Bad Things Done in the Name of Science

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Sam Kean

What happens when scientists abandon ethical standards in the pursuit of science? Can we trust scientific discoveries learned with fraudulent practices? To answer some of these questions and more, science writer Sam Kean joins us to share from his new book, The Icepick Surgeon: Murder, Fraud, Sabotage, Piracy, and Other Dastardly Deeds Perpetrated in the Name of Science. Listen to Sam explain how he uses storytelling as a means to engage the listener in science while reminding us of the importance in following ethical considerations while executing science practices.

About our Guest:

Making his fourth appearance on Lab Out Loud, Sam Kean is a science writer and author of The Disappearing Spoon and Caesar’s Last Breath. His stories have appeared in The Best American Science and Nature Writing, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Slate, and Psychology Today, among other places, and his work has been featured on NPR’s “Radiolab”, “Science Friday”, and “All Things Considered,” among other shows (adapted from samkean.com/samkean).

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Featured image courtesy of Sam Kean

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3 comments

  • Zack Hemond
    August 24, 2021 at 8:07 am

    I’m am planning to use segments of this book in my Science in Society class. Thanks for having Sam Kean on to talk about his new book.

  • Judith Chaparro Rocha
    August 24, 2021 at 4:07 pm

    I am a big fan of Mr Kean´s books, I have used many times in my chemestry class here in México. Soon I´ll buy the new one.

  • Jeanne
    August 26, 2021 at 2:49 pm

    Julia Alvarez wrote an historical fiction book about the use of orphans for vaccinations: “ Saving the World”