2 ms·

Think about it the other way...what would happen if they didn't cheat? Imagine spending 6 of your prime years in a lab doing experiments that refused to work..

• rdtsc 3y ago
  > Imagine spending 6 of your prime years in a lab doing experiments that refused to work...your hypothesis is totally wrong, etc. It is not hard to imagine a student in this situation resorting to this option, because it is barely an exaggeration to say their life depends on it. Actually that might be ok if the system allowed just publishing the results and saying "I had this hypothesis and it didn't work, here are the experimental results". However, the main problem is they watch others around them who bend the rules and get away with it and succeed. The system overall seems to reward cheating, so they get "on board" with it, thus perpetuation the system. Even more, once it becomes pervasive, the standards are raised for everyone. Now those who don't cut corners, to put it very mildly, are not even able to compete. Honest works becomes impossible. The choice is either leave or start cheating.