This is exactly why whistleblowers matter - and why institutions hate them. When scientists are pressured to fake results just to survive, the system's already broken. And when people expose that rot - whether it's inside a pharma lab or through leaks like WikiLeaks - they're treated like criminals instead of heroes. The COVID example you mentioned shows how messy things get when politics, fear, and public messaging intersect with science. It's a reminder that open debate and skepticism shouldn't be taboo - those are key to good science. Anyway ... We often say "trust the science" but we forget that science is done by people - people with careers, egos, and sometimes dirty incentives.... Real trust comes from transparency, not blind faith. If exposing fraud gets you fired or silenced, how can we pretend the system is built on truth? This is the question. Even so, the real heresy isn't questioning authority - it's pretending it never lies...