Scientific integrity discussed at AAAS meeting

The importance of protecting scientific integrity was a recurring issue at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), in Vancouver, British Columbia, on 16-20 February.

For example, during an 18 February session, the controversial James Hansen, who heads the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City and is an adjunct professor in Columbia University’s Earth and Environmental Sciences department, discussed his experience of NASA’s attempt to influence his public statements about his research into the causes of climate change. He warned that there are consequences to speaking out.