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Interacting and paradoxical forces in neuroscience and society

Nature Reviews Neuroscience volume 8, pages 153–160 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

Discoveries in the field of neuroscience are a natural source of discourse among scientists and have long been disseminated to the public. Historically, as news of findings has travelled between communities, it has elicited both expected and unusual reactions. What scientific landmarks promote discourse within the professional community? Do the same findings achieve a place in the public eye? How does the media choose what is newsworthy, and why does the public react the way it does? Drawing on examples of past challenges at the crossroads of neuroscience and society and on a case study of trends in one neurogenetic disease, autism, we explore the dialectical forces interacting in scientific and public discourse.

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Figure 1: Themes of newly funded research projects (1973–2004).
Figure 2: Themes of articles on autism in the international press (1994–2004).

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Acknowledgements

Supported by grants from the US National Institutes of Health (National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institute of Mental Health and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke). The authors extend their thanks to R. Briere (Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction), E. Racine, N. Guido-Estrada, S. Waldman, M. Devasher and R. Murugesan. The authors also thank reviewers for extremely helpful comments on this manuscript. Parts of the data were presented at the Society for Neuroscience, Annual Meeting, October 13–18, 2006, Atlanta, Georgia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics, Center for Integration of Research on Genetics and Ethics, 701 Welch Road, Building A, Suite 1105, Palo Alto, 94304-5748, California, USA

    Jennifer Singh

  2. the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioual Sciences, 1201 Welch Road, MSLS Building, Room P112, Stanford, 94304, California, USA

    Joachim Hallmayer

  3. the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics and Department of Radiology, Program in Neuroethics, 701 Welch Road, Building A, Suite 1105, Palo Alto, 94304-5748, California, USA

    Judy Illes

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Correspondence to Judy Illes.

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DATABASES

OMIM

Asperger's syndrome

autism

FURTHER INFORMATION

Center for Integration of Research on Genetics and Ethics

Program in Neuroethics — Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics

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Singh, J., Hallmayer, J. & Illes, J. Interacting and paradoxical forces in neuroscience and society. Nat Rev Neurosci 8, 153–160 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2073

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