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Posted on: August 19, 2010 10:06 AM, by Greg Laden
The heretofore unknown events that led to an investigation of Dr. Marc Hauser of Harvard University, which led to a recently completed investigation of Hauser's scientific conduct.
You cann read the article here. I hope you can access that document (it may be fully or partly behind a firewall). At the moment, I'm out in the middle of the forest so I can't summarize it for you, but let me know if it is not generally viewable and I'll rectify that later assuming I am not eaten by bears.
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Comments
I can access it from home just fine. Interesting read.
Hope the bears stay away - don't forget to stroll through the forest will clapping two pieces of wood together - I hear that keeps them away. (Yes, just kidding)
Posted by: dean | August 19, 2010 10:23 AM
By the way, you're not near these bears are you?
Ten or more black bears found guarding B.C. pot farm
Posted by: dean | August 19, 2010 10:32 AM
Indeed, it's not behind a paywall, I could read it just fine as well. If true, this is starting to look pretty bad for Hauser.
Posted by: Deen | August 19, 2010 10:32 AM
Indeed; if the allegations can be supported, it does not look good.
If true, Hauser's described actions seem quite heavy-handed and not the least bit subtle. Is that just his personality, or due to being so invested in the research, or something else?
Posted by: dean | August 19, 2010 10:56 AM
I'm very surprised that the coding of the monkey's responses to sounds was apparently done by viewing the recording with the sound on, and by the person who cared most about the outcome. This is definitely bad science.
Posted by: Rosie Redfield | August 19, 2010 11:07 AM
Indeed, regardless of anything else the article makes it sound like the experiments weren't double blinded when it wouldn't have been hard to do so. Pretty sloppy if true.
Posted by: Aaron | August 19, 2010 3:49 PM
Wow! A protocol that did not have AUDIO OFF for the coder should have been rejected.
Posted by: Monado | August 20, 2010 5:55 PM