dr. irving selikoff

From the 1960’s to the early 90’s, Dr. Irving J. Selikoff was both renowned for his pioneering research on the dangers of asbestos, and reviled for allegedly making exaggerated claims against the asbestos industry. In their recent article, “Science is Not Sufficient: Irving J. Selikoff and the Asbestos Tragedy,” Jock McCulloch and Geoffrey Tweedale revisit Dr. Selikoff’s life, illustrating how his landmark research helped shed light on a public health tragedy. McCulloch and Tweedale, both historians with a long-term interest in the asbestos industry, decided to spotlight the late asbestos researcher because, “Nothing of any value had been written about Dr. Selikoff, despite his importance in changing public attitudes in the U.S. toward asbestos,” according to Dr. McCulloch. Their article…