This story was originally published in our Nov/Dec 2023 issue as "Science Sleuth" Click here to subscribe to read more stories like this one.
Science has a problem: It’s conducted by humans. Many of these humans follow the rules and procedures outlined by the scientific method and conduct themselves with integrity. But as with any sector of society, there are bad actors who cheat to get ahead.
In 1912, an archaeologist named Charles Dawson combined and altered pieces of human and ape skulls, claiming to have found the evolutionary “missing link” between humans and apes. His sham wasn’t discovered until 1953, after the invention of new bonedating techniques. Though Dawson couldn’t get away with this today, for every new technology that uncovers a fake, there’s another that provides a new way to fake findings.
