Impostores de la ciencia: Historias reales fraude y engaño en ciencia

Science is not made by infallible heroes, but by people. And, as in any human endeavor, alongside the majority who work with rigor, there are those who manipulate, fabricate, or plagiarize results to gain recognition, funding, or prestige. What happens when the pursuit of truth is replaced by ambition? How much damage can scientific fraud cause? "Impostors of Science" delves into the less visible side of research: breaches of scientific integrity. Through real-life cases--from historical frauds to recent scandals--it analyzes how data is falsified, how so-called "article mills" operate, and why some researchers repeat these offenses for years before being discovered. It also examines the consequences: loss of resources, institutional discredit, risks to public health, and the erosion of social trust in science. Drawing on Lluís Montoliu's direct experience on ethics and scientific integrity committees, the book explains the mechanisms in place to detect these practices, how retractions work, and why ethics training remains an unresolved issue. Recognizing the problem does not mean discrediting science, but rather protecting what sustains it: intellectual honesty and collective trust in knowledge.