The Orthodoxy And The Scientist

The deadly dangers of blindly accepting the authority of science or government.

Trofim Lysenko was a Soviet agronomist and biologist who gained prominence in the mid-20th century for his theories on genetics and agriculture. He claimed that he had discovered a way to improve crop yields and make them resistant to harsh weather conditions through a process called vernalization, which involved exposing seeds to prolonged periods of cold.

Lysenko’s ideas gained widespread acceptance in the Soviet Union because they were supported by the Communist government, which saw his theories as evidence of the superiority of Soviet science. As a result, Lysenko was put in charge of the country’s agricultural research and given the power to suppress any opposition to his ideas.

However, Lysenko’s theories were not based on sound scientific principles, and his methods actually led to widespread famine and the deaths of millions of people. His insistence on planting crops in areas where they were not suited, and his disregard for the laws of genetics, resulted in crop failures and decreased yields, which led to food shortages and starvation.

Lysenko died on November 20, 1976, in Moscow, Soviet Union, at the age of 78. The cause of his death was reportedly lung cancer. Despite his controversial legacy and the harm his theories caused, Lysenko continued to receive some support from the Soviet government and was awarded various honors and medals throughout his life. However, his influence had significantly declined by the time of his death, and his ideas had been largely discredited within the scientific community.

The story of Trofim Lysenko serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of blindly accepting the authority of science or government. Skepticism and critical thinking are essential in evaluating scientific claims and theories, and scientific ideas should always be subjected to rigorous testing and peer review to ensure their validity. Yet, the resurgence of Lysenkoism did occur in this century in spite of the advances in science, politics and the broad dissemination of information.

It is important to remember that science is far from infallible, and that scientific ideas and theories can be flawed or even maliciously manipulated for personal or political gain. It’s essential—perhaps even a moral imperative—that scientists and society as a whole to remain both vigilant and skeptical, and to question any claims that are not supported by rigorous evidence and testing.