The Millikan Case
The Millikan Case talks about choosing selective information to include in the presentation of a test that a scientist made. It talks about how it is hard to distinguish between what is an ethically wrong decision and what is a decision that was made because of faulty equipment or some other problem. Robert Millikan was a very popular scientist who discovered the charge of the electron. This was essential because it expanded upon J.J. Thompson’s study of the electron. Millikan was able to measure the charge of the electron by dropping a drop of oil between two plates with electrically charged fields that would force the drop to rise. He measured the rise time of the droplet to determine the charge. If the charge of each ion was multiples of the same number, then the charge would be the same. The tables that he published proved that the droplets had the same charge, because they all were multiples of the same number. He continued to write many published works about his discovery. When some of Millikan’s works were examined, it surfaced that he had picked and chosen between the drops he publicized. Out of 189 drops he tested, only 140 were in the works he published. Millikan contradicted this by saying that he included all of his drops in his works. Millikan was questioned by Felix Ehrenhaft who said he found sub electrons. After time it was concluded that Millikan’s theory that electrons have the same charge was right. The controversy in this case is how much discretion a scientist can be trusted with when it comes to their opinion on what data should be included because of faulty equipment or other situations, and if it is okay for scientists to make “educated guesses.”
I don't understand the part about him publishing 140 of the 189 drops and the part about each ion having the same number. What does all that mean?
ReplyDeleteI completely agree on the controversy of this article. If a scientist does an experiment he/she should publish all of their results, not just some that would prove them right. Also the question "is it okay for scientists to make educated guesses" is not okay. When a scientists does an experiment they should make sure that everything they conclude should be backed up with evidence.
ReplyDeleteI think that 140 drops agreeing with what he said and only 49 opposing would have been enough. It seems unethical to alter results just to make them more convincing or believable.
ReplyDeleteI think that this is just like fabricating data. If you pick and choose the results put in your report and the information released to the public, than you can just pick the ones that make you look smarter and that prove your hypothesis right. this is a very wrong and morally corrupt practice.
ReplyDeleteIts amazing to me how scientists still publish either false or unfinished reports with the possibility of being found out. Scientists should just record all of the information they find out rather than what they like because we would either be getting the wrong information or a different version of the truth.
ReplyDeleteNena:
ReplyDeleteRobert Millikan did an expiriment with drops which helped him measure the charge of an electron. He tried using the drops 189 times but in his published works he only talked about 140 drops. This means that he didn't talk about certain ones for certain reasons
This relates back to fabricating data. Scientists should not be able to pick and choose what data to publish and they should not be able to change their data. I agree with Morgan, they should just publish all the data gathered. We have to accept whatever data they publish because, I personally would rather know the truth and not like it than love a lie or something that is not the scientific truth.
ReplyDeleteto answer Nena's question:
ReplyDeleteduring the study, Millikan recorded his data (the rise times of 189 drops) in notebooks. after, he published his notebooks but out of the189, he only published 140 of the drops. later, other scientists examined his notebooks and discovered that he did not include all of his data.
and as for the second question:
it didnt explain why in the article. you only have to know that because all the charges were multiples of the same number then they have the same charge. it was just how he figured out the charge of the electron
I agree with Stephanie that this is a lot like the fabricating data case. Both times the scientists are changing the data and giving people false information. Scientists should always try to give people the right information and get the truth out there. Even it it's not the truth that people want to hear, they have a right to know.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the study should include all of the results and not just the ones that make the scientist's theory work. It is not right to say that the research was conclusive when some of the drops didn't have the same charge. The scientist should have entered all of his results.
ReplyDeleteGENIOUS!!!!!!!!! This man is an absolute einstein!! Educated guesses is what we put on tera nova tests not scientific studies for the world to go off of for generations. Come on now buddy... what if i published a fact stating i studied dry ice and it wouldn't harm you 99% of the time but just for kicks i'll say 100% to sound accurate. THen we'd have little kids putting their hands on dry ice and 1 out of 100 of those kids is dead. Wow wonder who's the bad guy.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Brooke! Millikan should not have taken full discretion in deciding what results to publish. He should have been open to the public, and presented the people with all of his information. Instead, he diecided it was okay to publish what he though was good information, though he was only making an "educated guess"!
ReplyDeleteThis case is very close to the fabricating data case. I think that there should be a group of scientists that study the research before it is published and people read it and then are misled to thinking that it is true.
ReplyDeleteI believe scientists can make educated guesses when testing their hypothosis' but it isn't right when you are intending to publish your work with its results when finished. This could mislead many people and cause problems in the future if scientists continue to base their discoveries on "educated guesses".
ReplyDeletei think that it was wrong for Millikan to chose the drops that he wanted to publish in his experiment. His experiment wasn't incorrect, but he did leave out some important data. Scientists should always be truthful with their experiments and include all the information
ReplyDeleteI think that it wasn't right that Millikan lied about his results and about how many of those drops he published. The scientists should have presented all their information and not exclude some. Did he get in trouble for doing that?
ReplyDeleteI think that what Millikan did was wrong and that he should have talked about the other drops too in his research, but what I want to know is what was in the other drops that were so different from the others.
ReplyDelete