Even the truth can be manipulated to deliberately mislead us. That is the argument put forward by Northeastern University philosopher David Freeborn in his latest paper, “Industrial Distraction.” The assistant professor’s research, due to be published in the Philosophy of Science journal in January, explores when big business, corporations and trade bodies fund and share research that is accurate and high quality, but nonetheless is intended to mislead. Freeborn, along with his co-author Cailin O’Connor from UC Irvine, give the example of Coca-Cola investing in research that investigated the benefits of exercise to health and its impact on weight and diet-related diseases. 

For the full story, please visit https://news.northeastern.edu/2025/01/14/corporate-research-industrial-distraction/.