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Case 14c :

Risky, Sexy, and Sensitive—Research in the Public Interest

Thomas stepped up to the podium, blinked his eyes to adjust to the bright lights and the darkened room before him, then cleared his throat and began to speak,

"My name is Thomas Rorty and I am a PhD student in environmental sciences at the University of Hong Kong. I am speaking here tonight because I have found in my recent research that the levels of phthalates and bisphenol A and other chemicals in the water in this district far exceed the levels considered acceptable by many international experts on environmental endocrine disruptors. As you are a group of environmentally conscious mothers and mothers-to-be, I believe that sharing my research with you will help you to prevent certain harm to you and your children".

The crowd grew silent as Thomas continued. Thomas outlined his research, the known and suspected risks of these chemicals on children, and what he believed the Hong Kong Government should do about this. The speech he gave was fiery, littered with facts, and strewn with citations. He was certain of the facts of his research and that of those whose work he cited. He had felt little need to "bore the audience" with the debates in this literature. They wanted to hear about the practical effects of these chemicals, not about debates in obscure journals.

At the end of his talk, Thomas was pleased to be bombarded with questions. However, Thomas felt overwhelmed quickly as many of the questions the mothers asked were not in Thomas' field of expertise and many of which he had little data to present as support for his contentions.

Yet, the concern among the mothers and their expressions of disdain and outrage spurred Thomas to continue, making strong and confident statements about research that he had only recently read or he could scarcely recall in its entirety.

At the end of the luncheon, Thomas felt exceptionally gratified: he had presented his research, encouraged the mothers to take action, and raised public awareness about endocrine disrupting hormones in the environment.

He could not wait to go back to the office, put this talk on his CV and tell his supervisor what he had been working on.

• Should Thomas be delivering talks to community organizations about his research?
• What are Thomas' obligations as a scientist for presenting research to a "lay audience"?
• What should Thomas tell his supervisor about this talk?
• Should Thomas have consulted with anyone at the University prior to delivering this talk?
   

Imagine you are one of Thomas' student colleagues, to whom he tells the story of the luncheon to:

• Do you believe that Thomas has done the right thing?
• Should Thomas be speaking publicly about his PhD research?
• What risks or rewards might Thomas incur from his speaking to this group?