Hans Christian Andersen’s fable “The Emperor’s New Clothes” has a humorous ending. A child points out a piece of reality that the adults wouldn’t acknowledge. What is humorous is the fact that the child is far less educated than the adults. The child in this fable acts the way that scientists are supposed to act. Scientists are in the business of making observations and deducing things based on those observations. Yet, because they are fallible beings, scientists can be pressured into making deductions that conflict with their observations, all for the purpose of avoiding any unpleasant social or occupational consequences … Continue reading The Science Emperor’s New Clothes