Controversy in Chemistry:What Counts as Evidence?Two Studies in Molecular Structure

摘要

"The facts speak for themselves." Well ...in science as in life,sometimes yes but often no.The very process of turning scientific data into "facts" can itself be contentious,so that even at this level the "facts" may be far from universally agreed upon.Even when they are,assessing their larger significance is an interpretive process that frequently leads to disagreement or worse.In brief,the normal practice of science provides ample opportunity for controversy;indeed,it is the rare scientist who has not followed,if not participated in,a vigorous scientific controversy that has stretched out for months or even years.