Tag Archives: science

Separating Facts from Values

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

One critic charges that Western Science separates facts from values. The provenance of science is to define the facts, while “politicians and moralists” are left to define values. Problem is, according to Bruno Latour, you cannot distinguish facts from values, … Continue reading →

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Science as Prescription

Posted on January 4, 2012 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

The current edition of Newsweek is chock-full of stories that will make you happier and healthier. Or not. The writers have fallen victim to the false reasoning that you can apply scientific results to your own particular case.

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Science as Prescription

Posted on January 4, 2012 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

faulty scientific logic in journalism

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Censoring Science

Posted on December 30, 2011 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

When is it appropriate for scientists to withhold information to scientific communities? To lay communities? Such thorny questions brought folks into the arenas of scientific circles recently when the New York Times reported that two prominent publications, Science and Nature, … Continue reading →

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Look under the Light

Posted on December 6, 2011 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

I learned a lot from an illustrated storybook I received when living in Iran, called Once the Mullah. The mullah lived in a village with this wife and children, and offered advice to the local denizens. He was sometimes wise … Continue reading →

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Displaying the Dead

Posted on December 3, 2011 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Johan Reinhard made “the discovery of a lifetime” when he unearthed a frozen mummy in 1995 in the Peruvian mountains. The book by the National Geographic Society, Discovering the Inca Ice Maiden, describes the “find” as “an amazing adventure” as … Continue reading →

Posted in authenticity, ethics, Kennewick Man, repatriation | Tagged , | 2 Comments

On Being Silent

Posted on November 18, 2011 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

The slew of mean-spirited responses to my recent editorial got me thinking about being silenced. A book about being silenced changed the way I look at relationships. I’ve been tempted to give copies to all my girlfriends but it feels … Continue reading →

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Cigarette Packaging Rant

Posted on November 13, 2011 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Yup, I’ve been on a rant this week over two policy rulings affecting how cigarettes are packaged because the issue brings into focus how we think about health, politics and media influence. Mulling over the federal judge’s decision early this … Continue reading →

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Authenticity and Identity

Posted on November 4, 2011 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

One of the key aspects of the political debates surrounding Kennewick Man invokes Indian authenticity, particularly in light that some (not all) anthropologists judged the 9,400-year-old skeleton as Caucasoid, a term that quickly transformed in media coverage as “Caucasian.”

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Exploitation and Scientific Discovery

Posted on October 30, 2011 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

One of my graduate students is at the tail-end of her thesis on science communication: a look at how folks talk about a best-selling book in online conversations. She defends her thesis this week. The book, The Immortal Life of … Continue reading →

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