Scientists behaving badly: the Berlin patient:
As scientists we are taught to present our data and opinions through a defined network. New findings are published in peer-reviewed journals, not the New York Times ; our opinions are recorded at scientific meetings, not in press releases. At the heart of this lies our desire to keep science free from the undue influence of the media and untainted by personal motivations. While this system may make some researchers overly wary of speaking with journalists, for the most part it works; cutting edge research is first assessed by scientists with the necessary background, not the general population.
The scientific landscape is littered with stories of those scientists who have disobeyed. In 1954 Jonas Salk spoke on a radio program about the large-scale success of his polio vaccine prior to publication, promptly losing some respect in the scientific community. In 1984 Robert Gallo announced the discovery of the virus that causes AIDS in a press conference with President Reagan s secretary of health and human services one month prior to publication, and afterward lost much of his credibility.
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