History Main / StupidScientist

-->'''How They're Going to Die''': Doing that thing where they treat the [[CuteMonster monster like it's cute]] but then it rips their face off.\\

* In ''Film/TheBirds'', the main characters meet an ornithologist who is in complete denial over the title creatures flocking together to attack humans.

-->-- '''Ogilvy''', ''Literature/TheWarOfTheWorlds1898''. ([[Music/JeffWaynesMusicalVersionOfTheWarOfTheWorlds But still]], [[AlienInvasion they come…]]])

-->-- '''Ogilvy''', ''Literature/TheWarOfTheWorlds1898''

* In ''Literature/TheStrangeCaseOfDoctorJekyllAndMrHyde'': The "great Dr. Lanyon, who lives in Cavendish Square, that citadel of medicine", was one of the oldest friends of Dr. Jekyll, but for the last ten years he has seen little of him, due to Jekyll’s '"unscientific balderdash". Jekyll is very disappointed by Lanyon, because Lanyon calls his theories "scientific heresies" and considers Lanyon "an excellent fellow... but a hide-bound pedant for all that; an ignorant, blatant pedant". Consider that Dr. Jekyll has three doctorates, he is a FRS (Fellow of the Real Society) [[note]]FRS has been described by The Guardian newspaper as ''the equivalent of a lifetime achievement Oscar''.[[/note]] and a famous doctor, in other words, Dr. Jekyll is a respected colleague and not just an [[TheCuckoolanderWasRight eccentric, insane or paranoid person who also happens to be right]]. At chapter nine, Dr. Lanyon pays the ultimate price for this error [[spoiler:when he witnesses Mr. Hyde mix up the transformation potion right before his eyes and take it to return to being Dr. Jekyll, but not before indulging a moment to mock Lanyon for his own mockery of Jekyll's work. The shock of this [[GodMadFromTheRevelation eventually kills him]].]]

* In ''Literature/TheStrangeCaseOfDoctorJekyllAndMrHyde'': The "great Dr. Lanyon, who lives in Cavendish Square, that citadel of medicine", was one of the oldest friends of Dr. Jekyll, but for the last ten years he has seen little of him, due to Jekyll’s '"unscientific balderlash". Jekyll is very disappointed by Lanyon, because Lanyon calls his theories "scientific heresies" and considers Lanyon "an excellent fellow... but a hide-bound pedant for all that; an ignorant, blatant pedant". Consider that Dr. Jekyll has three doctorates, he is a FRS (Fellow of the Real Society) [[note]]FRS has been described by The Guardian newspaper as ''the equivalent of a lifetime achievement Oscar''.[[/note]] and a famous doctor, in other words, Dr. Jekyll is a respected colleague and not just an [[TheCuckoolanderWasRight eccentric, insane or paranoid person who also happens to be right]]. At chapter nine, Dr. Lanyon pays the ultimate price for this error.

** Which is why it is stupid, anyway. We are talking about a super high-profile project, that no one has ever attempted before, comprising a park of dangerous animals for which the world knows next to nothing, and there is only ONE person responsible for the security system? This is one lousy security system and management of a project. The investors must be equally stupid to even allow this. It was a disaster waiting to happen rather than unpredictability, as described by Ian Malcolm.
*** The story tries to chalk it off with Hammond's obsession with automation, though "spared no expense" appears to be a big, fat lie, in any case. The book goes even further to the incredibly stupid mistakes made in the name of saving money or protecting the dinosaurs at the expense of human safety due to their monetary value. The AccidentalAesop ends up being "capitalism ruins science", not "life finds a way".

[[folder:Comics]]

* The Doctor from ''Webcomic/TheStupiders'', who not only didn't notice the extreme side effects of his work on the population of Earth, but suggested he should "fix" any so-called issues by creating more of what caused the problem to begin with!

* The quoted example is from ''Literature/TheWarOfTheWorlds'' by Creator/HGWells. Ogilvy, a "well-known astronomer", says that to the narrator at the beginning of the book, right when [[AlienInvasion Martian cylinders are heading to Earth.]] [[HilariousInHindsight Nice]]. To be fair, however, Ogilvy is trying to be rational, and at that point in the story he may be more accurately described personality-wise as an AgentScully.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'': the overwhelming majority of the Adeptus Mechanicus tends to show this kind of behavior, notably in regards to the Necrons. They will happily position major facilities over tomb-worlds and attempt to wake up sleeping Necrons which they see as agents of the Machine God, [[RobotWar without ever thinking of what happens when a sentient lifeform is detected by the Necrons...]]

* The ''[[WebAnimation/DorklyOriginals Dorkly]]'' article, “[[http://www.dorkly.com/post/60847/these-8-characters-are-definitely-going-to-die These Eight Characters are Definitely Going to Die]]”, includes in the list, "The Scientist".
-->'''How They’re Going to Die''': Doing that thing where they treat the [[CuteMonster monster like it’s cute]] but then it rips their face off.
-->'''Why''': Because [[ScienceIsBad doing experimental research and gathering evidence is the very height of man’s hubris]].

* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianDawn'': Subverted. Dr. Mobius is briefly mentioned in the intro as being expected to refute claims that Tiberium is dangerous. He is fascinated with its mutagenic properties, putting enthusiasm and almost gleeful fascination into its research, ignoring his surroundings or even basic rules of safety to the point that Kane refers to him as "an obvious lunatic". However, when later he learns of the disastrous effect Tiberium had on plants and animals, he changes his approach entirely, warning that it was potentially the greatest threat to humanity ever. He then dedicates himself to finding a cure for Tiberium-affected humans.

* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianDawn'': Subverted. Although a scientific genius and child prodigy, dr. Mobius is notoriously absent minded, as he focuses on his scientific research so much that he ignores his surroundings or even basic rules of safety. This trait has given him the doubtful honor of having risked his life more times than the average GDI commando, without actually stepping on the frontlines, to the point that Kane refers to him as "an obvious lunatic". He is fascinated with Tiberium and its mutagenic properties, putting enthusiasm and almost gleeful fascination into its research, while the player soon discovers that humans die horribly when walking in Tiberium fields. He's briefly mentioned in the intro as being expected to refute claims that Tiberium is dangerous. However, when later he learns of the disastrous effect this crystal entity had on plants and animals, he changes his approach entirely, warning that Tiberium was potentially the greatest threat to humanity ever. He then dedicates himself to finding a cure for Tiberium-affected humans.

* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianDawn'': Subverted. Although a scientific genius and child prodigy, dr. Mobius is notoriously absent minded, as he focuses on his scientific research so much that he ignores his surroundings or even basic rules of safety. This trait has given him the doubtful honor of having risked his life more times than the average GDI commando, without actually stepping on the frontlines, to the point that Kane refers to him as "an obvious lunatic". He is fascinated with Tiberium and its mutagenic properties, putting enthusiasm and almost gleeful fascination into its research, while the player soon discovers that humans die horribly when walking in Tiberium fields. However, when he learns of the disastrous effect Tiberium had on plants and animals, he changes his approach entirely, warning that Tiberium was potentially the greatest threat to humanity ever. He then dedicates himself to finding a cure for Tiberium-affected humans.