Uploaded February 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Science is the most powerful tool we have for revealing objective “truths” about the natural world. As humanity grapples with existential threats such as climate change, COVID-19, and soaring obesity rates, science is our first and last hope for a solution. But what happens when the systems we’ve come to trust become part of the problem? Join Dr. Nick Tiller (research associate, Harbor-UCLA) to explore the shady side of scientific research and expose the spectrum of questionable practices, from basic procedural missteps to financially incentivized data fabrication. Using real-world examples from medicine, kinesiology, and nutrition, Tiller highlights the role of bad science in the spread of health and wellness misinformation and questions the reliability of Hanlon’s Razor—to assume ignorance over malice. In this call to action, Tiller makes recommendations for reform and challenges us to confront inconvenient truths, root out malpractice, and safeguard scientific integrity for generations to come.
This talk was part of the exciting lineup for CSICon 2024. CSICon is the premiere conference in the US for science and skepticism.
Learn more at: csiconference.org
Dr. Nick Tiller is an exercise scientist and research associate at Harbor-UCLA and author of The Skeptic’s Guide to Sports Science, _which was named one of Book Authority’s “Best Sports Science Books of all Time.” Tiller is a columnist at _Skeptical Inquirer, an associate editor of the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, and an elected fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry.
This talk took place during CSICon in Las Vegas on October 25, 2024
Science is the most powerful tool we have for revealing objective “truths” about the natural world. As humanity grapples with existential threats such as climate change, COVID-19, and soaring obesity rates, science is our first and last hope for a solution. But what happens when the systems we’ve come to trust become part of the problem? Join Dr. Nick Tiller (research associate, Harbor-UCLA) to explore the shady side of scientific research and expose the spectrum of questionable practices, from basic procedural missteps to financially incentivized data fabrication. Using real-world examples from medicine, kinesiology, and nutrition, Tiller highlights the role of bad science in the spread of health and wellness misinformation and questions the reliability of Hanlon’s Razor—to assume ignorance over malice. In this call to action, Tiller makes recommendations for reform and challenges us to confront inconvenient truths, root out malpractice, and safeguard scientific integrity for generations to come.
This talk was part of the exciting lineup for CSICon 2024. CSICon is the premiere conference in the US for science and skepticism.
Learn more at: csiconference.org
Dr. Nick Tiller is an exercise scientist and research associate at Harbor-UCLA and author of The Skeptic’s Guide to Sports Science, _which was named one of Book Authority’s “Best Sports Science Books of all Time.” Tiller is a columnist at _Skeptical Inquirer, an associate editor of the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, and an elected fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry.
This talk took place during CSICon in Las Vegas on October 25, 2024
