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Prompt's TechBlog

Journalists vs Scientists

12 September 2005

Posted by LC

There's a great piece in today's Guardian about poor science reporting, and the problems it creates in terms of ensuring the great unwashed always get handed the wrong end of the stick. This has always annoyed me - public opinion of science in general appears to be quiet negative, without good cause, and I think the way the subject is represented in the media is largely responsible. People will tell you they strongly disapprove of scientists "playing God" but will happily lap up the cheap food and medical products that scientific research makes possible - the public sees no link between the two, because they think of scientists as irrelevant Professor Frink characters who meddle with nature for fun and rarely produce anything useful.

My favourite recent example of poor science reporting is the "Human Brain Still Evolving" story which broke last week. A little basic knowledge of Darwinism should be enough to tell you that all living things are engaged in a constant process of evolution, humans and their brains are no exception.

# posted by LC at 9:23 AM

Comments:

You must have been delighted to read that the Nobel prize commission has now slammed another one in the back of the net for the Sci team in their big grudge match against the Journos.

How are stomach ulcers caused? According to the media, old wives and antacid manufacturers, it must be down to spicy food and stress, because bacteria can't survive in the acid pit of the human stomach. Bobbins, says science, of course it's bacteria, and takes home a Nobel Prize.

I wonder how much compensation has been awarded by courts around the world to victims of stomach ulcers brought on my workplace stress? Or too many curries...

# posted by Blogger fivetide05 : Friday, October 07, 2005 11:56:00 AM
 

Hi Fivetide - That is a good story, but I think you're being too hard on the press in this case. For years, doctors also thought that stress and spicy food caused ulcers and the media was reporting what was at the time conventional wisdom.

# posted by Blogger Sean McManus : Friday, October 07, 2005 12:17:00 PM
 

Granted - it's not the mainstream media's fault. But the two researchers were reportedly ridiculed for their early theories by the scientific analyst community of the time, setting back their investigations. Dr. J. Robin Warren and Dr. Barry J. Marshall had been trying to tell us about their bacterial observations for 25 years or so before picking up their $1m prize. Which is a long time for some people to have gone without a jalfrezi just to be on the safe side...

# posted by Blogger fivetide05 : Friday, October 07, 2005 12:37:00 PM
 
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