There are lies, damned lies, and ways to answer to questions at scientific conferences when you just don't know the answer
Almost 2000 individuals participated in an instant poll sponsored by the Science Advisory Board designed to assess whether one's honesty or one's ego was more important in the biomedical sciences.
When placed in a high-pressure situation-presenting one's work at an important conference, only 3% of the respondents admitted that they would make up an answer when asked a question that they did not know.
In sharp contrast, over half of the participants would in fact confess to not being able to provide an answer, suggesting that integrity is valued more than reputation.
Of the remaining 46% of the respondents, the majority (36%) would not quite admit to not knowing the answer, but instead stated that they would need to check on a few details and would follow-up privately with the questioner later.
The last 10% would elect to rephrase the original question into a question that they could answer. "It certainly takes a great deal of professional confidence to admit in front of one's peers that one may not be as smart as one is thought to be" observes Tamara Zemlo, director of scientific and medical communications for the Science Advisory Board.
"However, the relatively high percentage of people who don't quite come out and say that they do not know (but do not outright lie), convinces me that professional pride is still an important characteristic of the scientific and medical professions."
