By David Cyranoski – New York Times
Science is known for rigorous self-policing by the research community, yet it can seem that scientific fraud is rampant. Why do frauds think they can get away with it?
The story of Hwang Woo-suk, a South Korean scientist who gained notoriety for claiming to clone human embryos, provides clues. After leaving the field in disgrace, he has landed in clover and now spends his days cloning beauty show and racing camels for United Arab Emirates royalty.
Dr. Hwang’s story is re-entering the public eye nearly 20 years after his fall from grace with two new documentaries, on Netflix and YouTube. His improbable career should prompt reassessment of popular assumptions about the effectiveness of science’s supposed self-correcting system and recognition of the ways in which it can fail to deter or discipline misconduct.
