First-hand account of the rise and fall of a scientific paradigm Shows how scientific fiction tur... more First-hand account of the rise and fall of a scientific paradigm Shows how scientific fiction turns to fact Highlights the origin of scientific hype Includes interviews with prominent scientists The network paradigm dominated immunological research from the early 1970s to the late 1980s. The originator, Niels Jerne, hypothesized that the vast diversity of antibodies in each individual forms a network of mutual "idiotypic" recognition, thus regulating the immune system. In context of emerging concepts of systems biology such as cybernetics and autopoesis, the "Eigenbehavior" of the immune system fascinated an entire generation of young immunologists. But fascination led to experimental errors and overinterpretation, eventually magnifying the immune system from a mere infection-fighting device to a substrate of personality and individuality. As a result, what initially appeared as an exciting new perspective of the immune system is now viewed as a scientific vagary, and is largely abandoned. The author, himself a participant in the network vagary, begins with a description of the leading theoretical concepts on fact finding in science. This is followed by a historical account of the rise and fall of the network paradigm, complemented by personal interviews with some of the prominent protagonists. By comparing the network paradigm to other, more lasting concepts in life science, the author develops a general perspective on how solid knowledge is derived from error-prone scientific methodology, namely by exposure of scientific notions to the scrutiny of reality
Across the social sciences, there has been broad acceptance that race and race categories are soc... more Across the social sciences, there has been broad acceptance that race and race categories are sociohistorical constructs that are relational, processual, and dynamic, changing over time and locale. Relatedly, some scholars have noted that there were attempts to move ...
list of illustrations / vii foreword Sydel Silverman / ix preface and acknowledgments / xv introd... more list of illustrations / vii foreword Sydel Silverman / ix preface and acknowledgments / xv introduction.
Commercially available tests of genetic ancestry have significant scientific limitations, but are... more Commercially available tests of genetic ancestry have significant scientific limitations, but are serious matters for many test-takers. CREDIT: N. KEVITIYAGALA/SCIENCE At least two dozen companies now market “genetic ancestry tests ” to help consumers reconstruct their family histories and determine the geographic origins of their ancestors. More than 460,000 people have purchased these tests over the past 6 years (1), and public interest is still skyrocketing (1–4). Some scientists support this enterprise because it makes genetics accessible
In the last 5 years, medical geneticists have been conducting studies to examine possible links b... more In the last 5 years, medical geneticists have been conducting studies to examine possible links between DNA and disease on an unprecedented scale, using newly developed DNA genotyping and sequencing technologies to quickly search the genome. These techniques have also allowed researchers interested in human genetic variation to begin to catalogue the range of genetic similarities and differences that exist across individuals from around the world, through initiatives such as the International Haplotype Mapping Project [1]. These studies of human genetic variation promise to produce new kinds of information about our DNA, but they have also raised ethical questions. Early results from genome-wide studies of possible links between DNA and various medical conditions are being used by various actors to develop what they call “personalized medicine, ” the effort to tailor and individualize diagnoses and treatments for use during routine medical care. The promises of personalized medicine are built on the idea that each individual’s genome is unique. They are also built on the idea that genetic variation among individuals will help explain
First-hand account of the rise and fall of a scientific paradigm Shows how scientific fiction tur... more First-hand account of the rise and fall of a scientific paradigm Shows how scientific fiction turns to fact Highlights the origin of scientific hype Includes interviews with prominent scientists The network paradigm dominated immunological research from the early 1970s to the late 1980s. The originator, Niels Jerne, hypothesized that the vast diversity of antibodies in each individual forms a network of mutual "idiotypic" recognition, thus regulating the immune system. In context of emerging concepts of systems biology such as cybernetics and autopoesis, the "Eigenbehavior" of the immune system fascinated an entire generation of young immunologists. But fascination led to experimental errors and overinterpretation, eventually magnifying the immune system from a mere infection-fighting device to a substrate of personality and individuality. As a result, what initially appeared as an exciting new perspective of the immune system is now viewed as a scientific vagary, and is largely abandoned. The author, himself a participant in the network vagary, begins with a description of the leading theoretical concepts on fact finding in science. This is followed by a historical account of the rise and fall of the network paradigm, complemented by personal interviews with some of the prominent protagonists. By comparing the network paradigm to other, more lasting concepts in life science, the author develops a general perspective on how solid knowledge is derived from error-prone scientific methodology, namely by exposure of scientific notions to the scrutiny of reality
Across the social sciences, there has been broad acceptance that race and race categories are soc... more Across the social sciences, there has been broad acceptance that race and race categories are sociohistorical constructs that are relational, processual, and dynamic, changing over time and locale. Relatedly, some scholars have noted that there were attempts to move ...
list of illustrations / vii foreword Sydel Silverman / ix preface and acknowledgments / xv introd... more list of illustrations / vii foreword Sydel Silverman / ix preface and acknowledgments / xv introduction.
Commercially available tests of genetic ancestry have significant scientific limitations, but are... more Commercially available tests of genetic ancestry have significant scientific limitations, but are serious matters for many test-takers. CREDIT: N. KEVITIYAGALA/SCIENCE At least two dozen companies now market “genetic ancestry tests ” to help consumers reconstruct their family histories and determine the geographic origins of their ancestors. More than 460,000 people have purchased these tests over the past 6 years (1), and public interest is still skyrocketing (1–4). Some scientists support this enterprise because it makes genetics accessible
In the last 5 years, medical geneticists have been conducting studies to examine possible links b... more In the last 5 years, medical geneticists have been conducting studies to examine possible links between DNA and disease on an unprecedented scale, using newly developed DNA genotyping and sequencing technologies to quickly search the genome. These techniques have also allowed researchers interested in human genetic variation to begin to catalogue the range of genetic similarities and differences that exist across individuals from around the world, through initiatives such as the International Haplotype Mapping Project [1]. These studies of human genetic variation promise to produce new kinds of information about our DNA, but they have also raised ethical questions. Early results from genome-wide studies of possible links between DNA and various medical conditions are being used by various actors to develop what they call “personalized medicine, ” the effort to tailor and individualize diagnoses and treatments for use during routine medical care. The promises of personalized medicine are built on the idea that each individual’s genome is unique. They are also built on the idea that genetic variation among individuals will help explain
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