The lack of academic integrity has been increasing each year. One of the biggest problems we are seeing in the classroom with student AI use right now is the lack of academic integrity. Can we cope with this movement of ignorance learning? Are we heading towards Carl Sagan's prophecy: a celebration of ignorance?
The academic system, mainly a faculty of archiving knowledge, is not very flexible, with respect to tech-know-logical innovations, i.e. due to its bureaucratic hierachical nature as well its pre-dominant state-funding, the academic system will respond with a substantial time-lag to AI tools of new research and education.
However, with respect to the mental or cognitive decay of whole modern societies, I do agree with Carl Sagan:
I have a foreboding of an America in my children's or grandchildren's time -- when the United States is a service and information economy; when nearly all the manufacturing industries have slipped away to other countries; when awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few, and no one representing the public interest can even grasp the issues; when the people have lost the ability to set their own agendas or knowledgeably question those in authority; when, clutching our crystals and nervously consulting our horoscopes, our critical faculties in decline, unable to distinguish between what feels good and what's true, we slide, almost without noticing, back into superstition and darkness... The dumbing down of American is most evident in the slow decay of substantive content in the enormously influential media, the 30 second sound bites (now down to 10 seconds or less), lowest common denominator programming, credulous presentations on pseudoscience and superstition, but especially a kind of celebration of ignorance.
Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark
Thanks, Dr Stephen I. Ternyik for your contribution to this discussion . The dangerous thing is "the mental or cognitive decay of whole modern societies" which I think is due to the unethical use of digital apps in education.
Am in agreement with your Khawla Muzahim Ali Alkareem observation that the unwise use of technology leads to modern moral (psycho-mental) dilemmas, in terms of irrational and unethical corruption of the human mind by unnatural speed and illusionary greed.
Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality. Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark
I see the scientist themselves as the biggest problem in modern scientific research. Faced with difficult situations, many scientists will either just fail to acknowledge their previous errors (since, it negates or partially negates much of their scientific careers) or even fabricate data. If you do an experiment and the results don't match your hypothesis (or that of your group/PI), and this hypothesis has been dealt a possibly fatal blow. This means you must at least revise, or abandon this initial hypothesis. This is the very basis of the true scientific method. The search for the truth. However, this is where the problems arise. A worker in such a position may be sent back to the laboratory bench with instructions to find appropriate results that fit the PI's hypothesis, or a career orientated rival will certainly do so. If this 'data' is not achieved the worker, in the very worst they may not continue to work for much longer in the lab/country, where they worked so hard to get to. Personally, I loved unexpected results, to me this meant the 'Universe was speaking to me' and I was about to discover something. However, from 3-4 decades of working at the laboratory bench (never rising above this position), I have come to the sad conclusion, that the cheats (largely concerned with their personal careers) rapidly rise to the very top, and almost always get away with it. I have known people who got 'great', but not controversial scientific findings, got a publication in a prestigious journal based on this data. This then catapulted their scientific careers on to tenure track positions at prestigious schools... However, their earlier work could not be reproduced, and negative data is much harder to publish, plus the original researcher will argue (if ever challenged) that their exact cell line or clone is no longer available etc., so their earlier work can't be tested. By the time it's finally known it was all BS (honest mistake at best/artifact/fluke/or fabrication at worst).... they are in an unassailable position as a World authority with 100s of publications to their name via large research teams. From my time at the laboratory bench I would say as much as 2/3rds of scientific manuscripts contain significant scientific errors.
Dear Dr. Philip G Penketh, thanks for your contribution to this discussion. In fact what you mentioned is a very crucial issue in academic institutions. Agree with what you " see the scientists themselves as the biggest problem in modern scientific research". Especially those recycling researchers.
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