All of these scientific errors, as well as the incorrect assumption about the correlation between brain and skull shape, contributed to some dangerously false impressions about the intelligence of different races. Despite all the evidence against the old phrenology, the science still has its proponents. Amazingly enough, many of the basic principles of phrenology have actually been incorporated into modern sciences such as neuroscience. It has now been determined that, although brain shape cannot be determined by skull bumps, the brain does have regions that control specific operations. Modern science recognizes phrenology s basic concepts, although obviously not its conclusions about racial superiority.
Phrenology is an example of the dangers of biased science and misconstrued data.
By nature, people are likely to believe science because numbers and data give it credibility. In the case of phrenology, it led to wrong assumptions about the superiority of the white race and gave a justification for slavery. Writers like Robert M. Bird spread these ideas to the general public, which probably led to a greater acceptance of the slave trade. The fact that an error like this had such a crucial impact on the fate of an entire race puts a shadow of doubt on the credibility of science today. A small error in scientific logic could be causing major misconceptions in our society.