Science Archives

The Insecticide DDT: Dangers and Lies

What is the history of the debate surrounding the insecticide DDT? What doubts were raised? Were they legitimate? In 1972, the EPA banned the use of the insecticide DDT in the U.S. Despite this, certain individuals and organizations kept the controversy alive by manufacturing doubt about the underlying science. In Merchants of Doubt, historians Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway tell the story. Read more to learn how the merchants of doubt engaged in the debate surrounding DDT.

Scientific Bias: History and Consequences

How did generations past use science to “prove” that some races were better than others? What were the three phases of scientific bias? What lasting impacts did racial pseudoscience have on society? In her book Biased, Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt discusses the three phases of historical scientific bias: human hierarchies, polygenesis, and evolutionary IQ. In the past, biased scientists would use pseudoscience and lies to justify inhumane acts such as slavery. Unfortunately, although disproved, many of the ideas are still deeply ingrained in society. Continue reading to learn about the dark history of scientific bias.

Causes and Effects of Ozone Depletion: Truth and Lies

What are the causes and effects of ozone depletion? What’s the science? What doubts have been raised? Since the 1970s, the public controversy about the causes and effects of ozone depletion has been fueled by those who believe that certain environmental policies put their agenda at risk. These “merchants of doubt” seek to undermine the credibility of the science behind such policies. Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway discuss this in their book Merchants of Doubt. Read more to learn about the history of the debate surrounding the causes and effects of ozone depletion.

Doubt-Mongering in the Climate Change Debate

What role does doubt-mongering play in the recent climate change debate? What is the science? What doubts are raised? Merchants of doubt have been engaged in the climate change debate from the beginning. These are people or groups who seek to discredit science behind the policies that threaten their agenda. Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway, the authors of Merchants of Doubt, updated their book in 2020 to cover highlights from the past decade, specifically California law and electric cars. Read more to learn about the recent efforts of merchants of doubt in discrediting the climate change debate.

The Advent and Future of Cloud Computing Technology

What exactly is the cloud? How has the advent of cloud computing technology changed the world? The cloud is a term for services and software that run on the internet instead of locally on your computer, for example, Netflix, Dropbox, or Microsoft Office 365. Like networking, the cloud is a major player in the acceleration of all the other parts of computing because it allows any type of technology to be constantly updated, improved, or shared. In this article, we’ll discuss how the cloud came to be and its implications for the future of computing.

The Other-Race Effect: What It Is and How to Mitigate It

What is the other-race effect? How does this phenomenon develop? Is there a way to prevent/fight it? In her book Biased, Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt discusses the “other-race effect.” The other-race effect occurs when an infant is raised without exposure to other races and thus has difficulty recognizing faces of other races throughout their life. This effect can be mitigated later in life through positive, interpersonal relationships with those of another race. Here is everything you need to know about the other-race effect.

Environmental Effects of Acid Rain: The Tense Debate

What are the issues in the debate about the environmental effects of acid rain? What’s the science and what doubts exist? In Merchants of Doubt, historians Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway discuss how doubt-mongering has affected the debate surrounding the environmental effects of acid rain. It’s a fascinating history of science, economics, and politics. Read more to learn how merchants of doubt impacted the narrative about the environmental effects of acid rain.

The 3 Rules of Improv Every Salesman Should Know

Why is the ability to improvise so important for a salesperson? What are some tips and rules for improv that you should know? Improvisation isn’t normally associated with sales, but it’s a very important skill to have. If you are unable to improvise during a sale, then you won’t be able to attune to your client’s needs and ultimately, close the sale. Here are the three rules of improv and two helpful tips for practicing.

Environment and Economics: A Thorny History

What is the historical connection between the environment and economics? How do economic interests impact environmental policy? In Merchants of Doubt, historians Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway look at the tense relationship between the environment and economics. They explain why environmental issues are major targets for merchants of doubt—people or organizations who discredit science that threatens their agenda or ideology. Read more to learn about the historic connection between the environment and economics.

Nuclear Winter Theory and Merchants of Doubt

What is the nuclear winter theory? How did doubt-mongering affect public awareness and policy about it? During the Cold War, the nuclear winter theory inspired scientific research—as well as doubt-mongering. In Merchants of Doubt, historians Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway identify the people and organizations who sought to discredit the science that threatened their agenda or ideology. Read more to learn how merchants of doubt influenced the debate about the nuclear winter theory.