Rigor mortis gives a lot of ammunition to antivaxxers, c limate change deniers, flatearthers and other conspiracy theorists who are skeptical of the settled science preached about by the makeupembellished talking heads on the mainstream media. How sloppy science creates worthless cures, crushes hope, and wastes billions, the veteran npr reporter serves as a tour guide to a. Jul 24, 2017 richard harris is a longtime, wellregarded science reporter for national public radio, so one has to wonder how he or the publisher came up with the title of his new book on the current state of biomedical science. Apr 05, 2017 as a former biomedical researcher, i would describe rigor mortis. Jul 20, 2017 he discusses his new book rigor mortis. Rigor mortis effectively illustrates what can happen when a convergence of social, cultural, and scientific forces, as well as basic human motivation, conspires to create a real crisis of confidence in the research process. How sloppy science creates worthless cures, crushes hope, and wastes billions richard harris on. Rigor mortis is written by richard harris, a threetime winner of the aaas science journalism award. How sloppy science creates worthless cures, crushes hope, and wastes billions by richard harris at. How sloppy science creates worthless cures, crushes hope, and wastes billions by richard harris 2017, mp3 cd, unabridged at the best online prices at ebay. How sloppy science creates worthless cures, crushes hope, and wastes billions basic books, 2017.
Npr science journalist richard harris talks about his book, rigor mortis. A journalist shines a harsh spotlight on biomedicines. Why is it that so many nonfiction books these days have a short, dramatic title. Richard harris is a longtime, wellregarded science reporter for national public radio, so one has to wonder how he or the publisher came up with the title of his new book on the current state of biomedical science. The firehose of federal funding corrupts the inquisitive minds of scientists and undermines. Rigor mortis by richard harris sloppy science financial times. How sloppy science creates worthless cures, crushes hope, and wastes billions is npr correspondent richard harris attempt to bring awareness to the very poor science that he sees as dominating the biomedical field today while the title suggests a macabre narrative thread, rigor mortis is actually a pun on the lack of rigor that is going into the science experiments harris. We need to fix our dysfunctional biomedical systembefore its too late. Richard harris is an npr science journalist and author of rigor mortis. These products are not eligible for the seasonal or coupon sales because a discount has been taken already. How sloppy science creates worthless cures, crushes hope and wastes billions. How sloppy science creates worthless cures, crushes hope, and wastes billions ebook written by richard harris.
Nov 06, 2019 in his book rigor mortis, the science journalist richard harris denounces the cost financial and human of a botched science, too often stuck in animal models. How sloppy science creates worthless cures, crushes hope, and wastes billions by richard harris. Financial times rigor mortis effectively illustrates what can happen when a convergence of social, cultural, and scientific forces, as well as basic human motivation, conspires to create a real crisis of confidence in the research process. In rigor mortis, richard harris explores these urgent issues with vivid anecdotes, personal stories, and interviews with the top biomedical researchers. Science remains the best way to build knowledge and improve health, but as richard harris reminds us in rigor mortis, it is also carried out by humans subject to publish or perish and other perverse incentives. Why bad science is plaguing health research and how to fix. Science rigor mortis is rife with examples of things that go awry in medical studies, how they happen, and how they can be avoided and fixed. How sloppy science creates worthless cures, crushes hope, and wastes billions richard harris basic books april 4, 2017 15 years in the foundations of physics taught me little about the universe and much about human behavior. Rigor mortis can be used to help estimate the time of death. It explores the scope some say half of all published findings are false. Apr 01, 2017 science how sloppy science creates worthless cures and wastes billions. How sloppy science creates worthless cures, crushes hope, and wastes billions.
How sloppy science creates worthless cures and wastes billions. In his book rigor mortis, the science journalist richard harris denounces the cost financial and human of a botched science, too often stuck in animal models. Rigor mortis is rife with examples of things that go awry in medical studies, how they happen, and how they can be. How sloppy science creates worthless cures, crushes hopes, and wastes billions, a sensationalistic title belies a carefully crafted book about data reproducibility and scientific rigor in biomedical research.
By some estimates, half of the results from these studies cant be replicated elsewherethe science is simply wrong. That was a real eyeopener, says harris, whose new book rigor mortis. The onset of rigor mortis may range from 10 minutes to several hours, depending on factors including temperature rapid cooling of a body can inhibit rigor mortis, but it occurs upon thawing. It looks at causes, including the brutal competition for funding which drives scientists to do whats best for their careers rather than whats best for science. Ever wondered why so many health studies dont agree.
