Why I Am Not A Scientist: Anthropology and Modern Knowledge. By Jonathan Marks

Correction: The Mismeasure of Science: Stephen Jay Gould versus Samuel George Morton on Skulls and Bias

“…The Morton case was used by Gould as the main support for his contention that ''unconscious or dimly perceived finagling is probably endemic in science, since scientists are human beings rooted in cultural contexts, not automatons directed toward external truth'' [1]. This view has since achieved substantial popularity in ''science studies'' [2][3][4]. But our results falsify Gould's hypothesis that Morton manipulated his Box 3.…”

“…Stephen Jay Gould, the prominent evolutionary biologist and science historian, argued that ''unconscious manipulation of data may be a scientific norm'' because ''scientists are human beings rooted in cultural contexts, not automatons directed toward external truth'' [1], a view now popular in social studies of science [2][3][4]. In support of his argument Gould presented the case of Samuel George Morton, a 19th-century physician and physical anthropologist famous for his measurements of human skulls.…”

Biological anthropology's critical engagement with genomics, evolution, race/racism, and ourselves: Opportunities and challenges to making a difference in the academy and the world

“…What I have intended to offer here in this perspective is a path wherein biological anthropology can grow, make a difference and be more relevant inside and outside of the academy. Let me stress what I present here is only one view of biological anthropology (however, see also Kissel, 2019, Marks, 2009, Willermet & Lee, 2019 for similar views). Anyone can disagree.…”

“…This history, or I should say these histories, have shaped and structured biological anthropology in important ways, often negatively. Numerous authors have recently reviewed such histories and their impacts (e.g., Athreya & Ackermann, 2019; Caspari, 2018; Ellison, 2018; Marks, 2009; Nelson, 2019; Perez, 2019; Saini, 2019; Sussman, 2016; Vergara & Lopez‐Beltran, 2019; Watkins, 2012; Wilson, 2019a) so I will not go into any detail here, but I encourage everyone teaching and doing Biological Anthropology to include such readings in your cannon.…”