# Help me build a list of scientists/drs that have been proven to be liars
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-a-list-of-scientists-drs-that-have-been-proven-to-be-liars/664798
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [July 29, 2013, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-a-list-of-scientists-drs-that-have-been-proven-to-be-liars/664798 "2013-07-29T09:16:45Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2013, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-a-list-of-scientists-drs-that-have-been-proven-to-be-liars/664798/41 "2013-08-03T19:28:07Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#):
>
> [Alfred Steinschneider](http://books.google.com/books?id=dPHScmCibD8C&printsec=frontcover&dq=%22death+of+innocents%22+talan&hl=en&sa=X&ei=VQz8UZq1C4_C4AOI3IDYDA&ved=0CDEQuwUwAA#v=onepage&q=%22death%20of%20innocents%22%20talan&f=false)?
Would you care to explain a bit? The precis of the book at your link does not even mention this name, and although it talks about a scientific article (was he the author?) containing false information that almost led to child murderers going free, and perhaps other bad consequences, it does not make it clear whether this was a case of scientific fraud or merely scientific error. Unfortunately, scientists quite often do get things wrong, and promote false theories, and sometimes there are bad, real-world consequences of this, but errors and false theories are an inevitable part of how the scientific process works. Fraud is quite a different matter.
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### Author:  [@Bit\_Wise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bit_Wise)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2013, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-a-list-of-scientists-drs-that-have-been-proven-to-be-liars/664798/42 "2013-08-03T21:20:31Z")
A recent high profile case involved prominent evolutionary psychologist [Marc Hauser](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Hauser), who was forced to leave Harvard in 2011 after being found to have committed scientific misconduct.
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### Author:  [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2013, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-a-list-of-scientists-drs-that-have-been-proven-to-be-liars/664798/43 "2013-08-04T11:06:57Z")
[Diederik Stapel](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diederik_Stapel), a Dutch social psychologist. He was known for researching things like “meat eaters are more selfish than vegetarians”, and “chaotic environments promote discrimination”. He faked all his data.
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### Author:  [@SuperAbe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuperAbe)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2013, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-a-list-of-scientists-drs-that-have-been-proven-to-be-liars/664798/44 "2013-08-04T13:54:24Z")
> [@madrabbitwoman](#):
>
> As the title states anyone in a scientific field will do (ie doctors etc) - lying, dishonesty or proven to have done major unethical stuff. Just because I am curious.
[ul]
[li][Physicist Jan Hendrik Schön](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sch%C3%B6n_scandal) - a whole series of faked data on nanotechnology[/li][li][Anesthesiologist Joachim\_Boldt]([Joachim - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joachim) Boldt) - 90+ withdrawn studies (some pure falsification, some clinical trial failures of ethics)[/li][li][Yoshitaka Fujii](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshitaka_Fujii) - another fraudulent anesthesiologist (170+ falsified papers over decades)[/li][li][Scott Reuben](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Reuben) - still another recent anesthesia fraud (dozens of faked clinical trials)[/li][li][Naoki Mori](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naoki_Mori) - virologist with 30+ verified examples of scientific malfeasance[/li][li][Jon Sudbø](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Sudb%C3%B8) - oncologist with at least 15 fraudulent publications[/li][/ul]
[Retraction Watch](http://retractionwatch.wordpress.com/) is an investigative blog run by a pair of science journalists that focuses on exposing scientific fraud and research misconduct - its a great resource (though a bit dense for the non-professional at times).
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### Author:  [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2013, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-a-list-of-scientists-drs-that-have-been-proven-to-be-liars/664798/45 "2013-08-04T14:55:27Z")
Sir Roy Meadows of SIDS fame. Many women were sent to prison because of him.
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2013, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-a-list-of-scientists-drs-that-have-been-proven-to-be-liars/664798/46 "2013-08-04T18:14:40Z")
> [@njtt](#):
>
> Would you care to explain a bit? The precis of the book at your link does not even mention this name, and although it talks about a scientific article (was he the author?) containing false information that almost led to child murderers going free, and perhaps other bad consequences, it does not make it clear whether this was a case of scientific fraud or merely scientific error. Unfortunately, scientists quite often do get things wrong, and promote false theories, and sometimes there are bad, real-world consequences of this, but errors and false theories are an inevitable part of how the scientific process works. Fraud is quite a different matter.
Mrs. Hoyt admitted to killing her children and Steinschneider, then president of the American SIDS Institute, maintains they died of SIDS.
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2013, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-build-a-list-of-scientists-drs-that-have-been-proven-to-be-liars/664798/47 "2013-08-04T18:21:27Z")
[Nurses in the '70s knew what was really happening to the children and told Steinschneider but he wouldn’t have any of it.](http://articles.latimes.com/1997/oct/20/health/he-44680/2)
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