Peer Review On Trial

Peer Review Gone Wrong
or, A Cynic's Manifesto

This behavior should get your scientific knickers in a knot: https://theintercept.com/2018/02/23/3m-lawsuit-pfcs-pollution/

Essentially, 3M used perfluorinated chemicals in the production of some of their products (like Scotchgard). Research has demonstrated that such chemicals may harm humans, other organisms, and the environment when they seep into the ground water.

The State of Minnesota sued 3M for this; 3M settled the case for less than 1/5 the amount of the lawsuit, and all without admitting wrongdoing. And 3M had the gall to release a statement describing the settlement as "consistent with 3M’s long history of environmental stewardship."

With 'environmental stewards' like that, who needs polluters?...

Just as outrageously (perhaps more so, if you're an early-career researcher!), this article points out that Minnesota's lawsuit named a widely-published professor, Dr. John Giesy, who allegedly took money from 3M while putting obstacles to publication in the path of scientists whose work showed that perfluorinated chemicals can be dangerous.

State's evidence includes this e-mail, and this particularly damning one, which shows that Giesy knew perfectly well that he was protecting 3M and its interests.

***