Science Disasters

history is filled with brilliant ideas that gave rise to disaster. What happens when ideas presented as science lead us in the wrong direction? Dr. Paul Offit shows in his new book 'Pandora's Lab: Seven Stories of Science Gone Wrong' explores the most fascinating—and significant—missteps: from opium's heyday to the cries to ban DDT for the sake of the environment to an epidemic-level rise in world malaria. Unwitting errors add up to seven lessons both cautionary and profound, narrated by renowned author and speaker Paul A. Offit. Offit uses these lessons to investigate how we can separate good science from bad, using some of today's most controversial creations. For every "Aha!" moment that should have been an "Oh no," this episode is an engrossing account of how science has been misused disastrously—and how we can learn to use its power for good. to investigate how we can separate good science from bad, using some of today's most controversial creations. For every "Aha!" moment that should have been an "Oh no," this episode is an engrossing account of how science has been misused disastrously—and how we can learn to use its power for good.