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Censorship of Science
Censorship—that is, changing or suppressing publications and communications for political, religious, military, or other purposes—has occurred throughout the history of science and still happens today. Censorship undermines the progress of science by interfering with the free and open exchange of ideas, which is essential for scholarly debate, collaboration, peer review, replication of results, and education. History demonstrates that science thrives in an environment where researchers can share ideas and information freely and openly, and that it stagnates when censorship is common. Although censorship is widely recognized as an anathema to science, there are legitimate reasons for restricting the flow of scientific information in some situations. Difficult ethical and political dilemmas arise when scientists conduct research that can be used to cause significant harm to society, ...
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