The Matter of Facts: Skepticism, Persuasion, and Evidence in Science

by Gareth Leng, Rhodri Ivor Leng

Overview

How biases, the desire for a good narrative, reliance on citation metrics, and other problems undermine confidence in modern science.

Modern science is built on experimental evidence, yet scientists are often very selective in deciding what evidence to use and tend to disagree about how to interpret it. In The Matter of Facts, Gareth and Rhodri Leng explore how scientists produce and use evidence. They do so to contextualize an array of problems confronting modern science that have raised concerns about its reliability: the widespread use of inappropriate statistical tests, a shortage of replication studies, and a bias in both publishing and citing “positive” results. Before these problems can be addressed meaningfully, the authors argue, we must understand what makes science work and what leads it astray.

The myth of science is that scientists constantly challenge their own thinking. But in reality, all scientists are in the business of persuading other scientists of the importance of their own ideas, and they do so by combining reason with rhetoric. Often, they look for evidence that will support their ideas, not for evidence that might contradict them; often, they present evidence in a way that makes it appear to be supportive; and often, they ignore inconvenient evidence.

In a series of essays focusing on controversies, disputes, and discoveries, the authors vividly portray science as a human activity, driven by passion as well as by reason. By analyzing the fluidity of scientific concepts and the dynamic and unpredictable development of scientific fields, the authors paint a picture of modern science and the pressures it faces.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780262043885
Publisher:	MIT Press
Publication date:	04/14/2020
Series:	The MIT Press
Pages:	376
Sales rank:	1,106,486
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.20(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Gareth Leng is Professor of Experimental Physiology at the University of Edinburgh and the author of The Heart of the Brain: The Hypothalamus and Its Hormones (MIT Press).

Rhodri Leng is a Doctoral Researcher in Science, Technology, and Innovation Studies at the University of Edinburgh.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Prelude: Sources xiii

1 The Norms of Science, and Its Structure 1

2 Popper and Kuhn, and Their Conceptions of What Science Is 15

3 Laboratory Life: Bruno Latour and Rhetoric in Science 27

4 Is the Scientific Paper a Fraud? The Place of Hypotheses and Their Falsification 33

5 The Birth of Neuroendocrinology and the "Stuff of Legend": A Case Study of Paradigm Change 41

6 The Language of Crisis and Controversy, and the Levers of Paradigm Change 55

7 Logical Positivism: The Trouble with Verification 63

8 Ambiguity of Scientific Terms 71

9 The Totality of Evidence: Weighing Different Types of Evidence 87

10 Exaggerated Claims, Semantic Flexibility, and Nonsense 99

11 Complexity and Its Problems for Causal Narratives 115

12 Publication and Citation: A Complex System 123

13 A Case Study of a Field in Evolution: Oxytocin, from Birth to Behavior 139

14 Where Are the Facts? 159

15 Organized Skepticism in Science 173

16 Webs of Belief: Citation Networks 187

17 Unintended Consequences: Publication and Citation Bias 199

18 High-Impact Papers: Citation Rates, Citation Distortions, and Mis-citation 209

19 Are Most Published Research Findings False? Weaknesses in the Design of Experiments and the Analysis of Their Outcomes 217

20 Societal and Economic Impact of Basic Research 227

21 Lost in Citation 247

22 Conviction, Expectations, and Uncertainty in Science 251

23 Journals, Impact Factors, and Their Corrupting Influence on Science 265

24 The Narrative Fallacy: How a Good Story Beats Rigor and Balance 285

25 Scholarship 295

Notes 313

Index 351

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“A deep meditation into 'truth' and the often messy role that science plays in its determination. An urgent and relevant read in today's 'post-truth' world, from one of the best science thinkers of our generation.”

—Giles Yeo, Author of Gene Eating

“Science, one of humanity's greatest achievements, is laden with philosophical, sociological, and psychological complexities that we mostly ignore. By bringing these complexities out into the open and showing us how to embrace them,The Matter of Facts stands to make us better at both doing science and learning from it.”

—Michael McCullough, Professor of Psychology, University of California, San Diego; author of The Kindness of Strangers: How a Selfish Ape Invented a New Moral Code

Editorial Reviews

As the title suggests, Gareth Leng and Rhodri Ivor Leng’s collaborative book, The Matter of Facts: Skepticism, Persuasion, and Evidence in Science, presents an insightful, critical, and detailed analysis of the building blocks that comprise statements and ideas broadly considered to be ‘facts.’ Gareth Leng’s expertise in the field of physiology combines thoughtfully with Rhodri Ivor Leng’s work in the sociology of science to create a unique perspective on the beautifully faulty and faultily beautiful enterprise of modern science.”
– H-Net

From the Publisher