This article introduces the concept of performative science, a recurring pattern in contemporary scientific practice in which valid methods are applied to a narrow, tractable slice of a system and subsequently inflated into system‑level conclusions while omitting the mechanisms that govern the whole. This pattern is amplified by media and institutional incentives, producing the appearance of diagnostic completeness without engaging the underlying system. The article defines the phenomenon, outlines its structural causes, illustrates its cross‑domain manifestations, and proposes Science Forensics as a corrective framework for restoring mechanism‑first integrity to scientific communication.