Papers in Nature magazine suggest a dramatic breakthrough in stem cell research.

(Jan.) Written by a team of doctors in Boston and Japan, the two papers suggest that stem cell creation can be dramatically accelerated simply by placing them in an acid bath and that adult stem cells can be prodded to revert to an embryonic state. The papers’ findings are later called into question when one member of the team is accused of fabricating some of the data. Another member of the team subsequently commits suicide. Three papers disproving the original papers’ findings are published on September 23, 2015.