One of the pillars of Western Civilization has been corrupted, with profound negative consequences for our material and moral well-being. The huge amounts of money available from governments for scientific research, and the consequent high stakes involved in being published in peer-reviewed journals has almost inevitably led to dishonesty and conspiracy. Now, an actual conspiracy, a “peer review ring” has been discovered by one scientific journal and exposed. Fred Barbash reports in the Washington Post: A “peer review and citation ring” was apparently rigging the review process to get articles published. You’ve heard of prostitution rings, gambling rings and extortion rings. Now there’s a “peer review ring.” The publication is the Journal of Vibration and Control (JVC). It publishes papers with names like “Hydraulic engine mounts: a survey” and “Reduction of wheel force variations with...(Read Full Post)