When non-scientists think about the big ethical issues in the practice of science (beyond questions of how much freedom scientists should have with the tax-payers’ money, and whether scientists ought to be “playing God”), they usually think about the three mortal sins of fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism.
Thought the big three happen, for most scientists they don’t really present ethical questions. Scientists know they are wrong. If you ask scientists about the ethical issues that need the most clarification, one that usually comes up is authorship. In working on scientific research with other scientists, most scientists have had occasion to wonder who really is supposed to be an author of a particular manuscript.
A personal anecdote of mine about authorship (from the vault) below the fold.
My enemy’s enemy is my friend?
Because (primary) election season is almost upon us, one’s mind sometimes turns to thoughts of coalition building. And sometimes, you can find allies in places you wouldn’t normally think to look.
For example …
Friday Sprog Blogging: it is rocket science!
When the weather gets nice, a sprog’s thoughts turn to rocketry. Photos of the first mission of the bottle-rocket season after the jump.
Teaching Carnival #9: Are we done with the term yet?
Welcome to Teaching Carnival #9. I realize that you, gentle reader, may be affiliated with a school whose term has already ended. You may be easing into those first intoxicating weeks of the summer break, where your “to do” list seems more theoretical and less urgent.
Academic calendars are somewhat arbitrary, so I know it’s not your fault, but I’ll thank you not to gloat. Some of us are in the End Times right now, hoping that our post-apocalyptic world resembles a summer break.
It may be too soon to call it.
In any event, this Teaching Carnival is dedicated to the teachers and learners who are racing toward the end and trying to make the last minute count.
Sad news to report from the back yard.
The continuing saga of the uninvited nest seems to have come to an end. The hatchlings have died.
Plagiarism and Podcasts.
Do you ever feel like hearing me rattle on instead of just reading it? Here’s your chance!
You can listen to the first episode of the ScienceBlogs podcast, in which I speak with Katherine Sharpe about the evils of plagiarism (among other misdeeds) in the world of science.
34th Skeptics’ Circle now available at The Second Sight.
I can hardly believe that it’s time for another Skeptics’ Circle, but the evidence seems to support the conclusion that it is. EoR at The Second Sight has a real gem of a carnival, collecting bright and shiny examples of blog essay doing their skeptical best to prevent us from having rocks in our heads.
(The graphics are very pretty, too.)
The consequences of our choice.
The choice in question was whether to try to relocate a nest full of eggs in a tree whose number is almost up. With your help, we decided against relocation. Moreover, we’re ready to delay removal of the tree as long as might be necessary until the nest is vacant.
Today’s developments documented below the fold.
Stochastic bullets of rich organic matter.
Very busy. I plan to resurface soon. In the meantime, a few items:
- Help a blogger out: Coturnix (aka Bora Zivkovic) is a science blogger extraordinaire, keeping not one but three excellent blogs (Science and Politics, Circadiana, and The Magic School Bus). He’s also a graduate student and a parent, which means the money’s tight. Tight enough that keeping the electricity (and the internet) turned on is a challenge. If you have a few bucks to spare and enjoy Coturnix’s writing as I do, you might help him out.
The last century’s most loathsome invention.
ScienceBlogs is introducing a new feature called “Ask a ScienceBlogger” wherein the ScienceBloggers are all asked to respond to a question. (You’d never guess that from the name, would you?) The first question is:
If you could cause one invention from the last hundred years never to have been made at all, which would it be, and why?
I was thinking of going with cell phones, but I don’t really hate cell phones per se — I just hate people yapping on them while they’re driving, and I have seen other drivers create similarly dangerous situations by driving while applying mascara or driving while eating milk and cereal (with two hands, natch) from a ceramic bowl.
Really, the last century’s most loathsome invention ought to be horrible not merely in combination with some other activity (like driving). Its evil ought to be switched on no matter what the circumstances.
Which is why I’m going to go for embedded advertising.