Admit when you are wrong
Dr. Vincent Racaniello
Posted: 29 Sep 2011 05:14 PM PDT
One of the lessons learned from XMRV is that it=92s important for
scientists to admit when they are wrong. That is why I took down the
image originally posted with TWiV #150. (The image was of a T-shirt
with a message saying roughly XMRV negative).
I had intended for the image to be a counterpoint to T-shirts worn by
CFS patients proclaiming them to be =91XMRV Positive=92. I felt it was
equally important to advertise the message that XMRV is a contaminant.
It was not meant to be disparaging or humorous. However a number of
individuals felt otherwise, and told me so in rather harsh terms. Then
I received the following email:
"I am writing with a concern about an image shown on your
website/video blog TWiV.
I have been religiously following you since the first news of the
findings in Lombardi et al. I regularly turn to your blog for real
scientific information and not the hearsay and pseudo scientific
nonsense that permeates the internet.
As a long term patient whose health is deteriorating, I find myself
often discouraged by the levels that the conversation regarding CFS
drops to. It seems hard to difficult at times scientists willing to
work hard without prejudice towards a cure for this terrible disease.
The image in question serves only to widen the divide between patients
and researchers. While people suffer, the scientific community has a
chuckle at our expense.
I would ask that they image be removed and replaced with one of unity.
While XMRV did not pan out, patients are still in need. We need to
know the scientific community is doing all they can to save us."
None of the earlier comments that I received about the image were
logical and composed; they brimmed with vile. This respectful and
reasonable request convinced me that the image was not helpful, so I
removed it.
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