Defamation Lawsuits and Climate Change Data

This chapter delves into a defamation case involving climate scientist Michael Mann, focusing on lawsuits related to criticism of his work on climate change data. It discusses the jury's decision to award nominal damages but significant punitive damages, the impact on journalism and defamation lawsuits, and comparisons with other high-profile cases. The conversation also explores the thin line between data manipulation and authentic scientific work, replication issues in social sciences, and the distinction between factual assertions and opinions in defamation cases.