J.R.R Tolkien set out to create a history of a world and time that never existed when he wrote the Lord Of The Rings. The authors of a paper presented in a peer-reviewed journal did him one better. They created a bogus study, masquerading as science, and had it validated as legitimate scientific thought. At this rate, J.R.R Tolkien’s epic work may wind up as legitimate history at a University near you.

Two academics submitted the following article to a peer-reviewed journal. A peer-reviewed journal is a forum where academics and researchers present a theory, the research supporting the theory, and methods used to validate the research and the conclusions reached. The peer-review committee is supposed to challenge the science used and the conclusions reached. A peer-reviewed article, unlike a Time magazine article, is supposed to have been rigorously vetted.  It is more than a review of the content of the story, to ensure it fits in the space allotted and the grammar is correct.  Cogentoa.com/article/10.1080/ The abstract gives the reader some insight as to what the authors are attempting to prove. Here is their abstract:

Abstract

Anatomical penises may exist, but as pre-operative transgendered women also have anatomical penises, the penis vis-à-vismaleness is an incoherent construct. We argue that the conceptual penis is better understood not as an anatomical organ but as a social construct isomorphic to performative toxic masculinity. Through detailed poststructuralist discursive criticism and the example of climate change, this paper will challenge the prevailing and damaging social trope that penises are best understood as the male sexual organ and reassign it a more fitting role as a type of masculine performance.

What? If you are having feelings of inadequacy because you don’t understand the abstract, dismiss those feelings out of hand. On the other hand, if the abstract makes perfect sense to you, you are a fucking liar. The above abstract is complete, total, and utter nonsense. It is meaningless and was designed to be meaningless by the authors. Conceptual-penis-gender-studies-hoax-gets-published-in-peer-reviewed-journal.

This paper should never have seen the light of day. The premise is nonsensical, and the science is absent. Among other things, the paper claims that the penis is responsible for global warming. However, the peer review committee found that the paper had merit and with suggestions for minor modifications approved it for publication.

This is the state of higher education, these days. Students entering college today will incur a student loan debt measured in the tens to hundreds of thousands. The people who sat on the peer review committee are their teachers.