—JAMES W. DOUGLASS When I began my research career in nutritional science, I was naïve to a fault. My childhood environment of hay fields and milking barns did not prepare me for the dark side of “science” as it is currently done: the greed, the small-mindedness, and the outright dishonesty and cynicism of some of its practitioners. Not to mention the shocking examples of how public officials closed their eyes to important findings that got in the way of their reelection. I entered the academy eager to participate in my idealized version of scientific inquiry. I couldn’t imagine anything better: learning new things, choosing which questions to research, then sharing and debating ideas with students and colleagues. I loved the transparency and integrity of the scientific method—how personal opinions and biases faded away before the majesty of real evidence. How a well-conceived experiment was like setting the table beautifully and inviting Truth to dinner. How honest questioning could banish ignorance and create a better world.
