THE AMERICAN Editorial BIOLOGYTEACHER Science, Objectivity- & Racism

Scientists enjoy a privileged position in society. We're often associated with Editor: Randy Moore, Biology Department, advances such as antibioticsand useful inventions, and attachingthe word "scien- University of Louisville, tific" to a claim attractsattention and adds prestige. This results from our record Louisville, KY 40292, Phone: (502) 852-6490, of enhancingthe qualityof life (antibioticshave saved lives and reduced suffering) E-mail: [email protected] as well as our persistent claims (and the public's widespread acceptance) that Managing Editor: Christine Chantry scientists are "objective."For most things-especially science-relatedissues-this is usually true; we often change our conclusions and viewpoints about a topic Associate Editor: Kris Collum when presented with new compelling evidence. However, such changes are Publisher: Wayne W. Carley usually inconsequentialto us; for example, I'm not especially bothered by chang- Editorial Staff: Kay Acevedo, Carmen ing my ideas about the structure of a protein or the composition of a fungal Altamirano, Cheryl Merrill spore. But what happens when scientists are challenged about something that

ABT Production Office: they do hold dear or-more interestingly-that is part of their worldview? What Downloaded from http://online.ucpress.edu/abt/article-pdf/61/4/242/48886/4450664.pdf by guest on 01 October 2021 11250 Roger Bacon Drive, #19, happens when our values are challenged? Do we remain objective, or do we Reston, VA 20190-5202,Phone: (703) 471-1134, rationalizeour beliefs despite evidence to the contrary?We like to think that our objectivity applies to our values; I've seen many scientists and others change Fax: (703) 435-5582, E-mail: [email protected], their views of the world as they learned more about the world. However, in Web site: www.nabt.org many instances,personal values overcome scientificobjectivity; witness the blind faith of young-Earthcreationists despite the overwhelming evidence contradicting their conclusions. The clash between objectivityand values often has significant Account Executive:Kerrie Brooks, consequences. Take, for example, racism. Network Publications, 10155 York Rd. #205, There is a long history of people invoking science to support racist ideas. For Hunt Valley, MD 21030, Phone: (410) 628-0390 example, Stephen Gould points out in EverSince Darwinthat recapitulationwas a leading argument for racists in the late 19th century. When recapitulation E-mail:[email protected] was discarded, some of the racists also discarded their conclusions, but others conveniently found new "scientific data" to maintain their racist beliefs. The sanction of scientificobjectivity was a convenient cloak to select evidence to reach Biology Today: Maura C. Flannery, the a prioriconclusions that the scientists (and others) wanted to hear. Even Louis St. John's University, Jamaica, NY 11439 Agassiz, the leading biologist of the mid-19th century,believed that God created Book Reviews: Rita Hoots, blacks and whites as separate species. Later, similarly flawed arguments (such as those based on "scientific"measurements of skulls) enforced racistbeliefs that Yuba Community College, 41605 Gibson Rd., European whites were a separate and superior species compared to African Woodland, CA 95776 blacks. Since the conclusions were what the people wanted to hear, the flawed Classroom Technology Reviews nature of the arguments was irrelevant. AV Reviews: Rachel Hays, 7020 Pueblo Ave. B., Many scientists have invoked evolutionary biology to support their racist Prescott Valley, AZ 86314 beliefs. For example, one group claimed that blacks were inferior because of ProjectorReviews: Bill Belzer, Clarion Univer- an evolutionary accident involving less challenging environments. Others have sity-Venango Campus, Oil City, PA 16301 rejected evolution and embraced Christianityas having "scientific proof" that blacks are apes, that Genesis prohibits race-mixing,that God destroyed Man in Software Reviews: Richard Duhrkopf, Baylor a worldwide flood because Man had mixed races, and that blacks should serve Waco, TX 76798 University, whites. Innumerablepeople have used creationistclaims of blacks being created separately from whites to justify racism;some have even claimed that evolution 1998, 1996, 1993 is the Satanicbasis for racism and virtually all other societal ills. Many people- 1992, 1990, 1989 1998 scientistsincluded-have been anythingbut objectivewhen searchingfor support Distinguished for their racist ideas. From early eugenicists to TheBell Curve,pseudoscience has Achievement been used repeatedly to support racism in the 20th century. Award Winner Although we would like to think otherwise, science remains tainted by racism. For example, many biologists continue to use racially offensive names for many plants (e.g., Niggerhead = Enneapogonnigricans; Nigger-toes = Bertholletiaexcelsa; of Please Change Address: promptly notify Coolie's cap = Holmskioldiasanguina). These names are often excused with dis- us of a change of address. Simply provide your claimers such as, "I didn't name this plant, but I'm bound by scientific integrity old mailing label along with your new mailing address and send to: TheAmerican Biology to report its name." Teacher,11250 Roger Bacon Drive, #19, Reston, It's easy to be objective about things for which we don't care. I don't care all VA 20190-5202. that much that protein X has a new structure;neither does my neighbor, who is a janitor. However, it's much more difficult to be objective about our values, To Submit Articles: All articlesshould be despite the factthat such objectivityis the only kind of objectivitythat reallycounts. sent directly to Editor Randy Moore. Editorial guidelines are available by contacting NABT directly at 11250 Roger Bacon Drive, #19, Randy Moore Reston, VA 20190-5202. Editor