Discussion on the neutrality of

knowledge in natural science

Le Duc Hoang
Real Life Situation
Gatorade Sport Science Institute:

- Founded in 1985
- Aim: helping athletes optimize their health and
performance
- Method: Study athletes through exercises,record
body fluid and body weight before and after each
exercise → hydration and nutrition
- These findings are used to advertise energy drink
KQ: To what extent knowledge in natural science
neutral ?
Definition:

- Neutral: Not supporting/helping either sides in a conflict, argument

How is this related to our real-life situation?

- Natural science: Gatorade Sport Science Institute and other research funded conduct
research into how our body changes during exercises (Biology, Physic, Chemistry)
- Neutral: Because of the financial background of both the Institute and other research ,
how would we know these data are not distorted in favor of companies’ bottom line?
AOKs and WOKs
AOKs

- Natural Science

WOKs

- Reasoning
- Language
- Emotion
Knowledge Claim #1: Knowledge in Natural is often
considered objective and reliable
- Methodology:
- Reasoning is based completely on logic →
prove truth from false
- Based on combination of ways of knowing:
reason(deduction), sense perception,
imagination
- Subject to peer-review and falsification

⇒ As a result,We tends to put much trust into

knowledge in natural science

AoK: Natural Science WoKs: Sense perception, Reason

Counterclaim #1: Knowledge in Natural Science is
prone to biases for personal gains
Theranos (2003 - 2018):

- Specialize in blood-testing technology

- Aim: Users can have blood test faster and more convenient
with a drop of blood
- 9 billion $ worth companies
- Use third party existing test equipment to fake data of their
research
- Only 12/240 promised test is achievable with noticeable
inaccuracy

⇒ Theranos tempered the data in their scientific research for

the financial gains
Relate back to RLS
- They spent millions in funding to their own research and graduate-level research in
top universities
- Findings: Soccer players can covered 25% more distance and they would drink more
water during a game when they consume a sports drink
- Data seems to prove otherwise for brief work out: showed that athletes performed
just as well with water as they did with sports drinks so long as their exercise period
didn't exceed 50 minutes
- Paying for ads on sport teams and organizations and invite coaches and trainers to
visit laboratorys and give them studies’ results
 Knowledge Claim #2: Completely neutral knowledge in Natural
Science is impossible to achieve
- Bias in the creation of knowledge:
- Confirmation bias: we tends to search for,
interpret, favor, and recall information in a way
that supports our beliefs
- Bias in interpretation of knowledge by emotion:
- RLS: the discovery of crystal structures in metal
alloys
- Because of their biased personal knowledge ,his
peers refused his findings and bring his method’s
validity into question
- Later proven correct.
 Counterclaim #2: Biased knowledge can be beneficial

AoK: Natural Science WoK: Emotion

While inventions due to accident do happens:

- Passion and determination fuels science research and
innovations
- The process of experimentation and reasoning requires
extensive research

RLS: The process of inventing the lightbulb required

more than 1000 unsuccessful attempts

“genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration”

-Thomas Edison
Conclusion

In conclusion:
- Knowledge in Natural science is often considered reliable
- However, knowledge is not neutral despite using an objective method as they can be
manipulated for personal reasons.
- Not only that there may be flaws due to emotion that may affect our acceptance of
knowledge.
- Emotion can also be beneficial as scientific research takes a long time

Link back to RLS: Even though Gatorade tried to use an objective approach in the research
with using extensive research . The financial incentive behind their findings may have
cloud the results. Thus the knowledge generated by Gatorade is not neutral but rather in
favour of Gatorade
Link back to new RLS
AOK: Human Science

- Daryl Bem (2010) in Psychology : Findings about

suggesting precognition power is real
- Findings suggest that people would recall words that they were going
to be asked or high chances of choosing the correct option
- Published on the Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology
- Others point out faults in his methodology and there was
unsuccessful replication attempts of his research, these
attempts are not published→ Publication bias

⇒ Conclusion: Knowledge in different AOKs such as Human

Science also prone to being biased
Bibliography
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2012/mar/15/precognition-studies-curse-failed-replications

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/jan/06/dan-shechtman-nobel-prize-chemistry-interview

https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB957811263235760241
https://www.wsj.com/articles/theranos-has-struggled-with-blood-tests-1444881901
https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2010/12/study-looks-brains-ability-see-future

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2012/mar/15/precognition-studies-curse-failed-replications

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8897383/