Rescuing Science - by Paul M Sutter (Hardcover)

About the Book

Woven with the author's own experiences as an astrophysicist, Rescuing Science peels back the layers of academia to reveal how science actually operates, why it's so powerful and vital, and yet like any human endeavor, flawed. From fraudulent research to a disdain for the publ...

Book Synopsis

Woven with the author's own experiences as an astrophysicist, Rescuing Science peels back the layers of academia to reveal how science actually operates, why it's so powerful and vital, and yet like any human endeavor, flawed. From fraudulent research to a disdain for the public, scientists have sowed the seeds of mistrust...and they alone can fix it.

Review Quotes

Sutter addresses the American public's distrust of science by criticizing common practices in the academic science community. He argues that a "publish or perish" culture leads scientists to engage in unethical behavior, such as falsifying data or ignoring results that contradict their theories or hypotheses. He further admonishes academic publishers, contending that they are biased toward only publishing new findings rather than replications or nuanced results, which are essential aspects of scientific investigations. Sutter also criticizes the review policies of federal grant agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health, that must report to Congress and are under immense pressure to produce research results, making the agencies less likely to fund high-risk, innovative research. Highlighting academia's lack of transparency regarding the scarcity of tenure-track positions, he draws attention to the lack of racial minorities and women in science, advocating for stronger mentorship programs to recruit and advance individuals from underrepresented groups. Finally, he implores scientists to increase outreach by accepting television and newspaper interviews, writing policy briefs, and engaging in political activism. This book may be especially useful for undergraduates pursuing a science career and faculty at institutions of higher education. Recommended. All readers.

Sutter, an astrophysicist at Stony Brook University, levels a fiery critique at the perverse incentives that compromise the quality of scientific research. The pressures captured in the dictum "publish or perish," Sutter contends, have fueled a $10 billion science and technology publishing industry "with double-digit profit margins" while producing a rash of studies with fabricated or unverifiable results. For example, in 2014 a Ohio State University geneticist was accused of cutting and pasting DNA test results to create the impression of active proteins where there were none, and a Harvard University biologist resigned in 2010 after assistants alleged he told them to ignore results contradicting his hypothesis regarding monkeys' ability to recognize auditory patterns. Suggesting that subtler forms of bunk science are widespread, Sutter explains how researchers use p-hacking (massaging data so that statistical quirks appear to show correlations between likely unrelated variables) to create the impression of positive findings and boost their chances of publication.... It's an ardent appraisal of what ails the scientific establishment.

About the Author

Paul M. Sutter is a a theoretical cosmologist at the Institute for Advanced Computational Science at Stony Brook University and an external advisor to NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts program and a guest researcher at the Center for Computational Astrophysics at the Flatiron Institute in New York City. His first book, Your Place in the Universe, received a Publishers Weekly Starred Review, and his second book, How to Die in Space, received a Kirkus Starred Review. Paul hosts a variety of science shows, including as an on-air contributor to How the Universe Works on Science Channel and host of Space Out on Discovery. He also writes and hosts his own shows, including his hit Ask a Spaceman podcast, which is among the top 5 percent% of all podcasts across all subjects globally. He writes for Space.comNautilus, Ars Technica, Popular MechanicsUniverse Today, LiveScienceDiscover, and more, with his articles syndicating to news outlets worldwide. He is the "Official Space Specialist" for the Weather Channel, and he has served as a consultant for major TV shows, such as Star Trek Discovery and Another Life, as well as films, comic books, and stage plays.