Questions tagged [social-context]

The modern standard is that "between two or more independent discoverers, the first to make formal publication is the legitimate winner", colorfully described as publish or perish. This was not always the case. In 16-th century it was common for…

In debates with climate change deniers and creationists, it is often claimed that consensus of scientists is not enough to establish a position beyond dispute. Examples of the problem with consensus are geocentrism, species saltation, ambiogenesis,…

I have started to compile a list of instances of suppression of scientific ideas in history. Up to now I have collected the following points: According to Dioganes Laertius Anaxagoras was imprisoned and then exiled because of impiety. He had…

In 1942 the famous British biochemist Joseph Needham was sent to China to help their scientists because the Japanese had been targetting Chinese universities, academies and technical institutions since about 1938. Given that England was in…