Chemist resigns over doctored data

Discussion in 'Chemistry' started by sandy, Sep 21, 2009.

  1. sandy Banned Banned

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    ZURICH – Switzerland's top technology institute says a U.S. chemist has resigned as head of research after scientific data were found to have been manipulated. The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, or ETH, says Peter Chen acknowledged responsibility as head of the research group that published the doctored data in 1999 and 2000.

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090921...Ec2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yeQRzbGsDdXNjaGVtaXN0bGVh

    So what happens now? What should happen now? What if his data was used to make big decisions? Life-affecting decisions?
     
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  3. leopold Valued Senior Member

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    it isn't the first time data has been "doctored", and it sure won't be the last.

    peer review goes a long way to expose this sort of thing.
     
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  5. sandy Banned Banned

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    Agreed, but what should be done now? With the doctored data? With the fraud chemist?
     
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  7. Nasor Valued Senior Member

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    The article is annoyingly lacking in specifics as to what sort of data was doctored.
     
  8. sandy Banned Banned

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  9. Bishadi Banned Banned

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    Wow.............. i guess you are not familiar with the industry of science?!?!

    that is what today's world is about, "the business of science"

    and what is worse is when a real breakthru is found and the 'business' of the proprietary substantiates withholding material data until a product is patented.

    all over the world right now, people are defining similar phenomenon but with difference terminology because of this very reality

    Just had a neat idea, wouldn't that be a cool field of employment; become a watch dog within the industry of scientific publications?

    If i found a company withholding evidence that is a breakthrough and achievement to mankind, for business reasons; i tink the people should know about it!

    And if any submit for public funding and fraudulently misrepresented???? Ouch!

    That's enough to piss off Mary Poppins herself!
     
  10. sandy Banned Banned

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    I'm not familiar with forging data and punishment. I have read about some cases and always find the researcher's excuse interesting.
     
  11. tuberculatious Banned Banned

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    A scientists that commit fraud should pay back all the money he got from the government.
     
  12. Nasor Valued Senior Member

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    The thing that always confuses the hell out of me about these cases is that these people MUST know they're going to get caught. You just can't fake data if it's something at all important. Sooner or later other people are going to try to reproduce your data and catch you. You can only get away with faking data if it's something really unimportant that no on is likely to care about or try to reproduce, in which case there's little point in doing it anyway.
     
  13. sandy Banned Banned

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    I don't get that, either.
     
  14. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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    So they get fired and lose their reputation, so much for getting grants or tenure.
     
  15. sandy Banned Banned

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    But then we've wasted so much money on them. And that's part of why so many people want funding to stop.
     
  16. John99 Banned Banned

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    this is much more widespread than people acknowledge. i dont mind it so much because sometimes cutting edge needs to go out on a limb. when people work on something they want to believe it, sometimes desperately and many times it is wrong.
     
  17. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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    People want science funding to stop? I really doubt that. It helps private industry tremendously.
     
  18. tuberculatious Banned Banned

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    most science isn't important. if it was they would have cured cancer and hepatitis B.
     
  19. Dywyddyr Penguinaciously duckalicious. Valued Senior Member

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    Spoken like a non-sceantist.
    What on Earth makes you think cancer and hepatitis B are worth considering?
    What's really important is going faster and/ or blowing stuff up.
    That's real sceance.
     
  20. tuberculatious Banned Banned

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    that is true. but when was the last good invention? That was the H-bomb. that was yonks ago. Where are the anti-matter bombs that could split a planet in two?
     
  21. Dywyddyr Penguinaciously duckalicious. Valued Senior Member

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    We're looking at the "going faster" bit now.

    Hush, everyone will want one!
    (Slight technical problem: we can't get it so the two pieces are equal in size. Neatness counts).
     
  22. tuberculatious Banned Banned

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    if you are on the half that is hurled into the sun you really wouldn't care if your half is neat.
     
  23. sandy Banned Banned

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    Some do. Some want the money spent on more domestic projects like feeding the poor, welfare, the economy etc. I think science is important.
     

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