Scientific Research: Fake It Until You Make It

The kicker is that as allegations of fake research are increasing, only one scientist has been barred from receiving federal funding.
I find that amazing. Hundreds of allegations, reports of fake research going back as far as there has been research, and only one scientist barred. I guess we're a lot more forgiving of the guy who tells you something causes cancer than we are of the guy who steals money from his company. Somehow that doesn't sound right to me.
I've long said that science, like politics, is a result of the interactions of a lot of human beings. I know that it's common to feel that "science" is some great law in the sky -- sort of the like old image of the Ten Commandments. That somehow the word "science" has greater value that other words. But I'm not so sure. To me, science eventually figures out how things work. In the long run, its the best thing humanity has going for it. In the short run, however, at the small scale, it's just a bunch of smart schmucks trying to figure out what is the best thing to do. And like other people, they follow a herd mentality; they are guilty of preconceptions and prejudices. That's not an attempt to rag on scientists -- far from it. I'm just saying they are people like the rest of us. Perhaps we should consider more carefully what to do when they screw up.