Readers respond

Defending our coverage of Anderson case and problems with material transfer agreements

| 3 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
3:00
Share

To the Editor:

We wish to comment about Kamel El-Darwish's attack on the editorial mission of The Scientist. We disagree with the complainant on several grounds. One is that The Scientist is an international news magazine aiming to present the human face behind science. Arguably, this usually entails profiling the positive accomplishments of prominent scientists, but unsavory activities should also be considered fair game.

Second, the use of catchy adjectives, such as "tabloid-style" and "sensationalist" seem misplaced to us because the article's tone isn't that of tabloid publication; the report, in fact, balances the communication of the arrest with a discussion of W. French Anderson's accomplishments and recent research interests. And while the author of the letter boasts an appreciation of the judicial system, there is the failure to acknowledge the freedom of speech guaranteed under the first amendment to the US Constitution. The simple reporting of the arrest doesn't ...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

  • George Garrity

    This person does not yet have a bio.
Share
Image of a woman in a microbiology lab whose hair is caught on fire from a Bunsen burner.
April 1, 2025, Issue 1

Bunsen Burners and Bad Hair Days

Lab safety rules dictate that one must tie back long hair. Rosemarie Hansen learned the hard way when an open flame turned her locks into a lesson.

View this Issue
Conceptual image of biochemical laboratory sample preparation showing glassware and chemical formulas in the foreground and a scientist holding a pipette in the background.

Taking the Guesswork Out of Quality Control Standards

sartorius logo
An illustration of PFAS bubbles in front of a blue sky with clouds.

PFAS: The Forever Chemicals

sartorius logo
Unlocking the Unattainable in Gene Construction

Unlocking the Unattainable in Gene Construction

dna-script-primarylogo-digital
Concept illustration of acoustic waves and ripples.

Comparing Analytical Solutions for High-Throughput Drug Discovery

sciex

Products

Green Cooling

Thermo Scientific™ Centrifuges with GreenCool Technology

Thermo Fisher Logo
Singleron Avatar

Singleron Biotechnologies and Hamilton Bonaduz AG Announce the Launch of Tensor to Advance Single Cell Sequencing Automation

Zymo Research Logo

Zymo Research Launches Research Grant to Empower Mapping the RNome

Magid Haddouchi, PhD, CCO

Cytosurge Appoints Magid Haddouchi as Chief Commercial Officer