title: Failure to consider a radically new scientific idea or theory.
abstract: From plate tectonics theory to psychoneuroimmunology, to medical uses of marijuana, and controlled drinking by alcoholics, there has been a consistent failure by scientists and medical researchers to consider radically new ideas and theories. A review and analysis of these cases and other examples identified numerous reasons or barriers for this failure. Learning from these episodes of failure requires attention to and reflection on these barriers, an understanding of how the scientific process progresses and scientific knowledge evolves, and a willingness to test and evaluate these new ideas and theories before passing final judgment on them.
authors.affiliation: Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. michael.montagne@mcphs.edu
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Montagne
mesh_terms: D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D011582:Psychological Theory; D012586:Science / Q000266:history*