It's nice to see someone put numbers around this. Of course, the researcher could be part of the conspiracy... Every time I hear a conspiracy that requires lar

It's nice to see someone put numbers around this. Of course, the researcher could be part of the conspiracy... Every time I hear a conspiracy that requires large numbers of people (>1000 especially) to stay quiet - especially when there is good motivation for someone to not keep the secret - I roll my eyes. My favorite in that regard is climate change. The justification for the conspiracy is generally to get research dollars. But with oil companies and other political interests offering generous funding for anti-climate change results, there's a motivation for breaking with the conspiracy. Beyond that, scientists tend to be motivated more by glory than by money, and by knowledge more than by glory. Truth-seekers cannot be easily bribed. And a scientist who disproved climate change effectively would be turning the science world on its ear. There's nothing more glorious for a scientist than substantially changing consensus.