This is a fascinating article, and rather unusual for the reliably liberal Times. Even if you think you have no interest in the social sciences, please read it and you will recognize that you either do, or should. From these hallowed halls of academia arise all sorts of research resulting in broad and often far-reaching sociological conclusions, edicts and 'new understandings' that can impact every facet of our lives, including education, health care and even what constitutes our societal norms. If the only people providing us with this information already have strong opinions based on personal ideology, then science is not only not being served, it is not being practiced in any objective sense of the word.
Can you imagine if nearly all of 100 scientists doing research on a particular project (let's say poverty in Appalachia) were found to be staunch conservatives, what affect that would have on how their research was received? Would skepticism regarding the results be expected? Should it be?
