Scientific Journals Publish Fake Paper Based On 'Star Trek'
Scientific journals contain peer reviewed materials which is why it's baffling how someone was able to fool a number of them into publishing a paper based solely on the storied "Star Trek" franchise. The anonymous "biologist" submitted a paper based purely on an episode of the sci-fi franchise and was able to get it featured in four different journals.
According to io9, the paper based its "findings" on the "Star Trek: Voyager" episode "Threshold" where Captain Janeway authorises Tom Paris' attempt to break the transwarp barrier - which he does, but at a price. By travelling at warp 10, he accelerates the human evolution process which results in him being turned into an amphibian.
Sounds too farfetched right? Not according to four different journals who accepted this biologist's paper titled "Rapid Genetic and Developmental Morphological Change Following Extreme Celerity." It was even featured on the American Research Journal of Biosciences, who only asked for $50 in exchange.
The paper's author was later revealed to be a "BioTrekkie" going by the name Doctor Lewis Zimmerman. Zimmerman also happens to be the "Star Trek" holoengineer and scientist who created the Emergency Medical Hologram. The author also thanked the United Federation of Planets along with Brannon Braga, Voyager's producer.
The author reportedly wanted to show just how easy it is to get well-known scientific journals to publish phony stories with just the right amount of cash. He even deliberately added fake science terms such as "warp speed" and other obvious clues like character names in hopes of having someone from these these supposedly peer reviewed journals call his bluff.
Sadly though nobody did, adding credence to the idea that some journals will publish anything for the right price. Obviously, the paper has since been pulled from the website following coverage of several news outlets revealed it was fake.
