Carl Elliott, "The Occasional Human Sacrifice: Medical Experimentation and the Price of Saying No" (Norton, 2024)

The podcast explores the phenomenon of whistleblowing in medical research, particularly cases of research ethics violations. Carl Elliott, author of "The Occasional Human Sacrifice," discusses why whistleblowers, who expose wrongdoing within their own organizations, are often omitted from the narratives of research scandals. He highlights that many insiders remain silent for years, and exposure usually comes from victims' families. Drawing on historical cases like the Tuskegee Syphilis Study and the story of John Passando, Elliott argues that whistleblowers are often driven by a sense of personal honor rather than professional ethics. The discussion also addresses the rigid hierarchies and the sense of righteousness within academic medicine that can stifle dissent and protect unethical research practices.