September 8, 2000

Rash Action in a Lab; a Case of Writers' Block

By LAWRENCE DOUGLAS and ALEXANDER GEORGE

DEAR ACADEMIC ETHICIST: I run a molecular-biology lab, researching serotonin uptake. I believe I have made a discovery that, if validated, promises to end all anxiety- and depression-related mental disorders. Unfortunately, my initial data have stubbornly resisted replication, and my current National Science Foundation grant was scheduled to expire at the end of the year. In order to secure more funding, I sent in a new grant application with fudged results, and also published