'Fake News' Is Also Plaguing The World Of Science

By David Mills The political arena isn’t the only place where “fake news” is being debated. Scientists are now speaking out about false information and “alternative facts” that they say are diluting and harming legitimate research. To be sure, there has always been phony scientific material from snake oil salesmen to industry-sponsored research to tabloid headlines. However, experts interviewed by Healthline say the advent of the internet and the popularity of social media have made it easier for fraudulent information to spread. The topic is worrisome enough that the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) made it part of their agenda at their annual meeting last weekend in Boston. “The new media environment has allowed this type of information to be disseminated,” Dominique Brossard, PhD, a life sciences communication professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who spoke at the conference, told Healthline. Types of bad information There are several packages in which false information is delivered. Some are simply outright lies promulgated by people with an agenda. Others are part of research funded by industry to skew results and opinions. And yet another segment is questionable research that receives widespread attention. Some are a combination of these factors. One of the best examples from the past is the tobacco industry, which for decades funded research that cast doubt on whether cigarette smoking and s...
Source: Science - The Huffington Post - Category: Science Source Type: news