Sunday, September 04, 2011

Bad science news

Tobacco company seeks access to secret data on smoking habits. Govt sponsored research data ought to be in the public domain. However much smoking is controversial or undesirable, that is all the more reason why the data should be public, so public policy is made in an open way.

Agency to consider endangered listing for US research chimps. I can understand listing a wild animal as endangered if it is going extinct, but what is the point in listing chimps in captivity? Do we need more research chimps?

US court upholds biotech methods patents. This is one of the broadest method patents I've seen, and I am surprised that it was upheld.

Cool climate paper sinks journal editor. The paper challenges some conventional wisdom about global warming. If the paper is wrong, then the journal ought to publish a correction, retraction, or rebuttal. It has not done so. Forcing the editor to resign just makes it look as he is being punished for political reasons, and that global warming dissent cannot be tolerated.

Scientists Perceive NASA Bias Against Venus. It seems that NASA would much rather explore a male planet than a female planet.

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