Scientific Mistakes and Mistaken Science : Malfunction, Error, Failure (Studies in History and Philosophy of Science)

The book is designed to show that the public and professional understanding of science is somewhat biased, and error, failure and mistake play a more substantial role than usually conceived. Trust in science should be grounded in acknowledging that only through repeated experiments, trial and error, research and development scientists can produce reliable knowledge. This book presents cases that are considered dead ends, failures, and not only points out the heuristic value of failure but also emphasizes the nonlinearity of knowledge production in different domains and perspectives. It focuses on the epistemic, philosophical, practical, theoretical, and institutional consequences of error and fosters dialogues between philosophers, historians, and scientists, representing contemporary thinking about science. This book is thus of great interest to philosophers, sociologists, and historians.