The Debunking of Oliver Sacks

When it comes to popularizing science, Oliver Sacks had few peers. The work of the neurologist and author was made into movies, inspired doctors and writers, has been featured in documentaries, and, of course, sold countless books.

Now Sacks is the leading exhibit in what looks like an epidemic of popular science debunking. In The New Yorker earlier this month, Rachel Aviv showed how many of his writings on neurological conditions significantly embellished their key claims. Sacks made the stories more dramatic and interesting than they really were, and in some cases, his tales may not have been real in the first place.