Fake science is spreading faster than real research
A recent study warns that fake scientific papers are spreading way faster than real ones—fraudulent research is doubling every 1.5 years, while legit science takes 15 years to double.
This sharp rise in misconduct is making it harder to trust what's published.
Just 45 editors were linked to over 30% of retractions
Researchers found that just 45 editors were linked to over 30% of retracted or flagged papers in a major journal, even though they handled only a tiny fraction of submissions.
Many nominated each other as reviewers and even wrote questionable studies themselves, creating networks that let fake science slip through.
This organized fraud especially messes with fields like medicine
This organized fraud especially messes with fields like medicine, where bad studies can shape clinical guidelines.
These editor networks are often at the root of big misconduct cases.
While publishers now use AI tools and stricter rules to catch fraud, breaking up these deep-rooted networks is still a tough job for science today.