Not Even Trying: The Corruption of Real Science

by Bruce G. Charlton

Real science is dead. Researchers are no longer trying to seek and speak the truth. Scientists no longer believe in the truth. They no longer believe that there is an eternal unchanging reality beyond our human organisation which they have a duty to discover and disseminate. Hence, the vast structures of personnel and resources that constitute modern science are not real science but merely a professional research bureaucracy. The consequences? Research literature must be assumed to be worthless or misleading and should almost always be ignored. In practice, this means that nearly all science needs to be demolished (or allowed to collapse) and real science rebuilt outside the professional research structure, from the ground up, by real scientists who regard truth-seeking as an imperative and truthfulness as an iron law.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction

156 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2012

Reviews

[Thomas L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye-opening observations on the failings of modern science

Charlton bluntly criticizes modern science and its thoroughgoing intellectual corruption. Straightforward read, easy for a layman to follow, dismaying in its judgments and conclusions. Confirms the suspicions any reasonable observer will have about the integrity and validity of modern science, and explains the reality that gives rise to those suspicions.

[Frank Peters · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author comes across like a mad prophet in this book. What he is writing about, is an accurate description of much of the scientific enterprise. In this regard the book is excellent. Unfortunately, the book itself is not particularly good. The writing is not particularly coherent, is much too repetitive and comes across like a rant coming from an otherwise brilliant drunkard in a pub. As a result, I cannot quite like the book even as I believe it is important and timely. This being said, I also cannot completely agree with the author. For example, he claims that it is impossible to operate in the current scientific enterprise without being dishonest. While this may be true in his discipline, it is far from true for anyone who works in the applied sciences. In Engineering type disciplines making things that work is still important and are implicit demonstrations of the truth the author believes is lacking. But, his other main complaints about: going where the money is, writing what people want to hear in proposals, and short timeframes for research are disturbingly accurate.

[vidyuth Kini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Synopsis

This is a fairly short book that hits main themes of what’s gone wrong with Science. It places a high value on truth and makes a good case for the problems with “peer review”. If you are interested in science or want a career in it, I think this a really good heads up to what to expect.

[Risto Saarelma]

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