Debunked Science: Studies Take Heat in 2011

"2011 may go down as the year of the retraction in the scientific world."

"Among the highly publicized discoveries that got debunked this year: a genetic basis for longevity; a new form of life; an explanation for autism; and a link between a virus and chronic fatigue syndrome."

"All of these non-discoveries have something in common: They involved findings that both scientists and the public badly wanted to believe."

"One thing most people would like to believe is that science can help us live to be 100. So it was no surprise that people got pretty excited about a 2010 study in the journal Science that offered a genetic explanation for long life."