Stem Cells On Mars: Pimping Your Paper And The Seduction Of Sexy Science
Sunday, September 4, 2011 - 12:40
in Biology & Nature
I have found evidence of stem cells on Mars!Actually, I haven't, but what if I took pictures of Martian soil with my trusty microscope and claimed that certain formations were fossilized stem cells...and somehow I published that sexy paper? And what if I really believed it were true, but alas I was wrong?What would be the consequences?I admit that sexy papers get my attention. Like most scientists, I am drawn to exciting ideas, but do sexy papers have a positive or negative overall influence on science?The electronic interactions between scientists and journals these days is akin to online dating, and scientists are pimping their papers (meaning dressing them up as sexy) more than ever to editors. read more