Web Letter
Sonia Shah's piece is a very timely reminder that the "rightful place" of science to which President Obama referred in his inaugural address is a contested area, and not simply in opposition to religious notions of history and causality. Science earns a privileged place of authority across cultural and political lines to the extent that it remains as free as reasonably possible from influence by political and financial institutions. The recent scandal involving psychotropic drugs and a Harvard faculty member is simply one example of the justified erosion of trust in science. When science serves money or political expediency, claims of impartiality and pure empiricism are suspect, and the waters are sadly muddied with regard to side issues such as "intelligent design," as well as more practical concerns such as healthy lifestyle chioces and the most effective ways of educating and supporting young people. The roles of governments and universities in this area should be carefully crafted to ensure transparency, accountability and social responsibility, so that at least there is a clear distinction between science as a search for truth and enhancement of life on the one hand, and science for corporate profit on the other!
Kenneth Hymes
Charlottesville , VA
Jan 28 2009 - 2:23pm
