Letting Down Science

I recall one day, while working on my Masters degree back in the 1980s at the Freshwater Institute (a research centre for the federal department of Fisheries and Oceans), noticing a piece of paper taped to a hall wall. When I took a closer look I saw it was a research application created by some bureaucrat down in the basement of the institute.  One line had been circled in black marker and read "Expected Results."  Scrawled over the rest of the form, in thick black marker, was "If I knew what the results were going to be, I wouldn't need to do the experiment!"  There may have been an expletive tossed in there somewhere.  The author of that scrawl was Dr. David Schindler, now Professor Emiterus at the University of Alberta, and a world leader in freshwater biology.  

That piece of paper was a lesson I never forgot.  It emphasized the difference between those who engage in science for the process of discovery, and those who use science as a loose means to an end.

The New York Times today reports on the case of Dr. Joseph Beiderman, a child psychologist at Harvard.  Dr. Beiderman received 1.6 million dollars in consulting fees from pharmaceutical companies between 2000 and 2007.  His research relating to the use of anti-psychotic drugs in young children is currently being investigated by both Harvard and the US National Institute of Health.  One fact that came up during his deposition reminded me of that piece of paper taped to the wall more than 20 years ago.

It seems that Dr. Biederman had given presentations to drug companies telling them what his results were going to be before he started clinical trials.   Apparently this made sense to both the drug companies and Dr. Biederman.

All I can say is that Dr. Biederman is no Dave Schindler.

Hat tip: Page Donaldson

Photo Credit: Me.