When Science Overreaches

Research Focus

We redefine scientific overreach as a problem of jurisdictional trespass rather than a lack of information or evidence. We argue that modern science often intervenes in ways that produce multigenerational consequences, yet it lacks the institutional ability to maintain enduring responsibility for those effects. To address this gap, we examine Indigenous law, specifically the Anangu principle of Kanyini, as a framework where authority and custodianship are inseparable. Unlike Western ethics or governance, which focus on justifying an action, Kanyini establishes that an intervention is only legitimate if the actor can carry the resulting obligations indefinitely. We also suggest that Indigenous law offers a vital boundary for epistemic authority by insisting that the capacity to know does not grant a right to act without sustained care.