The American science historian Naomi Oreskes visited Copenhagen University on Thursday to give a lecture on what she refers to as Merchants of Doubt (entitled after her book) or Doubt Mongers - scientists who are in the industry of creating doubt about scientific research. And who are responsible for turning away the attention from the focal point.
This, she claims, can be seen in areas like the doubt created by the tobacco industry and lobbyists regarding the health hazards to smoking, even though numerous scientific results for years had documented that there were hazards. Other areas of doubt-mongering include topics like acid rain, the ozon layer, global climate change, etc.
PN made an interview on camera, to be edited in another connection. Among the questions were, if her point didn't have the liking to and could be perceived as a conspiracy theory?
Naomi Oreskes' response was that it isn't - but that caution should be taken when a scientist in one area of expertise acts as a government advisor in an entirely different area of expertise. She mentions American scientist Frederick Seitz, who worked with the development of the nuclear bomb as a young physicist. Later a headmaster at the Rockefeller University, and chairman at the US National Academy of Sciences (NSA) in the 1960'ies. He was hired by the tobacco industry to stimulate scientific research that showed no health hazards to smoking. Later, scientific research has been worldwide accepted, that there is a connection between smoking and the development of various lung diseases, including cancer.
Another more recent example she gives, is Danish scientist Bjørn Lomborg, who advises the government on global climate change - even though his background is economic. PN tried in vain to get in touch with Bjørn Lomborg several times for a comment/response to this critique.
This, she claims, can be seen in areas like the doubt created by the tobacco industry and lobbyists regarding the health hazards to smoking, even though numerous scientific results for years had documented that there were hazards. Other areas of doubt-mongering include topics like acid rain, the ozon layer, global climate change, etc.
PN made an interview on camera, to be edited in another connection. Among the questions were, if her point didn't have the liking to and could be perceived as a conspiracy theory?
Naomi Oreskes' response was that it isn't - but that caution should be taken when a scientist in one area of expertise acts as a government advisor in an entirely different area of expertise. She mentions American scientist Frederick Seitz, who worked with the development of the nuclear bomb as a young physicist. Later a headmaster at the Rockefeller University, and chairman at the US National Academy of Sciences (NSA) in the 1960'ies. He was hired by the tobacco industry to stimulate scientific research that showed no health hazards to smoking. Later, scientific research has been worldwide accepted, that there is a connection between smoking and the development of various lung diseases, including cancer.
Another more recent example she gives, is Danish scientist Bjørn Lomborg, who advises the government on global climate change - even though his background is economic. PN tried in vain to get in touch with Bjørn Lomborg several times for a comment/response to this critique.