The Cautionary Tale of Bad Science

The podcast episode discusses the cautionary tale of how bad science can have terrible consequences when it goes unchallenged. It starts by highlighting the back and forth nature of scientific research, especially during the pandemic, and how experts can change their stance as new evidence emerges. However, the episode focuses on a specific story of a scientist with a bad idea that had catastrophic outcomes. The story traces back to the Vineland Training School in the late 1890s, where a girl named Emma Woolerton was sent. The psychologist Henry Goddard, who came to work at the school, categorized Emma as feeble-minded and used her and her family as a case study to support his theory of feeble-mindedness being genetic. This theory gained popularity and led to the passing of sterilization laws in the United States and influenced immigration policies. The story and Henry's book, The Calicak Family, even reached Nazi Germany and contributed to their eugenics program. The episode reveals that the story of the Calicak family was based on flawed science and misinformation. Emma's family tree was more complex than portrayed, and intelligence is influenced by various factors, not solely genetics. The episode sheds light on the dangers of scientists and society falling for misleading ideas and the importance of critically evaluating scientific claims.