Source: Etienne Klein, Twitter.
Etienne Klein took to twitter last week and apologized for his scientific ‘prank’ which was to remind people not to believe everything they see.
Klein, a scientist, and director of France’s Atomic Energy Commission published a picture on Twitter last week that supposedly depicted the closest star to our sun, which is called the Proxima Centauri.
However, unknown to many but known to Klein, the picture was actually depicting a slice of chorizo.
Photo de Proxima du Centaure, l’étoile la plus proche du Soleil, située à 4,2 année-lumière de nous.
Elle a été prise par le JWST.
Ce niveau de détails… Un nouveau monde se dévoile jour après jour. pic.twitter.com/88UBbHDQ7Z— Etienne KLEIN (@EtienneKlein) July 31, 2022
The caption reads “ Photo of Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the Sun, located 4.2 light years from us. She was taken by the JWST [James Webb Telescope]. This level of detail… A new world is revealed day after day.”
Underneath the photo of the ‘space chorizo’ and prank he told people to watch out for misinformation.
“Well, when it’s time for the aperitif, cognitive biases seem to have a field day… Beware, then, of them. According to contemporary cosmology, no object belonging to Spanish charcuterie exists anywhere but on Earth.”
He went onto clarify even further calling it an “amusement” but warned people to be “wary of arguments from authority as mas as of the spontaneous eloquence of certain images”.
Klein later issued a formal apology about the chorizo saying, “I present my apologies to those whom my hoax, which had nothing original about it, may have shocked”.
But that hasn’t stopped Twitter from voicing their opinion with some saying the hoax was genius.
As a world-renowned microbiologist I would like to share my most recent images of a human cell under the electron microscope. pic.twitter.com/RNQXhperqq
— Nauseously Optimistic??? (@couchonroof) August 6, 2022
Ha ha. Anybody should be able to tell that's not a star. People on the internet are too uptight. Everyone should be able to enjoy a joke. Well done Etienne for being in a position of authority but still having a sense of humour. : )
— Mat Hill (@Anduril42) August 5, 2022
Although others claim it went too far.
Bad conduct does not excuse bad conduct. Your hoax hurts science at a time when many already doubt science. Shame on you.
Une mauvaise conduite n'excuse pas une mauvaise conduite. Votre canular blesse la science à un moment où beaucoup doutent déjà de la science. Honte à toi. https://t.co/c6aqd7DpCx
— Dr. DaShanne Stokes (@DaShanneStokes) August 5, 2022
C’est quand même très décevant qu’un scientifique de votre niveau se laisse aller à des manipulations pareilles au point d’affaiblir en instillant des doutes la portée de certaines decouvertes scientifiques futures. Affligeant!
— Aristote (@Grand_Aristote) August 4, 2022
