This really spoils it for those of us who don't cheat. I'm constantly trying to use science as a defense for my opinions and beliefs and often get the response : "But so many scientists are caught lying , who do we know to trust?". The problem here is that the general public doesn't have the ability to distinguish good science from bad and now they've lost faith in the very people who are supposed to be there to help them navigate through this maze. As a scientist it's also extremely hard not to take this personally. In a lot of ways the science is being done FOR the public, and it's often not understood, not appreciated, and as a result of some scientists lying it may not be trusted.

The pressure to publish is high though, and can definitely push some to cheat in order to keep their lab funded.