What Is Junk Science?
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The Litigator’s Guide to Combating Junk Science The Litigator’s Guide to Combating Junk Science The Litigator’s Guide to Combating Junk Science Table of Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................................... 3 What Is Junk Science? ................................................................................................................................ 5 Anti-Junk Science Websites ..................................................................................................................... 7 Anti-Junk Science Books ......................................................................................................................... 11 Resources for Regulatory Guidance ................................................................................................... 13 Resources for Scientific Standards ..................................................................................................... 16 Placebo and Nocebo Effects ................................................................................................................. 20 About Innovative Science Solutions .................................................................................................. 21 © 2013 Innovative Science Solutions 2 The Litigator’s Guide to Combating Junk Science Introduction Science plays a critical role in the courtroom. Access to scientific research and an understanding of scientific principles enable the litigator to build a powerful case. The team’s expert witnesses can effectively communicate to the judge and jury technical concepts that support the central arguments of the case. Five types of legal cases often rely on scientific information: • Personal Injury: Scientific evidence is typically presented in mass torts involving allegations of personal injury from a product, an environmental exposure, or a chemical exposure. In these cases, plaintiffs rely on scientific studies to demonstrate a link between the exposure and the injury. The defense presents scientific research to cast doubt on the purported causal relationship between the exposure and the injury. • Consumer Fraud: To counter the plaintiff’s claim that a product failed to achieve the results promised, the defense argues that its marketing claims are supported by reliable scientific evidence. Plaintiffs will present evidence that questions or counters the defense’s data. • Medical Malpractice: To counter the plaintiff’s claim that a healthcare provider’s error resulted in harm, the defense will present scientific studies to demonstrate the provider adhered to the generally accepted standard-of-care. • Securities and Shareholders Lawsuits: In securities and shareholder lawsuits involving medical devices or pharmaceutical products, the defense presents scientific evidence to demonstrate that the information relayed to shareholders was reasonable and reliable. © 2013 Innovative Science Solutions 3 The Litigator’s Guide to Combating Junk Science • Patent Challenges: Opposing parties in patent infringement cases will most likely agree on the fundamental science. But the plaintiff will present specific scientific evidence to support the claim that the patent does not meet the necessary requirements. The parties involved in any legal dispute will typically engage in a legitimate debate about the validity of the scientific evidence presented. Even the experts often disagree when interpreting scientific data. However, dubious or bias scientific information is occasionally presented in court cases, influencing the outcome. Judges and juries who lack the background and knowledge to properly evaluate the validity of scientific data tend to accept the information placed before them. When a case relies on misinformation, unsubstantiated claims, and misleading data, opposing counsel can successfully counterattack with access to the right resources. In the following pages, we provide you with the tools and resources you need to combat junk science in the courtroom. • What Is Junk Science identifies examples of junk science. • Anti-Junk Science Websites provides access to resources dedicated to exposing junk science. • Anti-Junk Science Books lists publications focused on illuminating the issue of junk science. • Resources for Regulatory Guidance provides access to government resources that will allow you to counter misinformation with scientifically sound principles. • Resources for Scientific Standards provides access to reputable online resources that present generally accepted scientific methods. • Placebo and Nocebo Effects provides the latest research on this medical phenomenon, which is central to many pharmaceutical cases. © 2013 Innovative Science Solutions 4 The Litigator’s Guide to Combating Junk Science What Is Junk Science? Legitimate controversies erupt daily in political arenas, the news media, the courtroom, and the court of public opinion. In these debates, valid evidence usually emerges to support both sides. However, we have observed a number of controversies in which one side relies on faulty data – or junk science – rather than rigorous scientific methodologies. Junk science refers to scientific research that fails to meet the criteria characteristic of a rigorous scientific investigation, such as falsifiable hypotheses, replication, peer- review and publication, general acceptance, neutrality, objectivity, and adherence to the scientific method. Purveyors of junk science typically have an agenda, and research and results are driven by non-scientific motives that are often political, financial or ideological. To illuminate the issue, we provide below examples of controversial claims based on junk science, and links to resources refuting these questionable claims. Controversial Claim #1: Electromagnetic radiation causes adverse health effects. Junkscience.com - EMFs and Cell Phones National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences - Electric and Magnetic Fields Controversial Claim #2: Endocrine disruptors disturb human hormone balances. SafeChemicalPolicy.org - Endocrine Disruptors Sciencebasedmedicine.org - Endocrine disruptors—the one true cause? © 2013 Innovative Science Solutions 5 The Litigator’s Guide to Combating Junk Science Controversial Claim # 3: Hydraulic fracturing leads to adverse health effects for nearby residents. Junkscience.com - Penn pilot study: Group of Bradford Co, Pa. residents concerned about health effects of hydrofracking K&L Gates Law Firm - Junk Science Meets Hydraulic Fracturing: Unfounded Environmental Scare Threatens Energy Development Controversial Claim #4: Multiple chemical sensitivity causes a host of adverse health effects. Junkscience.com - Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Testimony Inadmissible Under Daubert, Court Says Skepdic.com - multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) from Skeptic’s dictionary Controversial Claim #5: Vaccines lead to autism. Junkscience.com - The risk of autism is not increased by ‘too many vaccines too soon’ Nature - A case of junk science, conflict and hype © 2013 Innovative Science Solutions 6 The Litigator’s Guide to Combating Junk Science Anti-Junk Science Websites The following online resources are dedicated to exposing junk science. They offer a wealth of information that counters assertions based on unreliable data. Bad Science Dr. Ben Goldacre, author of the bestseller Bad Science, continues his campaign against junk science in his witty and insightful blog of the same name. In his book and blog, he exposes the tenuous scientific claims of newspapers, doctors, government reports and drug companies. Bjorn Lomborg Bjorn Lomborg, an adjunct professor at Copenhagen Business School, a bestselling author, and a frequent media commentator, challenges mainstream concerns about the environment. In news articles and social media posts, he strives to focus attention on effective solutions to environmental issues. Debunked & Exposed Maintained by JunkScience.com, Debunked & Exposed offers Debunkosaurus™, a Wiki-based tool for researching health scares and scams. Gary Taubes Gary Taubes is a science writer and the author of Nobel Dreams (1987), Bad Science: The Short Life and Weird Times of Cold Fusion (1993), and Good Calories, Bad © 2013 Innovative Science Solutions 7 The Litigator’s Guide to Combating Junk Science Calories (2007). He has won the Science in Society Award of the National Association of Science Writers three times and was awarded an MIT Knight Science Journalism Fellowship for 1996-97. Taubes’ books deal with controversies in the field of science. Nobel Dreams takes a critical look at the politics and experimental techniques behind the Nobel Prize-winning work of physicist Carlo Rubbia. Bad Science chronicles the short-lived media frenzy surrounding the Pons-Fleischmann cold fusion experiments of 1989. JunkScience “All the Junk That’s Fit to Debunk.” As its motto indicates, JunkScience.com’s mission is to reveal the facts behind junk science in the media and the courtroom. JunkScience takes on Global Warming theorists, the EPA, the American Heart Association and others. Not Even Wrong William H. Kinney, associate professor in the University at Buffalo Physics Department, named his website after the Wolfgang Pauli quote “It is not even wrong.” The website is described as “A page dedicated to the ample evidence that we need better science education.” Topics include vaccines and autism, EMFs, plastic softeners, silicone breast implants, and more. QuackWatch