A scientist who has been trying to reproduce STAP cells—a new type of stem cells—and has been regularly blogging about his progress has given up. “I don’t think STAP cells exist and it will be a waste of manpower and research funding to carry on with this experiment any further,” wrote Kenneth Ka-Ho Lee, an embryologist and stem cell researcher at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, on his ResearchGate page yesterday. Though he is giving up, he hopes others will continue to investigate whether the new approach—which has been dogged by controversy and claims of research misconduct—can really lead to stem cells. (1)
When is it the right time to stop believing?
When is it the right time to stop hoping?
When is it the right time to quit?
Unscientific questions, defining Science…