ABSTRACT
Through logical reasoning and empirical discovery, scientists develop ideas about the nature of various aspects of the real world. As ideas accumulate about a particular phenomenon, a scientific consensus emerges about it and its underlying causes. This becomes the dominant interpretation and shapes the way scientists view the phenomenon in question. External influence refers to the role that social beliefs, values, and attitudes in the surrounding society have on scientific activity. The most famous case of external influence occurred during the Inquisition when Galileo was forced to recant his Copernican view of the universe. Medical science is a powerful force. It may be recalled that germ theory increased preventive behavior, as did knowledge about HIV. During the early epidemics, moral interpretations were far more powerful guides for societal reactions than scientific interpretations. Although there were many doctors of doom, there were also countervailing views in the scientific community.
