Well, I Swear

Here for Establishment Clause fans is the latest conundrum on the science policy front. Nature says Britain wants a ‘Hippocratic oath for scientists’. A Constitutional question as to by which God this great and terrible oath must be sworn may arise from the wording of the original :

............              ..."I Swear By Apollo The Physician ..."

                 "The BBC is reporting on a ‘universal code of ethics for scientists’ set out by the UK government’s chief scientific advisor. Sir David King hopes researchers across the globe will adopt his seven principles (you can listen to him on the BBC’s Radio 4) and the UK government has already adopted them. The BBC thinks this could be the scientific equivalent of medicine’s Hippocratic oath.

“Our social licence to operate as scientists needs to be founded on a continually renewed relationship of trust between scientists and society. The code has been developed in my office to help us meet this challenge,” says Sir David in a leaflet promoting the ‘Rigour, Respect, Responsibility’ code. This code has been mooted for some time (the Guardian wrote about it last year) and the issue of whether scientists should have a ‘code of ethics’ has been doing the round for even longer. The real question is whether this code is actually any use.

Which seems like a good opportunity to apply the ‘not test’: would anyone actually profess not to support any of these points? Here’s the code:

- Act with skill and care in all scientific work. Maintain up to date skills and assist their development in others.
- Take steps to prevent corrupt practices and professional misconduct. Declare conflicts of interest.
- Be alert to the ways in which research derives from and affects the work of other people, and respect the rights and reputations of others.
- Ensure that your work is lawful and justified.
- Minimise and justify any adverse effect your work may have on people, animals and the natural environment.
- Seek to discuss the issues that science raises for society. Listen to the aspirations and concerns of others.
- Do not knowingly mislead, or allow others to be misled, about scientific matters. Present and review scientific evidence, theory or interpretation honestly and accurately.

Comments

[Rod Schaffter]

Not too much about Science in this oath-with little rewording it could just as easily apply to plumbers. bakers or tattoo artists.

As Hippocratic Oath for Scientists must consist of ideals like:
"All of your hypotheses must be falsifiable",
"A collection of antecdotes are not necessarily data",
"Graph comparable data on axes the with same units", and
"Smite with your trusty Post Versalog anyone who says that Evolution is 'Only a Theory'".