Scince Studies in Crisis?

[2timothy316]

So we know that science is not perfect. In fact we expect it not to be. But there is a big problem in the community that doesn't get talked about. Did you know that many conclusions are not products of real science at all? How do you feel about the following information?

Most scientists 'can't replicate studies by their peers'
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-39054778

Why should we care? As the article brings out in a quote by Dr Tim Errington who runs The Reproducibility Project, "It's worrying because replication is supposed to be a hallmark of scientific integrity." When integrity wanes the loss of trust soon follows.


"One research team just replicated 100 famous psychology studies, but found they couldn't reproduce about 60% of them."

Open Science Collaboration. "Estimating the Reproducibility of Psychological Science." Science, 28 Aug 2015.


"Another revisited 67 major drug studies, and found that about 75% didn't match their results."

Brian Owens. "Reliability of 'New Drug Target' Claims Called Into Question." Nature, 5 Sep 2011.


"Another team zeroed in on 53 recent cancer studies, and couldn't reproduce 47 of them."

Sharon Begley. "In Cancer Science, Many 'Discoveries' Don't Hold Up." Reuters, 28 Mar 2012.


"One estimate suggests that, in the U.S., we spend $28 billion a year on biomedical research that can't be reproduced."

"How Flawed Science Is Undermining Good Medicine," Morning Edition. NPR, 6 Apr 2017.

[Bust Nak]

That's interesting you'd say that. So we just let it keep going as it is? That's the answer?

Is there nothing in this thread that should be addressed? No truth to be had here, nothing to see here, move along. Should we do a cover up?

Well scientists could always do with more funding, same goes for science education. You could help by writing to your representatives for that end, or even cast you next vote based on these two issues. Meanwhile, you can do your part for science, for example, challenge your friends if they express anit-vax support. Get used to hunting down the abstract of the papers when you spot people posting about the "latest scientific discovery!" on facebook. As I stated, this isn't a problem with science studies, but a problem of lay people's attitude to science.

[2timothy316]

That's interesting you'd say that. So we just let it keep going as it is? That's the answer?

Is there nothing in this thread that should be addressed? No truth to be had here, nothing to see here, move along. Should we do a cover up?

Well scientists could always do with more funding, same goes for science education. You could help by writing to your representatives for that end, or even cast you next vote based on these two issues. Meanwhile, you can do your part for science, for example, challenge your friends if they express anit-vax support. Get used to hunting down the abstract of the papers when you spot people posting about the "latest scientific discovery!" on facebook. As I stated, this isn't a problem with science studies, but a problem of lay people's attitude to science.

Um have you seen who is in office now? Please tell me you watch the news. LOL

Really, I'm not starting a political tangent here but I think you get my point. I have no confidence in the world's leaders to fix the world's problems. They have had thousands of years and have only come close to one astonishing thing. Complete world destruction.

But don't worry. I am trying to help as many as I can in this world but I am pointing people to a different path if they wish to walk down it. Not here to convince, but to inform.

[Bust Nak]

Um have you seen who is in office now? Please tell me you watch the news. LOL.

Really, I'm not starting a political tangent here but I think you get my point. I have no confidence in the world's leaders to fix the world's problems. They have had thousands of years and have only come close to one astonishing thing. Complete world destruction.

Yes, I know who is in office and I know who he's put in charge of education. That's all the more reason for you to be lobbying your representatives to stand up for science education, isn't it?

But don't worry. I am trying to help as many as I can in this world but I am pointing people to a different path if they wish to walk down it. Not here to convince, but to inform.

I fear that is not enough. Once people start down the path of climate change denial, (this is probably the most relevant example since we are talking about world destruction here) they are not gonna want to change.

[Divine Insight]

So don't blame science for the dishonesty of the commercialization of snake oil.

I'm not, that is the reason for the thread. I'm alarmed at how many are buying the snake oil and looking for those that are trying to defend it. I am also pointing out that the problem is not the same as it ever was but growing.

It's especially going to grow exponentially in the USA with the current administration. The current administration has already signed executive orders that remove restrictions from companies to misrepresent their products and no longer even need to be truthful about what they put in them.

So yes the problem is growing. But this is a political administration problem, not so much a problem with the sciences.

Having said that, I too hold the scientific community (or maybe the academic community) responsible for allowing pseudo sciences (like psychology) to be treated as though they are as dependable as the physical sciences.

I blame the scientific or academic communities for allowing that to happen.

I also blame the scientific community for not taking better care in differentiating between a "Theory" and a mere "Hypothesis".

For example, they call "String Theory" a "theory". But in truth it's currently only a well-organized hypothesis that might someday qualify as a "theory".

In fact, many scientists themselves question whether something like "String Theory" is science or mere philosophy. So this problem hasn't gone unnoticed by many individual scientists, but the community as a whole appear to be allowing these things to be misrepresented without proper rigor.

So there's plenty of blame to go around within the scientific and academic communities themselves to be sure.

However, the current political administration seems to be anti-intelligence and anti-science to the hilt.

So that's going to make things far worse to be sure.

So yes, I agree there are problems. But precisely where to point the finger of blame is unclear. Obviously it can be pointed in many directions, some having more influence than others.

And of course the human tendency to be dishonest and use ignorance for profit is definitely a fact. The administration lifting regulations on companies alone would not necessarily lead to disaster. But companies jumping at the opportunity to use those lifted regulations to take even more advantage of the public is going to be where the real damage is done.

[2timothy316]

Um have you seen who is in office now? Please tell me you watch the news. LOL.

Really, I'm not starting a political tangent here but I think you get my point. I have no confidence in the world's leaders to fix the world's problems. They have had thousands of years and have only come close to one astonishing thing. Complete world destruction.

Yes, I know who is in office and I know who he's put in charge of education. That's all the more reason for you to be lobbying your representatives to stand up for science education, isn't it?

I see no reason to speak 'truth to power' when power has no need of truth. Sorry, I have been down the road of lobbying and blah blah blah. What I found is people are no hurry to do anything. It was the most disappointing realization in my life. So I dumped it.