A scientist would look at the horrific weather of the 1930s, and try to figure out why it happened.
A crook would simply alter the data – to make the 1930s disappear.
http://news.google.com/newspapers
http://news.google.com/newspapers
The Tuscaloosa News – Google News Archive Search
12 Apr 1935 – DUST BLAST AGAIN SWEEPS MID-WEST U.S.A. Last Hop…
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/2392462?
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/29178681?
http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/064/mwr-064-07-c1.pdf
http://news.google.com/newspapers
http://news.google.com/newspapers
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/41498474?
http://news.google.com/newspapers
02 Aug 1934 – AMERICAN DROUGHT. Human Death Roll Reaches 1,350.
28 Jul 1934 – AMERICAN DROUGHT DESTRUCTION OF CATTLE HEAVY HUM…
1933
http://news.google.com/newspapers
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/16978063?
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/36461163
http://news.google.com/newspapers
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/35178367
The tooth fairy, an honest climate scientist and an old drunk were walking along when they suddenly spotted a hundred-dollar bill laying in the street.
Who gets the bill?
The old drunk of course, the other two are mythological creatures.
They have too much invested now in this theory. If it turns out they grossly exaggerated, they are likely to be in no more trouble than if they ever get caught altering data. (Which is possible but perhaps a worthwhile low risk for them.)
For decades doctors performed millions of completely unnecessary tonsillectomies. Their justification? Well, the procedures were within the approved guidelines of their professional associations. (Science based evidence was never required, just appeals to authority.)
As far as I am aware, these practices were changed slowly but no doctors ever got “caught” or “punished” for “cheating”.
I remember the days that if you caught committing scientific misconduct, you got your ass whooped.
Not so much now.