Oh, the things I know about this...

OUC, you have used the term Kakistocracy several times. What does it connote? I haven't seen the term

Found it.

kak·is·toc·ra·cies. Government by the least qualified or most unprincipled citizens. Origin of kakistocracy. Greek kakistos, worst, superlative of kakos, bad; see caco– + –cracy.before.

The model is designed to show how new and unusual results advance careers even at the expense of validity. Did anyone check out this study, the model a, it assumption etc. to determine if they were the result of rigorous and painstaking analysis or done to get a new and unusual result out into the public sphere.
To put it another way, is the study an exact example of what they, the authors, were talking against? Would not be the first time authors have done something like that.
So what do you say Real or questionable?l

The Kakistocracy expands...