Science’s all good, as long as it doesn’t upset politicians

This article disgusted me to no end today :

The Smithsonian Institution toned down an exhibit on climate change in the Arctic for fear of angering Congress and the Bush administration, says a former administrator at the museum.

Among other things, the script, or official text, of last year’s exhibit was rewritten to minimize and inject more uncertainty into the relationship between global warming and humans, said Robert Sullivan, who was associate director in charge of exhibitions at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.

If you’re lazy to read the article itself, the basic gist of the article is that although there was no direct pressure from politician, the directors of the institutions decided that a toning down of the materials is necessary to ensure that the materials presented will not accidentally anger an administration that decides how much funding they get. Objectivity & neutrality my ass.

Since when are scientists disallowed from presenting their possible conclusions based on their research? Haven’t the past taught us anything – where scientists were then too disallowed from presenting conclusions that cigarettes cause lung cancer despite the availability overwhelming evidence thanks to rich tobacco companies that funds lobbies against such research?

This from the Smithsonian Institution – like the most venerable and respected museum in the world.

/disgust

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