When Science Goes Wrong (edit title)

Shelfari edited the description of When Science Goes Wrong Saturday, August 1 2009.

• Science is the worldâ s new religion â but what happens when it goes terribly wrong? An innocent young black man is convicted of rape and sent to prison for 25 years on the basis of â infallibleâ DNA evidenceâ ¦ which turns out to be completely bogus. A long-distance runnerâ s Parkinsonâ s Disease is treated with revolutionary neuroscience techniquesâ ¦ which leave a foetus growing in his brain. A study into why children stutter ends up ruining their lives when scientists deliberately introduce speech impedimentsâ ¦ and, to their horror, find they are permanent. British neuroscientist Simon LeVay explains how elementary mistakes, miscaculations and simple bad science sometimes lead to death (when anthrax spores escape from a lab, or a nuclear plant explodes) and other times to expensive farce (when a tiny data error sends a space probe hurtling to oblivion, or when an 'impossible' hurricane wreaks havoc across the UK). Baboons on ecstasy, death-by-volcano and the failure of gene therapy to perform as advertised also feature in this authoritative and entertaining study of the limitations of science.

Shelfari edited the contributors of When Science Goes Wrong Thursday, July 23 2009.

• Added a contributor: Simon LeVay: (Primary Author)

Shelfari edited the first sentence of When Science Goes Wrong Friday, July 17 2009.

• Morgues are spooky places at the best of times.