Is Science Falsified?

Science is an organized enterprise which builds and organization of knowledge in the form of precise testable predictions and theoretical predictions about the natural world. The discipline started with Ancient Greece and has come a long way since then. Today there are numerous branches of science ranging from classical science to modern science, each aiming to understand nature in a particular frame of reference. There are also a number of sub-disciplines of science that include bio-physiology, astronomy, applied science, cognitive science, earth sciences, physical science, psychology, sociology and statistics.

Fraud in science is not new. For example in physics long ago there were various fraudulent activities such as theoretical chemistry, statistical mechanics and discoveries of laws of natural selection were made without any proof. Similarly there have been instances where scientists have failed to predict the Second Sunspot Event, a solar phenomenon. On the other hand there have been instances where a variety of scientific concepts like plate tectonics, continental drift and deep sea diving have been shown to be completely wrong over a prolonged period of time, again without any sound scientific basis.

Fraud in science is very common, even though many people call it pseudoscience or an “imposter science”. Many times it is the result of a single experiment being conducted on a particular subject without proper controls and data analysis. There are many reasons why a single experiment can go bad, and a single set of results can go wrong. Temperature may rise because of an error in measuring the temperature and wind velocity may go up because of a disturbance in the air, without any rational basis. These types of anomalies do not help the cause of science, as it tries to describe and predict with certainty any natural phenomena.

Fraudulent scientists use a variety of techniques to create doubt in the minds of scientists working on a particular topic. They do this by making use of various methods like selectively presenting data, poor experimental design, misrepresenting results, missing the target, etc. Science is based on the principles of statistics, mathematics and experiment which can be falsified or tested. If any scientist is found to manipulate one of these principles then he or she becomes unfit to work on that topic.

Fraudulent scientists commit a form of scientific fraud known as pseudo-science. Pseudoscience is similar to pseudo science because there is no agreement on the basic principles of scientific methodology. This can be explained by saying that if we want to test something then we test it until we are absolutely certain that it does what we expect it to do. Scientists cannot falsify any theories of natural occurring phenomena, because if they did so then it would not be possible to study natural phenomena. Scientists who practice pseudo-science are trying to fit their ideas into the world that they are studying, which is wrong.

Fraudulent scientists are often involved in different activities. One of these activities is the cover up or downplaying of any type of controversy or doubt that exists in the field of science. If there was any doubt left in the minds of the scientists working within a given discipline then they will go out of their way to create controversy about it. They will try to cast doubt on the theories of other scientists, which is perfectly normal within a subject that has yet to be fully understood by the general public. For example, if a paleontologist were to claim that a previously unknown fossil dinosaur existed today, and that the same fossil came from fifty million years ago, then that scientist would step out to create doubt about whether or not dinosaurs really existed. In order for science to continue forward and improve their methods, scientists must be free to criticize other scientists without having to first prove their claims are false.