José Vázquez

In the Name of the Scientist

The way science is done or everyday practice of science is a major theme of Fred Grinnells most recent work. The author presents a critique of the linear model of science followed by many scientists and its failure to represent how scientists really work. It is not a surprising observation to most of us. What is surprising about this book is the way it provides various avenues to engage in productive discussions about doing research. It is not a perfect book, but it manages to be provocative and an easy read with only six chapters in fewer than 200 pages. The book is divided into two sections: “Science” and “Science and Society.” Grinnell presents a candid account of the scientific process to make it relevant to those outside academic science. He also provides a fairly accurate view of scientists and how they work. n n n n n n n n n nTHE PRACTICE OF SCIENCE nIn chapter 1, “Practicing Science,” Grinnell highlights what he calls the two conversations of science by illustrating the interaction of two processes: the circle of discovery and the circle of credibility (p.xa05, Figurexa01.1). He is quick to point out that researchers interact with a small part of the world, limiting those interactions to making observations and doing experiments. The interactions within the research community are primarily collaborative and competitive in nature. As Grinnell progresses in his discussion of these interactions, he reveals some of the uncertainties and conflicts that emerge during the practice of science. Chapter 2, “Discovery: Learning New Things about the World,” deals with the nonsystematic, nonlinear nature of the scientific process. For instance, Grinnell points out that scientific papers rarely describe scientific failure and rarely communicate to students the notion that “10 research notebooks’ worth of experiments might be required to publish a 10-page research paper” (p.xa021). This is an interesting assertion that indicates to the nonscientist reader the level of compression that goes on when myriad observations, deductions, and analyses are meshed into a coherent scientific paper. Another interesting idea presented in this chapter deals with the type of question(s) a research group decides to answer. Very often, Grinnell adds, “resource limitations…prevent new initiatives from starting even if they would be worthwhile to carry out. Investing in one project almost always means that something else will not be accomplished” (p.xa035). This statement is important, as it calls to the attention of future researchers the various factors that control the nature of everyday practice of science. Chapterxa03, “Credibility: Validating Discovery Claims,” makes a case for the uncertainty that surrounds achieving credibility. Grinnell shows in Figurexa03.1 (p.xa064) his version of the credibility process, which involves a rather complex web of researchers interacting with one another, editors and reviewers, and even the public. It seems as if credibility does not necessarily come right away, and a scientist must use her or his intuition and a large dose of optimism in attempting to achieve credibility. Research grants are shown as a major determinant of the credibility process (p.xa079, Figurexa03.2), provided the research proposal aligns with the priorities of the funding agency (pp.xa080–81).

What's a Poison Got to Do with It?

Review of: The Poisoners Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York, by Deborah Blum; 2010; 336 pp.; The Penguin Press (New York, NY). At the beginning of the twentieth century it was common to administer poisons to get rid of unwanted people, or simply to ingest poisons by accident. The science of forensic toxicology was not well developed yet, and many death certificates were issued without properly identifying the cause of death. Language: en

In the Company of Geneticists

This is a book about the history of genetics, mostly focusing on classical aspects. This historical work provides a more detailed look into the history of genetics that will benefit anyone studying or teaching the subject, particularly undergraduate instructors who could then provide various angles about pivotal discoveries. James Schwartz, an independent scholar, begins his detailed and well-researched book dealing with Charles Darwin and Francis Galton—slowly treading into pivotal discoveries that took place mostly in Europe. The second part of the book takes the reader to the United States and concentrates on the work done on chromosomes using the fruit fly in Thomas Hunt Morgans lab and the significant applications that emerged from such work. Only the Epilogue deals with advances in molecular genetics.

From Genes to Embryo and Beyond

The study of embryology goes back to the nineteenth century when Karl Ernst von Baer recognized that there are similarities between embryos of different species and that those similarities disappear as the embryos mature into adults. This notion was later observed and studied by Charles Darwin, who established the idea of a common ancestor to explain embryological similarities. Developmental biology has been growing exponentially as a field since the 1970s when biochemical techniques and later on molecular techniques allowed most of the studies that have defined the field to its current status. Nobel Laureate Christiane Nusslein-Volhard, who pioneered along with Eric Wieschaus the discovery of genes that guide development in the fruit fly Drosophila, has taken on the gigantic task of writing a historical and sociopolitical account of developmental biology primarily for a lay audience. No one is more qualified than Nusslein-Volhard because she has carried out pioneering developmental genetics work in invertebrates and more recently in the vertebrate zebrafish (Danio rerio) and currently directs the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Tubingen, Germany. n nComing to Life, with a main text of 145 pages, addresses in 10 chapters major highlights that have shaped the field of developmental biology and how current scientific and social issues can be understood and perhaps adequately addressed in light of a more accurate understanding of embryonic development. The first nine chapters take the reader to various milestones in genetics, development, and biology in general. Each one of these nine chapters includes hand-drawn figures, which give a personal touch to the narrative and perhaps makes the content less intimidating to the layperson. The last chapter, “Current Topics,” is the authors personal manifesto of how to use understanding of development to be well-educated consumers of science and some of the issues that emerge from misuses and misunderstandings of scientific information.