In a recent Huffington Post article an elderly Italian researcher was interviewed and quoted saying that vaccines cause homosexuality and this change in sexuality can somehow be handed down from one generation to the next. The inanity of his claim is clear: mercury in vaccines can cause precise genetic shifts which cause this change in sexuality. This is entirely unfounded in science. But I don't want to write a whole angry post about people's attitudes toward homosexuality in the western world.
No, this article is an extreme example of something that is likely more common than we think: people with advanced degrees plaguing on people's lack of knowledge on a subject. This man is clearly a cracked scientist and he uses his training and commendations to convince others that he has answers. In this case I think it is clear to many (although, not all, unfortunately) that this information is false. But in other cases, people in his position can perpetuate misinformation.
Scientists like him undermine those who are practicing good science. Opponents of science can point at this man as anecdotal evidence that scientists are not to be trusted. The danger people like this pose to the institution of scientific research is quite high. I only wish people could see that the majority of scientists are not like this, but only scientists like this guy are really making headlines. It gives a false perception that this is a big problem.
Honestly, the best way to make people like this guy go away are to stop putting them in the news. Who cares if some wing-nut says vaccines make us gay. I see crazy people in the subway making outlandish claims. The only two differences between this researcher and the people on the subway are their commendations and the amount of press they receive. We have the power to take away one of those things from him. If we stop paying attention to these insane and inflammatory individuals it can do a lot for the credibility of the scientific community.
Scientists like him undermine those who are practicing good science. Opponents of science can point at this man as anecdotal evidence that scientists are not to be trusted. The danger people like this pose to the institution of scientific research is quite high. I only wish people could see that the majority of scientists are not like this, but only scientists like this guy are really making headlines. It gives a false perception that this is a big problem.
Honestly, the best way to make people like this guy go away are to stop putting them in the news. Who cares if some wing-nut says vaccines make us gay. I see crazy people in the subway making outlandish claims. The only two differences between this researcher and the people on the subway are their commendations and the amount of press they receive. We have the power to take away one of those things from him. If we stop paying attention to these insane and inflammatory individuals it can do a lot for the credibility of the scientific community.
