La difícil consecución de la evidencia científica: la evaluación de riesgos de la sacarina

Jordi Vallverdú I Segura

doi:10.48160/18517072re21.441

Autores/as

Jordi Vallverdú I Segura Departament de Filosofia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.48160/18517072re21.441

Palabras clave:

causalidad, evidencia, controversia, evaluación de riesgos, sacarina

Resumen

Cuando surgen divergencias en torno de la causalidad de un evento o de la consecución de evidencia suficiente sobre los hechos estudiados suelen aparecer controversias científicas. La evaluación de riesgos implica un uso multidisciplinar de prácticas científicas que dificulta el consenso y estimula las controversias. La clausura de tales controversias se torna altamente compleja. El artículo utiliza un estudio de caso que abarca un lapso temporal amplio, el transcurrido entre el descubrimiento (1876) y la declaración de inocuidad (2000) de la sacarina, el primer edulcorante sintético de la historia y de gran uso en las sociedades de nuestros días. A través del caso, se propone una reflexión sobre la dificultad que se presenta cuando se trata de establecer relaciones causales claras y un consenso sobre la evidencia científica en los procesos de evaluación de riesgos.

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