Pandora's Lab: Seven Stories of Science Gone Wrong

by Paul A. Offit

THE LESSON IN THE LINUS PAULING STORY can be found in the movie The Wizard of Oz: Pay attention to the little man behind the curtain. When first encountered, the Wizard of Oz was exactly as advertised: great and powerful. His voice was booming; his manner, intimidating; and his head, large, green, and oddly cerebral. But the Wizard wasn’t what he appeared to be. When Toto pulled back the curtain, the Wizard was just a rumpled old man with a high-pitched, irritatingly nasal voice. Exposed, the Wizard said, “Pay no attention to that little man behind the curtain.” But Toto’s revelation was impossible to ignore. Dorothy was appalled. “You’re a very bad man,” she said. “No, my dear,” replied the Wizard. “I’m a very good man. I’m just a very bad wizard.” In the end, the Wizard of Oz was successful because he was a good psychologist, not a good magician. The same applies to science: Don’t be blinded by reputation. Every claim, independent of a scientist’s reputation, should stand on a mountain of evidence. No one should get a free pass.