American Scientist

To the Editors:

Kudos to Islam Hussein for his debunking of a dangerous medical myth, at considerable personal risk, in his article “Science Communication Lessons from ‘Kofta-Gate’” (Science Communication, July–August). The Kofta-Gate delusion preyed on scientifically illiterate and medically underserved elements of a population in a nation where authoritarian rule tends to stifle the spirit of independent thought.

A similar scandal played out recently in the United States. Despite the dubious qualifications of its founder and the fantastic claims for its technology, Theranos Corporation attracted many normally savvy investors. [Theranos marketed “lab-on-a-chip” technology for blood tests. Its claims were debunked and its founders charged with fraud in 2018.] The difficulty of assaying numerous factors in tiny samples was one of many red flags.

How did the forces of greed and wishful thinking delude so many in a country so advanced in medical technology? What of the ever-expanding role of black-box “proprietary” technology, a tendency perhaps best called Artificial Ignorance? Hussein’s investigative work has deep relevance for the United States.

Jeff Freeman
Rahway, NJ