Viewpoint: Even lousy scientific articles can shield authors when they hype dubious health claims and products Barbara Pfeffer Billauer | October 2, 2026

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/10/02/viewpoint-even-lousy-scientific-articles-can-shield-authors-when-they-hype-dubious-health-claims-and-products/ Peer review in reputable journals gives scientific claims an authority that commercial speech rarely enjoys. But what happens when scientists carry that halo of authority out of the laboratory and into the marketplace, publicly attacking products while enjoying protections their manufacturers do not?