How to Rule the World: An Education in Power at Stanford University

The investigation into Tessier-Lavigne’s research takes place against the backdrop of a reproducibility crisis in biomedical science, where many published findings cannot be independently verified. Journalist Laurie Udesky affirms that “nearly three-quarters of biomedical researchers think there is a reproducibility crisis in science […] The leading cause cited for that crisis was ‘pressure to publish’” (Udesky, Laurie. “‘Publish or Perish’ Culture Blamed for Reproducibility Crisis.” Nature, Springer Science and Business Media LLC, Jan. 2025). Forensic experts known as scientific sleuths, who scrutinize published papers for evidence of misconduct, are spearheading efforts to address this crisis. Nature, a prominent peer-reviewed science journal notes that “[f]or years, scientific sleuths have been catching and drawing attention to instances of falsification, fabrication and plagiarism in science” (“Sleuths and Scientific Institutions Are Not Rivals.” Nature, vol. 643, no. 8074, Springer Science and Business Media LLC, July 2025, pp. 1158–58). An ongoing debate exists in the scientific community over the degree to which the methods and practices of scientific sleuthing should be formalized and/or regulated. 

Microbiologist Elisabeth Bik, whom Baker works with in his book to investigate the allegations against Tessier-Levigne, specializes in identifying digitally altered images. H. Holden Thorp, the editor-in-chief of Science also referenced in Baker’s book, notes that “Image sleuths who can detect these alterations, like the scientific integrity consultant Elisabeth Bik, have risen to prominence, as has the website PubPeer, where many of the detected flaws are posted” (Thorp, H. Holden. “Genuine Images In 2024.” Science, vol. 383, no. 6678, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Jan. 2024, pp. 7–7). The visual results of Western blots—a laboratory technique used to detect specific proteins—are presented as images in papers, but they can be manipulated through copying, splicing, or other digital alterations to create the appearance of desired results. Bik, whom Baker calls his “first fearless source” (304), analyzes Tessier-Lavigne’s papers and finds that some contain “apparent manipulation of research data” (284). This scientific context provides the foundation for a student journalist to challenge a world-renowned scientist. 

Baker leveraged the expertise of figures like Bik to validate concerns and give them institutional weight. The scandal prompted journals like Science to implement safeguards. released a statement addressing “High-profile incidents, such as one involving the laboratory of former Stanford University President Marc Tessier-Lavigne, have eroded public confidence in science and harmed careers of investigators who missed doctored images coming from their own laboratories” (Thorp). He assured readers that “to address these problems, in 2024, the Science family of journals is adopting the use of Proofig, an AI-powered image-analysis tool, to detect altered images across all six of the journals” (Thorp). The implementation of more rigorous vetting practices demonstrates how the case contributed to systemic reforms in scientific publishing.