New book sheds light on conflicts of politics and science
December 27, 2007From stem cell research to needle exchanges to medical marijuana and HIV/AIDS prevention, politics is getting in the way of science, according to a new book by a leading authority on health-care policy and women's health issues at Weill Cornell Medical College.
"Truth, Lies, and Public Health: How We Are Affected When Science and Politics Collide" (Praeger Press, 2007) is authored by Dr. Madelon Finkel, professor of clinical public health, director of the Office of Global Health Education and director of Cornell Analytics Consulting Services (CACS) at Weill Cornell Medical College.
"While political activists and the government can bring much-needed attention and money to a public health problem, politics can also poison science," says Dr. Finkel. "Over the last two decades, politics and ideology have increasingly hijacked and distorted science to serve its own purposes -- often ignoring incontrovertible evidence and preventing much-needed policies to improve public health."
The new book looks at how ideology affects research funding and explores the evolution of public health policies on contraception, AIDS, stem cell research, medical marijuana, needle exchanges, tuberculosis control, dietary supplements, silicone breast implants, obesity, vaccination and disease prevention.
Source: New York- Presbyterian Hospital
-
Increasing healthy food options makes economic sense
Feb 10, 2012 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Obama forges compromise birth control plan
Feb 10, 2012 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Komen exec quits after Planned Parenthood flap
Feb 07, 2012 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
-
Decoding keys to a healthy life
Feb 03, 2012 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
-
Komen drops plans to cut Planned Parenthood grants
Feb 03, 2012 |
5 / 5 (2) |
0
-
Fast photon control brings quantum photonic technologies closer
31 minutes ago |
5 / 5 (2) |
0
-
Engineers build first sub-10-nm carbon nanotube transistor
Feb 01, 2012 |
4.9 / 5 (33) |
30
-
Something old, something new: Evolution and the structural divergence of duplicate genes
Jan 31, 2012 |
4.6 / 5 (7) |
1
-
The hidden nanoworld of ice crystals: Revealing the dynamic behavior of quasi-liquid layers
Jan 30, 2012 |
5 / 5 (5) |
1
-
Stock market network reveals investor clustering
Jan 27, 2012 |
3.9 / 5 (23) |
8
-
Bohr-Einstein debate: why did Bohr not simply say...
Feb 06, 2012
-
Best/Worst U.S. Presidents
Jan 31, 2012
- More from Physics Forums - History & Humanities
More news stories
A lost world? How zooarchaeology can inform biodiversity conservation
A new study of tropical forests will provide a 50,000-year perspective on how animal biodiversity has changed, explored through an archaeological investigation of animal bones.
Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils
57 minutes ago |
3 / 5 (2) |
0
Myths and shame keep many from seeking bankruptcy protection
(PhysOrg.com) -- Two interesting facts that may counter modern ideas about bankruptcy: The overwhelming majority of U.S. filings belong to individuals rather than corporations or entities, and most of these ...
Other Sciences / Economics & Business
47 minutes ago |
1 / 5 (1) |
1
Cattle producers advised to use caution as prices march higher
Cattle producers should be mindful to not get too caught up in reacting to high market prices, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service economist.
1 hour ago |
not rated yet |
0
Putting the magic into maths
Queen Mary, University of London has developed a new educational resource for teachers to help students use amazing magic tricks to learn about maths.
2 hours ago |
not rated yet |
0
New basal beaked ornithurine bird found from the lower cretaceous of Western Liaoning, China
Based on a well-preserved specimen from the Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation in Jianchang, western Liaoning, China, Paleontologists of Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP), ...
Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils
1 hour ago |
not rated yet |
0
Fast photon control brings quantum photonic technologies closer
(PhysOrg.com) -- Using photons instead of electrons to transmit information could lead to faster and more secure ways to communicate, among other advantages. Now a team of physicists has taken another step toward realizing ...
Planck mission steps closer to the cosmic blueprint
(PhysOrg.com) -- ESA's Planck mission has revealed that our Galaxy contains previously undiscovered islands of cold gas and a mysterious haze of microwaves. These results give scientists new treasure to mine ...
New ability to regrow blood vessels holds promise for treatment of heart disease
(Medical Xpress) -- University of Texas at Austin researchers have demonstrated a new and more effective method for regrowing blood vessels in the heart and limbs — a research advancement that could have ...
Big Society could threaten biodiversity conservation
A study of the Moray Firth Seal Management Plan (MFSMP), in north-east Scotland, identified four key conditions for long-term success, three of which pointed to the importance of direct government involvement.
Motivation to exercise affects behavior
(Medical Xpress) -- For many people, the motivation to exercise fluctuates from week to week, and these fluctuations predict whether they will be physically active, according to researchers at Penn State. In an effort to ...
'It's not nutritious until it's eaten'
As part of her "Let's Move! Initiative," First Lady Michelle Obama unveiled a new web resource highlighting new changes in the Chefs Move to Schools, during a CMST gathering in Dallas, TX today. CMTS advocates ...
