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The Matter of Facts: Skepticism, Persuasion, and Evidence in Science
How biases, the desire for a good narrative, reliance on citation metrics, and other problems undermine confidence in modern science.
Modern science is built on experimental evidence, yet scientists are often very selective in deciding what evidence to use and tend to disagree about how to interpret it. In The Matter of Facts, Gareth and Rhodri Leng explore how scientists produce and use evidence. They do so to contextualize an array of problems confronting modern science that have raised concerns about its reliability: the widespread use of inappropriate statistical tests, a shortage of replication studies, and a bias in both publishing and citing "positive" results. Before these problems can be addressed meaningfully, the authors argue, we must understand what makes science work and what leads it astray.
The myth of science is that scientists constantly challenge their own thinking. But in reality, all scientists are in the business of persuading other scientists of the importance of their own ideas, and they do so by combining reason with rhetoric. Often, they look for evidence that will support their ideas, not for evidence that might contradict them; often, they present evidence in a way that makes it appear to be supportive; and often, they ignore inconvenient evidence.
In a series of essays focusing on controversies, disputes, and discoveries, the authors vividly portray science as a human activity, driven by passion as well as by reason. By analyzing the fluidity of scientific concepts and the dynamic and unpredictable development of scientific fields, the authors paint a picture of modern science and the pressures it faces.
Modern science is built on experimental evidence, yet scientists are often very selective in deciding what evidence to use and tend to disagree about how to interpret it. In The Matter of Facts, Gareth and Rhodri Leng explore how scientists produce and use evidence. They do so to contextualize an array of problems confronting modern science that have raised concerns about its reliability: the widespread use of inappropriate statistical tests, a shortage of replication studies, and a bias in both publishing and citing "positive" results. Before these problems can be addressed meaningfully, the authors argue, we must understand what makes science work and what leads it astray.
The myth of science is that scientists constantly challenge their own thinking. But in reality, all scientists are in the business of persuading other scientists of the importance of their own ideas, and they do so by combining reason with rhetoric. Often, they look for evidence that will support their ideas, not for evidence that might contradict them; often, they present evidence in a way that makes it appear to be supportive; and often, they ignore inconvenient evidence.
In a series of essays focusing on controversies, disputes, and discoveries, the authors vividly portray science as a human activity, driven by passion as well as by reason. By analyzing the fluidity of scientific concepts and the dynamic and unpredictable development of scientific fields, the authors paint a picture of modern science and the pressures it faces.
- GenresScienceNonfiction
376 pages, Hardcover
First published April 21, 2020
29 people are currently reading
280 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 4, 2020
I loved this book as a practicing scientist curious to better understand the sociology and structure of challenges to established scientific paradigms. Having tried to read Kuhn previously, I found this account far more approachable. Each chapter reads as a mini-essay though common threads are found throughout the book. In the end, I found this book inspiring as it added insight to my everyday experience communicating hypotheses and rationalizing data in a scientific, yet highly social, environment.
May 31, 2023
4.5*
Absolutely wonderful.
This book provides a brief history of the philosophy of science (A.J Ayer --- Karl Popper). Then it proceeds to go over the various problems not necessarily with the scientific method, but the issues within the scientific process that inevitably surface as scientists can error (funding constraints, ego, citation bias, misrepresentation, etc.) and are subject to the same emotions as the rest of the human population.
Dr. Leng is a professor of experimental physiology at the University of Edinburgh. His love for the hypothalamus and the brain is evident in the oxytocin case studies he goes over. His lecture on the hypothalamus is also great and he's funnier in person than I thought he would be!
If you are hesitant to read this, just start. It is written clearly and with great love and passion for science permitting through every page.
Absolutely wonderful.
This book provides a brief history of the philosophy of science (A.J Ayer --- Karl Popper). Then it proceeds to go over the various problems not necessarily with the scientific method, but the issues within the scientific process that inevitably surface as scientists can error (funding constraints, ego, citation bias, misrepresentation, etc.) and are subject to the same emotions as the rest of the human population.
Dr. Leng is a professor of experimental physiology at the University of Edinburgh. His love for the hypothalamus and the brain is evident in the oxytocin case studies he goes over. His lecture on the hypothalamus is also great and he's funnier in person than I thought he would be!
If you are hesitant to read this, just start. It is written clearly and with great love and passion for science permitting through every page.
January 6, 2022
Every aspiring scientist should read The Matter of Facts so that they know what they are getting into when they begin working in their field and seeking success. The pressure to publish is very real and the temptations to cut corners and create a stronger argument are heavy. As a none scientist, the book provides a great understanding of the way research becomes accepted and how science advances from generation to generation.
September 6, 2021
This book gave a fantastic overview of the system and science - the high points and the low points. It touched on many intricacies of science that the average person is unaware of but should be.
May 19, 2024
Science is our best method to untangle the mysteries of the universe. However, it does have problems. Gareth Leng and Rhodri Ivor Leng are a father-son-author duo who point out science issues. The Matter of Facts is a book that explores some of these problems.
The central issue is humanity. Human beings aren't all paragons of honest intellectual exploration. They have motivations beyond the truth sometimes. On the other hand, no man is an island, as John Donne wrote. Science requires feedback, peer review, and other such things.
A paper in a journal that contradicts a finding or reports that it could not reproduce the results is not as enthralling as one that affirms something. It's called publication bias.
Another issue questions measurements. How do you measure the length of a river? Do you follow the exact bends and turns? How long is the ruler you use?
I enjoyed the book. It gave me something to think about. Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.
The central issue is humanity. Human beings aren't all paragons of honest intellectual exploration. They have motivations beyond the truth sometimes. On the other hand, no man is an island, as John Donne wrote. Science requires feedback, peer review, and other such things.
A paper in a journal that contradicts a finding or reports that it could not reproduce the results is not as enthralling as one that affirms something. It's called publication bias.
Another issue questions measurements. How do you measure the length of a river? Do you follow the exact bends and turns? How long is the ruler you use?
I enjoyed the book. It gave me something to think about. Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.
March 20, 2021
Excellent book telling what science should be and how and why it is distorted by the citation bias, citation network, impact factor, etc. As a scientist working in a company which ultimate objective is to make money, there are lot to consider in how we should do science right, not distorted by the interest in achieving financial goal. How, hypothesis-driven science is dangerous, combined with wrong use of statistical power (p<0.05) to prove null result as positive impactful result, usually driven by economic interest. Lots of data discussed in this book about how much pharmaceutical clinical study results have been inflated by such economic interest.
April 8, 2024
This book started with Kuhn, Popper, Merton, Feyerabend and Latour and the foundations of the philosophy of science and moved through a variety of topics including logical positivism, semantics, and biases (publication, selection, confirmation, and citation). A must read for anyone working in or with scientific research. There are also great examples to use if teaching the aforementioned concepts to students in higher ed.
May 14, 2023
Should be required reading for all academics. The only thing I wish was different was that they should have expanded the book to be about academia/scholars/researchers in general and not just about scientists. That's a blind spot the Lengs should work on.
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December 8, 2023Not rating as I struggled to get into this. When discussing fundamental matters, there's a need to focus on the simple, and this doesn't mean it's simplistic. But I frequently found myself finishing a chapter and feeling as though I didn't leave with any real insight.
March 12, 2021
Science can be a business, and we need to look deeply at the work being done (and why it’s being done).
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews