NOVA: DO SCIENTISTS CHEAT? (TV)
Summary
One in this series of science documentaries. By talking to various scientists, this program probes into how the scientific community deals with those who commit scientific fraud and those who report cases of fraud. Highlights of this program include discussions and in-depth analysis of the following topics: the work of the Committee on Scientific Fraud; how a scientist can easily be motivated to commit fraud; the methods of determining if research has been "cooked" or fabricated; examples of fraudulent research papers that were once thought to be truthful; why scientists do not readily suspect that a colleague is involved in unethical practices; the role of the "referee" in the process of publication; the peer review process; the accuracy of duplicating a scientist's research; the great amount of fraud in biomedical science; the importance of the scientific method; how even seventh graders in a science class can feel the pressure to produce; and how poorly scientists who blow the whistle on their colleagues for misconduct are treated by the scientific community. Included as examples of scientific misconduct are the following: the "discovery" of the "Piltdown" man, which was a fossil later found to have been previously buried by the geologist who claimed to have discovered it; Sir Cyril Burt's fraudulent research that "proved" that white children are more intelligent than black children; and the case of Dr. Stephen Bruening, who claimed that mentally ill patients needed more stimulants and less tranquilizers, and who was exposed as a fraud by his former mentor Robert Sprague.
Cataloging of this program was made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS WGBH Boston, MA
- DATE: October 25, 1988 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:54:44
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:44639
- GENRE: Science/Nature; Public affairs/Documentaries; Education/Information
- SUBJECT HEADING: Ethics; Science
- SERIES RUN: PBS - TV series, 1974-
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Rob Whittlesey … Producer
- Noel Buckner … Producer
- Stephen Bruening
- Cyril Burt
- Robert Sprague