[STAP Cell] Does it really exist????

We could know the result about STAP Cell research from the board of investigation in RIKEN yesterday. (Former article:[STAP Cell > easy explanation] Does it really exist? Nobody knows except researchers. But I believe still there is a hope.)

RIKEN announced like this.

1. The photo of STAP cell on the paper is doctored? >> Justified

2. The photo of placenta looks like same even the experiment is different. >> Justified

3. One of the photo of gene analysis is cut-and-paste? >> Unjustified: falsification

4. Did they copy the experiment technique from the other paper? >> Justified

5. The experiment technique is different from the actual procedure. >> Justified

6. Did Ms. Obogata divert the photo from her doctor's thesis? >> Unjustified: fabricated

They made a conclusion that Ms. Obogata did two fraudulent acts for the research. Her research collaborators: Mr. Wakayama and Mr. Kasai didn't do any fraudulent act but they didn't check her paper properly so they bear grave responsibility. 

I am so sad that Ms. Obogata did such things. I still can't believe it but this is the truth even today is April 1st. Why did she do this? Why RIKEN coudn't figure it out? We got a sad result but it is in many ways a mystery. A big mystery is "does STAP cell really exist???". We just want to know about it. The board of investigation, they just investigated whether there was a fraud. They said it is outside the reach of their investigation it may or may not exist.

I usually want to post a good and a nice thing of Japan or Japanese on this blog so this article is contrary to my intention but now I just want to know STAP exists or not.

Next article > [STAP Cell] Ms.Obogata's apology and objection

Thank you!

Aki