Scientific Errors Persist and Propagate Through 'Synthetic Consensus' in Modern Knowledge Systems
A critical issue in modern science is the persistence and propagation of errors, leading to what is termed 'synthetic consensus.' This phenomenon occurs when the perceived credibility of a scientific claim arises primarily from its repetition and reproduction across various knowledge systems, rather than from independent empirical validation. Historically, science was believed to be self-correcting, with errors eventually identified and displaced. However, the current rate of error creation and propagation, particularly through mechanisms like paper mills and generative AI, now outpaces the capacity for correction. This means that flawed claims, once embedded, continue to be cited and reinforced across papers, reviews, textbooks, databases, and AI systems, even after retractions or disproofs. 
