people ought to behave. I understand this, but I don't agree with it. I don't believe it romanticizes science, though it does propose much higher standards than currently exist, and certainly much higher than are followed in practice. There are many unfortunate and relatable reasons why, several of which are described within.
Human limitations are the greatest obstacle to scientific progress, but unfortunately even accepting that doesn't seem to affect behavior much. These limitations are present at every structural level. None of this is new, history is littered with the bodies, figuratively and literally, of those who challenged their prevailing status quo. Their challenges weren't always warranted, but there have been many times when they were.
Example not in the book:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignaz_Semmelweis
A doctor told doctors that they should disinfect their hands because the scientific literature said it greatly reduced mortality rates. The doctors mocked and ridiculed him and eventually he's committed to an insane asylum in 1865, where he was beaten by the guards, and then died from a gangrenous wound. The Semmelweis Reflex, "a metaphor for the reflex-like tendency to reject new evidence or new knowledge because it contradicts established norms, beliefs, or paradigms." is named after him.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semmelweis_reflex
The bulk of the book is concerned with psychology, because the author is a psychologist, though many other fields have examples given as well. These problems are not limited to anything specific, they are all-encompassing. The differences are in terms of frequency and severity. There are failures of self-discipline and ethical behavior from individuals and an immense failure of self-regulation by institutions. Not all the blame can be put on them as they are subjected to various perverse incentives and systemic societal pressures as well.
Many example stories are presented of the failures of individuals and institutions. There's overall more a focus on the specific than the general, which probably ought to be expected since psychology is more the study of the individual.
Part I is about how science works and the replication crisis, which is the failure of someone else being able to independently confirm the results of a study. This differs from the reproduction problem, where others cannot even attempt to test their results.
Part II details the faults and flaws, specifically fraud, bias, negligence and hype. Specific stories for each are presented.
A somewhat related story of negligence that comes to mind to me is of this serial killer:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Swango
Unfortunately, as noted in this book more than a few times, too much good faith is assumed and too much trust is given. This is a terrible situation, as a lack of trust is extremely corrosive to credibility and expectations, and thus to the smooth functioning of society. Therefore, those who abuse trust and goodwill are one of the greatest dangers to the continuance of civilization. Not the least of which is that allows for the proliferation of conspiracy theories and pseudoscience.
Part III puts forth what author believes to be the causes for these systemic issues and proposes various ways to mitigate them, as resolving them would require a very substantial shift in both individual behavior and global culture.
Here's a related blog post:
https://fantasticanachronism.com/2020/09/11/whats-wrong-with-social-science-and-how-to-fix-it/
Although this book is about the many problems in science, it is entirely pro-science and strives to improve it through constructive criticism and the reduction of harmful behaviors by individuals and institutions. One of the primary criticisms I've seen of it is that it romanticizes the idea of the science and has too high of expectations for how people ought to behave. I understand this, but I don't agree with it. I don't believe it romanticizes science, though it does propose much higher standards than currently exist, and certainly much higher than are followed in practice. There are many unfortunate and relatable reasons why, several of which are described within.
Human limitations are the greatest obstacle to scientific progress, but unfortunately even accepting that doesn't seem to affect behavior much. These limitations are present at every structural level. None of this is new, history is littered with the bodies, figuratively and literally, of those who challenged their prevailing status quo. Their challenges weren't always warranted, but there have been many times when they were.
Example not in the book:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignaz_Semmelweis
A doctor told doctors that they should disinfect their hands because the scientific literature said it greatly reduced mortality rates. The doctors mocked and ridiculed him and eventually he's committed to an insane asylum in 1865, where he was beaten by the guards, and then died from a gangrenous wound. The Semmelweis Reflex, "a metaphor for the reflex-like tendency to reject new evidence or new knowledge because it contradicts established norms, beliefs, or paradigms." is named after him.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semmelweis_reflex
The bulk of the book is concerned with psychology, because the author is a psychologist, though many other fields have examples given as well. These problems are not limited to anything specific, they are all-encompassing. The differences are in terms of frequency and severity. There are failures of self-discipline and ethical behavior from individuals and an immense failure of self-regulation by institutions. Not all the blame can be put on them as they are subjected to various perverse incentives and systemic societal pressures as well.
Many example stories are presented of the failures of individuals and institutions. There's overall more a focus on the specific than the general, which probably ought to be expected since psychology is more the study of the individual.
Part I is about how science works and the replication crisis, which is the failure of someone else being able to independently confirm the results of a study. This differs from the reproduction problem, where others cannot even attempt to test their results.
Part II details the faults and flaws, specifically fraud, bias, negligence and hype. Specific stories for each are presented.
A somewhat related story of negligence that comes to mind to me is of this serial killer:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Swango
Unfortunately, as noted in this book more than a few times, too much good faith is assumed and too much trust is given. This is a terrible situation, as a lack of trust is extremely corrosive to credibility and expectations, and thus to the smooth functioning of society. Therefore, those who abuse trust and goodwill are one of the greatest dangers to the continuance of civilization. Not the least of which is that allows for the proliferation of conspiracy theories and pseudoscience.
Part III puts forth what author believes to be the causes for these systemic issues and proposes various ways to mitigate them, as resolving them would require a very substantial shift in both individual behavior and global culture.
Here's a related blog post:
https://fantasticanachronism.com/2020/09/11/whats-wrong-with-social-science-and-how-to-fix-it/