In 2014, npr asked me to shift my attention from climate and environment to biomedical research. They are disincentivized from doing that last extra experiment to prove their results, he said. I just finished reading richard harris excellent book, rigor mortis. An awardwinning science journalist pulls the alarm on the dysfunction plaguing scientific research with lethal consequences for us all rigor mortis. Apr 06, 2017 that was a real eyeopener, says harris, whose new book rigor mortis. From the title, i was expecting an angry, biased polemic attacking science and scientists. How sloppy science creates worthless cures, crushes hope, and wastes. Bad science doesnt just hold back medical progress, it can sign the equivalent of a death sentence for terminal patients. He explains how competition for funding and a pressure to publish breakthrough research at a rapid pace are undermining advances in treating cancer, als, and other diseases.
Science harris makes a strong case that the biomedical research culture is seriously in need of repair. The time an animal requires to enter rigor mortis is highly dependent on the species for instance, cattle and sheep take longer than hogs, the chilling rate of the carcass from normal body temperature the process is slower at lower temperatures, and the. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read rigor mortis. Tapping into these tensions, harris deftly weaves gripping tales of sleuthing with possible paths out of what some call a crisis. Rigor mortis by richard harris sloppy science we live in a world with an awful lot of corners, the science writer richard harris wryly observes. Science how sloppy science creates worthless cures and wastes billions.
Why bad science is plaguing health research and how to. How sloppy science creates worthless cures, crushes hope, and wastes billions is npr correspondent richard harris attempt to bring awareness to the very poor science that he sees as dominating the biomedical field today. This book pulls together in one place a lot of disparate. By some estimates, half of the results from these studies cant be replicated elsewhere the science is simply wrong. How sloppy science creates worthless cures and wastes. So argues richard harris in his new book, rigor mortis. I have long enjoyed his reports on npr hes been there since 1986, and this book read like a multiweek expose on the entire field of biomedical research and drug development. How sloppy science creates worthless cures, crushes hope, and wastes billions by richard f. How sloppy science creates worthless cures, crushes hope, and wastes billions as a frustrating read frustrating and.
Harris, who is an npr science correspondent, starts off rigor mortis by describing the widely documented reproducibility crisis. Scientific research should not be attached to particular dogmas or paradigms but, on the contrary, change its methods according to the results obtained. How sloppy science creates worthless cures, crushes hope, and wastes billions harris, richard on. How sloppy science creates worthless cures, crushes hope, and wastes billions sciencewriters. The book is an alarming and highly readable summation of what has been called the reproducibility crisis in science the growing realization that large swathes of the biomedical literature may be wrong. The book is a general survey of common research practices which are not being followed, or of research practices which are being followed despite proven shortcomings, by many scientists and laboratories conducting biomedical studies. We need to fix our dysfunctional biomedical system before its too late. How sloppy science creates worthless cures, crushes hopes, and wastes billions. While the title suggests a macabre narrative thread, rigor mortis is actually a pun on the lack of rigor. How sloppy science creates worthless cures, crushes hope, and wastes billions, in which he reports on the challenges facing the field of. Apr 04, 2017 so argues richard harris in his new book, rigor mortis. In his new book on the replication crisis, rigor mortis. How sloppy science creates worthless cures, crushes hope, and wastes billions is a brandnew book by the highly revered npr science writer richard harris.
Rigor mortis paperback how sloppy science creates worthless cures, crushes hope, and wastes billions. How sloppy science creates worthless cures, crushes hope, and wastes millions, harris describes how scientists must constantly publish in order to maintain their reputations and positions, to get grants and tenure and students. Rigor mortis explores how perverse incentives and a broken scientific culture are fueling the reproducibility crisis in modern biomedical research. Although the book breaks no new ground, at a time when the socalled irreproducibility crisis has stoked.
Aug 02, 2018 npr science journalist richard harris talks about his book, rigor mortis. Although the book breaks no new ground, at a time when the socalled irreproducibility crisis has stoked passionate debate among scientists, bewildered the public. Glenn begley, whose study of experiments in cancer research revealed that barely 1 in 10 was reproducible, and john ioannidis, whose. How sloppy science creates worthless cures, crushes hope, and wastes billions explores the ways even some talented. Published in april, harriss jeremiad was a perfect fit for my 2017 reading theme on the integrity of western science and an excellent companion to goldacres bad science. Jun 05, 2017 rigor mortis by richard harris sloppy science. Bringing rigor back to health research science friday. As a former biomedical researcher, i would describe rigor mortis.
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