http://www.washingtonguardian.com/study-fraud-growing-scientific-research-papers Do a search on the Monkey for what I call "true believers." In essence, they are scientists who believe their cause is just, but because their data don't show *what they know to be true,* they have no qualms about "fixing" it to prove their argument. You also have the corporate whore scientist. See also: http://www.survivalmonkey.com/threads/who-pays-for-the-science.34942/ As Glenn Frey stated: "It's the power of money....it's got a very strong appeal." - Smuggler's Blues
Here's a good example: http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-humans-climate-change-20121004,0,2962982.story Yet, from 1300 to 1600, we had a "little ice age." Logic: So, humans cause a lot more (than normal) green-house gases.....yet, something happens to cause another period of global cooling that lasts 300 YEARS. You know what happens to these authors if they don't show any "interesting" findings from their data? They don't get anymore funding. It's the power of money...it's got a very strong appeal.
Exactly the problem. Before I giva any published 'scientist' any credence, I look first to see if he's got a government grant or other biased funding source....... Government shills aren't that hard to spot.
I always, also, look to see if the writers credentials are in the subject of the articles information. If he is commenting in his field, then I am interested. If not, then I have much less interest in his writings. Anytime I see the attribute " Scientist" tacked on to someone's name, I become very suspicious, that either the writer is to stupid to know the specific scientific field that the person is in, or they are to lazy, to research it, in the first place. There hasn't been a REAL Scientist in general Terms in over 150 years, because no one human can know, or have recall, of all scientific knowledge in our modern world. ...... YMMV......
I'm not sure you can trust any privately funded study. Even academia now has a vested interest in the results they produce. I increasingly find myself disregarding scientific findings that are "product support" studies. As said before, it all comes down to money.
