La historia de la ciencia está contaminada por teorías que acabaron demostrándose erróneas. Pero la "actitud científica" demuestra que incluso una teoría fracasada puede ayudar a entender lo que distingue a la ciencia.

If Scientists want to be trusted they should start with purging the corruption and arrogance within their own ranks. “Scientists” have claimed that cigarette smoking is safe, that dental mercury fillings are safe, that lead in gasoline is harmless, that water fluoridation is safe, that the food additive aspartame is safe, that hormone mimicking chemicals are safe, that trans fats are safe, that a number of pharma drugs that later got banned where safe, that GMO is safe, that the weed killer glyphosate is safe, that organic food is dangerous, that vitamins are dangerous, that saturated fats in coconut oil are dangerous, etc. etc.

In all these cases it is easy to follow the money and identify the glaring conflict of interests from the “scientists” who act as mouthpieces for big industry and/or big government. The vested interests have even managed to corrupt the government authorities who are supposed to protect the public and offer impartial “scientific” assessment. Just look at EFSA (the FDA in the EU). Their so called “expert panels” are stacked with people from the junk food manufacturers and the chemical pesticide industry.

Science is supposed to be an area for intellectual openness, respect for empirical facts, critical scrutiny and the pursuit of new knowledge even if it is controversial. Instead it is driven by deference to authority, extreme arrogance in the way status quo is defended. Harassment and bullying is an institutional way to suppress competing theories. Just look at all the bio-tech scientists who have been fired and/or had their funding cut because they published empirical evidence for the hazards with GMO. Another example is scientific journals who retracted accepted peer reviewed articles after pressure from big industry.

Dear scientists, if you want to be trusted, clean up your own mess. Stop serving Big Money and start to live up to your own ideals. The general public is smart enough to identify corruption when they see it. ( )