Ivermectin COVID-19 Scandal Shows How Vulnerable Science Is to Fraud

Haruko Obokata published two papers in January 2014 that described how regular blood cells could be turned into pluripotent stem cells.

At the time, this was a coup – it dramatically simplified a previously complicated process and opened up new vistas of medical and biological research, while neatly sidestepping the bioethical considerations of using human embryos to harvest stem cells.

Moreover, the process for this was straightforward, and involved applying a weak acid solution or mechanical pressure – oddly similar to how you'd clean a rust stain off a knife.

Within a few days, scientists noticed some of the images in the paper were irregular. And a broader skepticism began. Could it really be that simple?

As the experiments were simple and the biologists were curious, attempts to replicate the papers' findings began immediately. They failed. By February, Obokata's institute had launched an investigation. By March, some of the paper's co-authors were disavowing the methods. By July, the papers were retracted.

Complete article here. 

We’ve all met science skeptics online, and this is one case where skepticism was warranted. The problem I find though, is that skeptics are often skeptical of established science while being absolutely certain of the validity of dubious research like Ivermectin. 

How do we cultivate a healthy level of skepticism without falling prey to charlatans? Especially when even scientists and medical experts are fooled?

- Jamie T.